Southeast's new names

The board of regents on Friday named Southeast Missouri State University's visual and performing arts school in honor of Earl and Margie Holland of Fort Myers, Fla. Their cash donation -- the largest single donation in school history -- helped fund development of the River Campus, school officials said

The Hollands gave a seven-figure donation, officials said.

They were among seven individuals and families honored at a ceremony Friday afternoon in the new music recital hall on the River Campus. About 200 people attended the ceremony.

The honored donors contributed more than $8 million of the $13 million raised by the foundation for construction of the arts school, university president Dr. Ken Dobbins said.

The others honored:

Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theatre

Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Southeast Missouri Regional Museum

• Donald Bedell of Sikeston, for whom the performance hall is named.
• Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II of Marion, Ill., for whom the Southeast Missouri regional museum is named.
• John and Betty Glenn of Pebble Beach, Calif., for whom the convocation center is named. The convocation center will provide space to hold banquets at the River Campus. The couple went to school at Southeast. They have made a number of donations to the university over the years.
• Wendy Kurka and Gary Rust of Cape Girardeau, whose contribution is reflected in the naming of the Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theatre. Wendy Rust has had a "lifelong love of the theater and the arts," Dobbins said. Gary Rust said the donation was made by the entire Rust family.
• Robert "Bob" and Marcy Shuck of Clearwater, Fla. The music recital hall -- constructed in the space that formerly housed the old seminary chapel -- is named in honor of Robert Shuck's parents, the late Robert F. and Gertrude L. Shuck, who lived in Cape Girardeau.
• The late William "B.W." Harrison of Cape Girardeau, whose donation allowed the university to buy the former Catholic seminary building and property for development as an arts school. The east wing of the brick seminary building was officially named Friday in honor of Harrison and his wife, Hazel Huhn Harrison, as the Harrison-Huhn East Wing.

Harrison's wife died in 1990. Harrison died in 2004.

"B.W. Harrison is the original dreamer in our dare-to-dream project," Dobbins said.

Portraits of the contributors were unveiled during the ceremony.

Bedell and the Crisps were unable to attend the ceremony.

Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall

Bedell's son, Brad, who is president of the board of regents, helped unveil his father's portrait. "It's a pleasure to be able to give back to the community and the region," he said of the financial gift that helped fund construction of the 940-seat performance hall.

Earl and Margie Holland

The Hollands received a standing ovation as their portrait was unveiled.

Earl Holland grew up in Car?uthersville, Mo., and later graduated from Southeast with a business degree. Margie Holland was raised in Hayti, Mo.

Earl Holland recently retired as vice chairman and chief operating officer of Health Management Associates, which operates more than 50 hospitals in 15 states. His various business enterprises made him an expert in the health management field, school officials said.

Robert F. and Gertrude L. Shuck Music Recital Hall

"This campus is beautiful," Holland said. "It's going to be functional."

The new campus will impress students, he said. "There are going to be some oohs and aahs when they get on campus," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

The River Campus will be home to the recently named Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. (Kit Doyle)

335-6611, extension 123