State University of New York Chancellor Robert King announced today that Buffalo State College has received a $1 million gift establishing the first endowed chair in the 130-year history of the institution. The gift from Eleanore Woods Beals and her husband, Vaughn Beals of Arizona, will be used to establish the Woods-Beals Endowed Chair in Urban and Rural Education.

Eleanore Woods Beals is a 1950 graduate of Buffalo State College and a former teacher. Mr. Beals is the former chair of Harley-Davidson, Inc. The couple reside in Arizona.

In making the gift the Beals explained, "The current performance levels of our public school graduates versus those in other countries confirms the need for marked improvements in public education. Buffalo State College's long and productive history, combined with the demographics of its student body (who come from a diverse range of rural, urban, and suburban communities) and its location in the city of Buffalo qualify it well to be a national leader in solving these problems. Buffalo State has already taken a leadership role by creating the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education to identify and address these key issues."

Founded as a teachers college in 1871, Buffalo State continues to house among the largest and most highly regarded teacher preparation programs in New York State. In the fall of 2000, with a $150,000 grant from the New York State Legislature, the college established the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education (CEURE) specifically to address the need to recruit, prepare, and retain excellent teachers for urban and rural areas of New York State.

"We strongly support the goals of the Center and particularly look forward to the positive results that will flow from the research and shared experiences that the Center will stimulate," added the Beals. "As in all enterprises, we strongly believe that the quality of leadership determines the quality and timeliness of the results. We are pleased to support the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education so that the attainment of its goals can proceed without delay. We are confident that the search committee will not only find, but attract, the right person to lead this critical effort."

Chancellor King congratulated the college on the gift, noting, "I am enormously grateful to Eleanore Woods Beals and Vaughn Beals for this most generous gift. We have recently strengthened our teacher education programs so our graduates will be better prepared to meet future challenges especially in high-needs school districts. I am very proud of the work done by President Howard, the faculty and staff, and of the terrific students at Buffalo State College."

"We are grateful to Eleanore Woods Beals and Vaughn Beals for their remarkable generosity and for their enthusiasm for Buffalo State's Center for Urban and Rural Education," said Buffalo State President Muriel A. Howard. "It is especially meaningful that this gift comes from a Buffalo State College educated teacher and her husband. At Buffalo State, we share the Beals' vision for the future of public education in America. No challenge facing our nation is more critical than our ability to educate the total range of American society, especially the neglected children living in our urban and rural areas. Without major changes in education, the next generation of Americans will fall short of the educated workforce needed to fill technologically sophisticated positions by 16 million people. That gap will have insurmountable economic, social, and cultural consequences, and put our nation at a strategic disadvantage. The generosity and vision of Mr. and Mrs. Beals are truly inspiring!"