News Center

Published August 22, 2019

Family, Regents and University Foundation partnership total $5.5 million toward educational excellence in multiple academic programs

When residents in Ouachita Parish and along the I-20 Corridor hear the name, “Biedenharn,” they recognize a longstanding family name that has become synonymous with Monroe, Louisiana, the arts and almost unmatched business and entrepreneurial success in multiple fields.

And fortunately for thousands of ULM students and faculty, support for higher education can now be added to that list.

The ULM Foundation and Louisiana Board of Regents will recognize the Biedenharn Family Legacy with the University during a press conference at 1:30 p.m., Monday, August 26, 2019 on the seventh floor of the ULM Library.

ULM and the Biedenharn family will announce their private donations of $900,000 for a Chair and five Professorships have received $600,000 in matching funds from the Louisiana Board of Regents, resulting in $1.5 million in faculty endowments.  

“We are grateful to the Biedenharn family for their continuous financial support of the university,” said President Dr. Nick J. Bruno. “Their donations, like this Chair for our College of Business, have enabled ULM to attract and retain world-class scholars as faculty members. The vision of this family in advancing education is inspiring, and we will honor and match their generosity with a renewed commitment to continue to excel in all areas.”

Dean Ron Berry, author of the B. W. Biedenharn Chair in Business competitive proposal to the Louisiana Board of Regents for the $400,000 in matching funds, shared his gratitude to the Biedenharn family and the Louisiana Board of Regents for providing the opportunity to leverage private donations.

Susan Chappell, ULM’s executive director for Advancement, Foundation and Alumni Relations, said the Biedenharn family’s support for the university has been broad and far-reaching. “When we say the ‘Biedenharn Family Legacy,’ we are talking about a true legacy of generosity and support for educational excellence and ULM.”

The Biedenharn Family Legacy has established the following chairs and professorships at ULM with principal corpus amounts:

• B.W. Biedenharn Chair in Business – $1,000,000

• Emy-Lou Biedenharn second Professorship in Music – $100,000

• Elizabeth and Haydn Cutler Professorship in Biotechnology – $100,000

• Francesca and C.D. Oakley Professorship in Academic Innovation Center – $100,000

• Doll and Henry Biedenharn Jr. Professorship in Communication –  $100,000

• JoAnn and Miles Sager Professorship in Computer Information Systems – $100,000

 

In addition to these endowments, the Biedenharn Family Legacy has also established scholarships and faculty endowments in earlier years with current principal balances:

• Emy-Lou Biedenharn Memorial Scholarship, 1989 – $170,033

• Joseph A. Biedenharn Chair in Gerontology, 1993 – $2,047,074

• Emy-Lou Biedenharn Endowed Professorship in Music, 1996 – $181,414

• Emy-Lou Biedenharn Chair in Music, 1999 –– $1,575,965

So today we celebrate the Biedenharn Family Legacy contributions totaling $1,880,000 and the partnership with the Louisiana Board of Regents.  With the Board of Regents sponsored programs matching funds and investment earnings, the Biedenharn investments now total $5,512,211 in endowments which provide crucial funding for the development of faculty, their programs and student scholarships.   

Family background

Joseph Augustus Biedenharn was born in Vicksburg, Miss., in 1866 and was the first bottler of Coca-Cola. In 1913, Biedenharn moved his family to Monroe to expand his Coca-Cola bottling business. Today the family is known for its philanthropy in northeast Louisiana.

ULM’s Biedenharn Hall, built in 1939, was named for the family patriarch and Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, built in 2003, was named for his daughter.  

ULM and the ULM Foundation are honored to welcome members of the Biedenharn family and invite faculty and staff, friends of the university, the media and the community to attend.