By AP/KWMU
Columbia, MO – The journalism school at the University of Missouri-Columbia got a $31 million pledge yesterday from the Donald Reynolds Foundation in Las Vegas. It's the largest donation in the school's history.
Reynolds was in the journalism school's class of 1927; he died in 1993.
The money will be used to open the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Reynolds also founded the Donrey Media Group.
An earlier gift from Reyonds of $9 million
provided the money to build the university's alumni center.
The award announced Monday includes up to $16.7 million to build a new building and renovate two existing buildings on the MU campus to house the journalism institute. An additional $1.8 million will fund technology and furnishings for the high-tech facilities.
There will also be more than $12 million made available over a six-year period to pay for salaries, programs and operations.