Fayetteville State University News Friday, November 2, 2012 Alumnus Makes $100,000 Donation to FSU Nicholas Perkins, a 2003 graduate of Fayetteville State University (FSU) and president and founder of Perkins Management Services Company, presented FSU Chancellor James A. Anderson with a check for $100,000 during halftime of the FSU homecoming football game on October 27, 2012. The gift by Perkins represents one of the largest individual donations ever by an FSU alumnus. The gift will be used for entrepreneurial students in FSU's School of Business and Economics. Perkins said he made the donation to FSU because it is important for alumni to give back to their alma mater and for them to recognize the role the institutions play in their professional successes. Additionally, he said he wants to support the vision of Chancellor Anderson by making a donation to FSU's nationally recognized business school. "The School of Business and Economics at FSU is ranked as one of the top programs in the nation. The entrepreneurship program is also pioneering," Perkins said. "It is important to me as an entrepreneur to encourage young men and women to study this area as well as start their own firms. Also, it allows me the opportunity to support the university in its mission. Dr. King talks about the fierce urgency of now, as budget cuts and federal programs are being impacted I felt that now was the best time to start this commitment." Chancellor Anderson said Perkins' donation not only demonstrates his commitment to FSU and its future, but it also speaks highly of the quality education he received during his matriculation as a student. "Upon my arrival at Fayetteville State University, Nicholas Perkins reached out to me early and extended his support of the university," Anderson said. "The presentation of this gift as an alumnus, businessman, and friend of the University challenges all alumni to plan a gift for FSU. This is one for the record!" Perkins' donation will be instrumental in training students to be entrepreneurs. FSU is proposing a doctoral program in entrepreneurship. Earlier this month, Dr. Edward Stringham, the Lloyd V. Hackley Endowed Chair for Capitalism and Free Enterprise Studies, held a two-day seminar on how to create an "ideal" Ph.D. program in entrepreneurship. Seventeen people from around the country, many of whom have had long careers in academia and business, attended. Among the participants were Dwight R. Lee, economist at Southern Methodist University, Theodore Malloch of Yale University, coauthor of Renewing American Culture: The Pursuit of Happiness (the basis of a PBS documentary), Arthur Langer, academic director of an executive master's program at Columbia University, and Douglas B. Rasmussen, philosophy professor at St. John's University. "Nicholas Perkins' gift to the School of Business and Economics to support students interested in entrepreneurship is a key initiative in the school and supports a major initiative of the 'Building a 21st Century University' Capital Campaign," said Getchel Caldwell, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. "This tremendous pace-setting gift sends the signal that FSU alumni do have the capacity to give and invest in the university's growth. We are truly thankful." Perkins Management Services Company, whose principal office is based in Charlotte, N.C., was established in 2005 by Perkins with the commitment to deliver quality food services management to the federal government, historically black colleges and universities, and commercial clients. Perkins' passion for food began in the humble kitchen of his grandmother Mrs. Laurene W. Perkins, whose innate -soulful cooking ability was displayed daily in skillful meal preparation. Cast in her symbolic shadow was her grandson whose curiosity and love of her cooking fostered his interest not only in how to prepare these palate-pleasing entrees but how to share them with others. FSU is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. FSU offers nearly 60 degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. With nearly 6,000 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. For more information, call (910) 6720-1474. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.