5/14/2009 1:15:00 PM New college to honor couple Family’s gift that exceeded $1 million caps off campaign for new nursing college
COURTESY PHOTOThis artist's rendering shows the part of the exterior of the new nursing college on the Northeast Community College complete with J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh name.
The new nursing college building on the Northeast Community College campus will bear the name of a Norfolk couple well-known for their generosity toward the community college.
The building, which will house the nursing programs of both Northeast and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will be named the J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh College of Nursing.
After receiving approval from the college's board of governors, the announcement was made Thursday at a press conference at Northeast.
"J. Paul and Eleanor's history of great generosity to this institution is legendary," said Dr. Bill Path, Northeast president. "This is just another example of their great selflessness. We humbly and gratefully accept this gift."
Their pledge to the capital campaign for the college of nursing was considerably more than $1 million, but the exact amount is not being disclosed at the family's request.
Launched in February 2008, the capital campaign to raise $11.9 million to build and equip the 43,747-square-foot building is thought to be the largest in the history in Northeast Nebraska.
The McIntosh gift has capped off the campaign for the facility to house the med center's bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs and Northeast's basic nurse aide, licensed practical nurse and associate's degree nursing programs. The gift will also enable Northeast to begin an endowment fund to allow for ongoing updating of the state-of-the-art equipment.
State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, speaker of the Legislature, said, "For generations to come, aspiring nurses will learn to care for our loved ones and neighbors in this facility, thanks in great part to the generous gift from J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh."
Ron Stauffer, who served as the general campaign chairman, added, "I truly believe that with all Paul and Eleanor have done for Northeast Community College, this is a much deserved honor for them and a much appreciated capstone gift which assures the success of the campaign."
The McIntosh gift to the college of nursing follows numerous others made previously.
In 1997, the McIntosh family was the first to commit $50,000 to the Lifelong Learning Center. In March 1999, the family donated $500,000 to Northeast to create an endowed scholarship and a legacy scholarship program. The children of J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh are the late LaRayne Horn, Jan Einspahr, Jonathon McIntosh, David McIntosh and Heather McIntosh.
In January 2002, McIntosh also worked with the Nebraska Legislature and a statewide initiative to implement a scholarship for under-represented minorities in higher education institutions. He used $40,000 in matching funds to access an additional $65,000 appropriated by the Legislature to establish the McIntosh Minority Scholarship, available to Hispanic, African American, and Indian American students.
McIntosh challenged ethanol producers in Nebraska in 2007 to donate monies for a memorial scholarship for students enrolled in Northeast's renewable fuels technology program. He challenged members of the Nebraska Ethanol Producers to raise at least $100,000 for a permanent scholarship endowment. McIntosh pledged to add an additional $50,000 if ethanol producers raised a minimum of $100,000 in honor of the late Gary Kuester of Stanton, a pioneer in the ethanol industry.
The college of nursing is tentatively set to open in August 2010. The campaign will continue to accept donations toward the endowment fund.
