MADISONVILLE, Ky.-- Richard and Phyllis Frymire of Madisonville recently committed a major pledge to Madisonville Community College's (MCC) Fulfilling the Promise gifts campaign.

The five-year pledge is designated mainly to the campaign's Quality Endowment with a smaller percentage going to the annual friends fund at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts. The Quality Endowment currently funds 10 to 12 projects each year that focus on professional development, academic conferences (especially in relationship to the college's Title III curriculum review grant), and tuition support for employees working on bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. The college has recently initiated a leadership-oriented project devoted to instilling the ideals of community service and volunteerism to academically talented students; this project is now being supported by the Quality Endowment.

In making the pledge, the Frymires stressed the importance of the endowment's priority of promoting faculty excellence. "We wanted to make a gift that promoted excellence in teaching and leadership," stated General Frymire. "Dr. Rhoads and everyone at MCC have put together leadership-oriented training for students and faculty that promotes excellence in the classroom and community service. We wanted our gift to support this wonderful idea and also to continue supporting the Glema Center, which relies on continuing community support to keep its doors open and programming sound."

The Frymires' gift is the 33rd such gift at the major level of the Fulfilling the Promise campaign. The Frymires have previously provided a major gift to the Joe C. Davis Science Building and have supported local arts programs for years. The college plans to make a later announcement regarding the naming of a permanent professional development-related series in the Frymires' honor.