Rush and Linda Harding of Little Rock have pledged a $500,000 unrestricted gift to the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College at the University of Central Arkansas.
The UCA alums are long-time university supporters. They established a scholarship for black students in 2002 and in 2004 gave what was then the university’s largest single gift, $1.4 million for scholarships and to build the centennial plaza on campus. Rush Harding served 21 years on the UCA board of trustees.
The honors college currently enrolls more than 300 students with an average ACT score of more than 29 and average GPA over 4.0. Though the gift is unrestricted, the college hopes to use it in part to increase opportunities for foreign study as well as to encourage programs in research and experiential learning.
Rush Harding co-founded the Crews and Associates investment firm. Linda Harding is a photographer, among other wide-ranging interests. Their philanthropy hasn’t been limited to UCA.