March 5, 2025
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Gary Smith, M Ed’65, EdD ’71, likes showing off Francis Quadrangle and Carnahan Quadrangle to those visiting the University of Missouri. For him, the quads are more than iconic locations. They offer perfect views of everything Mizzou has to offer — beautiful academic buildings, bustling student centers, life-saving health care and state-of-the-art research facilities.
Smith — whose career at Mizzou spanned five decades — wants to keep it this way. That’s why he and his wife, Carol, have made a gift from their will to support campus beautification efforts.
“Beautification is so important,” Smith said. “It helps attract students and recruit faculty and staff. It makes alumni proud to come back, and it shows the public that the university is a good investment.”
In addition to the Mizzou Botanic Garden and campus upkeep, Smith supports a number of programs at Mizzou. He has been investing in the university since he first made a gift to the Neil C. Aslin Memorial Scholarship in the College of Education and Human Development, named in honor of his doctoral advisor. Smith is also a staunch supporter of the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, which allows university leaders to fund strategic priorities.
Giving to Mizzou, he said, is empowering because it allows him to invest in the areas that matter most to him. On Mizzou Giving Day — the 24-hour fundraising event that begins on March 12 — Smith encourages others to consider how they could support the university in ways that are meaningful to them.
“Whether it’s campus in general, the college or school where you received your degree, or something that you benefited from, giving is an opportunity to support the things that are important to you,” he said.
For Erika Zhou, BS CS ’23, that means supporting Mizzou’s College of Engineering, where she was able to take advantage of opportunities such as undergraduate research and student organizations.
“It’s important to me to give back to Mizzou because the education and experience I gained during college equipped me for a career in technology,” she said.
At Mizzou, Zhou served as an officer of two student organizations — MUVR, Mizzou’s virtual reality club, and DevelopHER, an organization for women in computing. Her experiences allowed her to gain leadership, management, financial and marketing skills. She also participated in TigerHacks, a hackathon hosted by the Mizzou Computing Association, which she said helped her land a summer internship that led to her full-time job as a software engineer.
“Opportunities accessible to students were like launchpads that could change the trajectory of our lives for years into the future,” Zhou said.
Giving Day begins at noon and continues through noon on March 13. Visit the Giving Day website to explore funds and see challenges and matching opportunities to maximize your gift. You may choose from a variety of funds supporting scholarships, student organizations, schools and colleges and more.
And it doesn’t have to be a large amount to make a difference, said Smith, who has also supported the Chancellor’s Residence Preservation Society, Friends of Music and MU Libraries over the years. Last year on Giving Day, thousands of donations resulted in more than $12.7 million for scholarships, programs and campus priorities.
“Every gift, big or small, helps Mizzou continue to grow and thrive,” Smith said. “We can all play a role in keeping this place special for future generations.”
