Contact: Bob Ratliff
A Mississippi State alumna and Indianola resident is funding a conference room in the university's nearly complete 41,000 square-foot alumni and foundation complex.
Mary Jane Gardner's $250,000 gift makes possible the G. Wayne Gardner Conference Room in the Hunter Henry Center now under construction. The former Mary Jane Jamison, she is a 1971 business graduate whose contribution creates a memorial to her late husband, a 1966 MSU civil engineering graduate who died in 2001.
The gift brings to more than $8.5 million in private commitments received so far for the Henry Center. A sweeping collage of stainless steel and glass designed by Jackson-based Foil Wyatt Architects on the western edge of campus, the structure opens this fall.
"This conference room in the MSU Alumni Association wing of our new facility will serve as a lasting tribute to Mr. Gardner," said Richard Armstrong, MSU Foundation executive director. "Mississippi State deeply appreciates that she chose to honor her husband and her alma mater in this most purposeful way."
Wayne Gardner was a registered engineer in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee who spent more than 30 years as an engineer for several Magnolia State counties. In addition to serving from 1990 until his death as secretary-treasurer of the Mississippi Association of County Engineers, he held all other officer positions in the state organization.
In his role as a county engineer, he was among major supporters of state legislative efforts to establish and maintain a local system bridge program. He also worked regularly with members of House of Representatives and Senate committees to promote the State Aid Road and Bridge Program.
In 1998, Mr. Gardner was appointed by Gov. Kirk Fordice to serve on the Mississippi State Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors. At the time of his death, he was president of the registration board, president-elect of the Consulting Engineers Council of Mississippi and a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.
He also was an active member of the National Association of County Engineers, serving on several committees and, for eight years, representing Mississippi as state head of the NACE Board of Directors. He also was vice president for three years of NACE's Southeast region executive committee.
In addition to professional responsibilities, Mr. Gardner was active in his community. He served on the Community Bank board of directors and was among members of the Indianola First United Methodist Church who traveled often to Honduras for humanitarian work.
The Hunter Henry Center is named for the 1950 MSU graduate, Canton native and retired Dow Chemical USA president. Beyond office and work spaces for MSU Foundation and Alumni Association personnel, it will feature a 400-seat ballroom, additional conference rooms, and other meeting and public spaces.
For more information about the Henry Center or the Gardner gift, telephone Amy Cagle of the MSU Foundation at (662) 325-1006.