Pinney Allen graduated from University of Missouri High School in 1972.
Aug. 5, 2021
Contact: Austin Fitzgerald, 573-882-6217, fitzgeraldac@missouri.edu
The University of Missouri today announced a combined commitment of $5 million from Pinney Allen and family to the Trulaske College of Business. The gift establishes the Allen Access Program, which will provide scholarships and programs to support underresourced and underrepresented students in the College of Business.
“The Allen Access Program will create more opportunities for students who want to take advantage of Mizzou’s world-class business education programs,” said Mun Y. Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “This kind of support from our community highlights the impact that Mizzou has far and wide.”
Pinney Allen and her husband, Charles Miller III, hope to inspire others to support programs at the Trulaske College of Business.
The commitment is split between a $3 million contribution from Pinney Allen and her husband, Charles Miller III, and $2 million from the estate of Allen’s brother, W.D Allen, for whom the program is named. The Allen Access Program will form the umbrella under which the college’s access programs — such as Vasey Academy and Heartland Scholars — will fall, further expanding access and support for business students.
On top of the $5 million commitment, the College of Business seeks to raise an additional $12 million over 10 years to further support the Allen Access Program and the college’s inclusion, diversity and equity efforts.
“This commitment is a remarkable investment in the future of Mizzou and the Trulaske College of Business,” said Jackie Lewis, vice chancellor for advancement at MU. “It’s an incredible example of the great things we can achieve when we pair donors with a vision with an institution that can make that goal a reality.”
Pinney Allen graduated from University of Missouri High School in 1972 before moving on to study economics at Harvard University. She and Miller are not MU alumni, but they share a passion for supporting initiatives that benefit students in need. W.D. Allen received both a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate from the Trulaske College of Business, where he remains as an adjunct professor and coordinator of the Allen Angel Capital Education Program.
“Every student deserves support to help build their own success story,” Pinney Allen said. “With this gift, we hope to make success at Mizzou a reality for many. Equally, we hope to inspire other great Mizzou supporters to join us in building that reality for even more.”
The Allen Access Program is named for W.D Allen, currently the coordinator of the Allen Angel Capital Education Program at the Trulaske College of Business.
One current business student, Jesus Oropeza, spoke at the announcement about the impact of access programs like the one the gift establishes.
“It was terrifying to consider going to Mizzou with no safety net,” said Oropeza, a first-generation college student and Heartland Scholar. “No one to call at home who understood the challenges in college, who could relate to how incredibly overwhelming it was to walk into our first class and see more people in one room than in our entire high schools or maybe our entire communities. I’m grateful for the opportunity that Mizzou has provided.”
In addition to the $5 million commitment, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) — a member firm of the global professional services organization EY — has announced a $375,000 gift to create the EY Fund for Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Business. This additional gift reflects what Pinney Allen described as her desire to inspire others to support education access programs and kicks off the college’s efforts to raise an additional $12 million.
“One of our highest priorities at the college is to ensure that every student who wants a quality business education can pursue one at Trulaske, and that needs for every student— varied as they may be — are fully supported,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the College of Business. “With the support of donors like the Allen family, we can see this vision forward, creating the next generation of business and community leaders.”
