The Stover Foundation has donated $2 million to Waynesburg University in honor of the late Dr. W. Robert Stover, a beloved alumnus, trustee and patron of the University, the University announced today.
The $2 million donation is the lead gift in the University’s O.A.K.S. (Opportunity And Knowledge Strengthened) Campaign, which is a comprehensive fundraising initiative for the future of the University.
“This is a time for stepping forward and for saying yes to Waynesburg University, a school that is making its mark on the world,” said Rev. Dr. Parker T. Williamson, President of the Stover Foundation. “And it is in that vein that the Foundation has determined to make a lead gift to this Campaign, one that we hope will be a launching pad for many gifts yet to come.”
Through the grant, the W. Robert Stover Chair for Entrepreneurial Leadership Endowed Fund was created. This fund will be used to endow the W. Robert Stover Chair for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a faculty position in the University’s Department of Business Administration.
One of America's premier entrepreneurs and leaders of Christ’s Church, Dr. Stover was a friend of Waynesburg University’s students, administrators and faculty for many years. According to Rev. Dr. Williamson, Dr. Stover attributed his success first to the grace of God and secondly to the gifts that were so graciously given to him by Waynesburg University.
“Dr. Stover and his wife, Joan, were an integral part of the mission and growth of Waynesburg University,” said Waynesburg University President Douglas G. Lee. “We are thankful for the continued generosity and kindness of the Stover Foundation and Rev. Dr. Williamson. This gift will have an impact on students for generations to come.”
The Stover Foundation supports and encourages numerous Christian ministries and educational institutions focused on Christian moral and ethical leadership. The Foundation’s generous support has also made possible the Stover Campus Center dedicated in 1999, the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership and a scholarship for nursing students.
Dr. W. Robert Stover
After serving in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, earning the rank of lieutenant senior grade, Dr. Stover was one of the pioneers of the growing temporary help services industry by founding Western Temporary Services.
This company, which he began with $800 and a rented typewriter in a tiny San Francisco office, grew to become a multimillion-dollar corporation with 200 offices in the United States and overseas including Mexico, England, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Australia, providing a wide range of non-clerical temporary help services in the marketing, medical, industrial, technical and sentry fields.
In addition to serving on Waynesburg University's Board of Trustees as both a member and chairman, Dr. Stover was the chairman of the 1971 Billy Graham Northern California Crusade and a member of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and Young Life, member of the San Francisco Mayor’s Committee to Hire the Handicapped, Past President of the Bay Area Urban League, President of the Fellowship Bible Institute, and a Trustee of Fuller Theological Seminary. He was also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and author of numerous articles for trade and business publications.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 21 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
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