In the past two to three years we have had some very generous benefactors make some very magnanimous contributions to their university alma maters in Alabama.
One of those philanthropist is Alabama businessman Jim Kennemer. Thanks to a $2 million gift from Kennemer, the University of Alabama funded the James C. Kennemer Center for Innovation and Social Impact.
kAmy:> 2?5 x H6C6 :? D49@@= E@86E96C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 p=232>2 :? E96 `hf_D[ H96C6 H6 3642>6 7C:6?5D 2?5 H6 92G6 C6>2:?65 7C:6?5D] |2?J @7 9:D 4=@D6 7C:6?5D 42== 9:> “#@3@[” 2 ?:4<?2>6 96 A:4<65 FA H9:=6 2 7C2E6C?:EJ A=6586 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ] (9Jn q642FD6 96 H2D D@ AC@7:4:6?E 2?5 677:4:6?E 2E H2D9:?8 E96 @=56C 24E:G6 >6>36CD 42CD]k^Am
kAmx C6>6>36C[ BF:E6 G:G:5=J[ E92E y:> H2D :?G@=G65 :? 2? F?962C5 @7 D64C6E F?:G6CD:EJ 6?562G@C 42==65 “4@>AFE6CD]” pD DEF56?ED[ >@DE @7 FD G28F6=J <?6H E92E E96D6 DEC2?86 ?6H >249:?6D 6I:DE65[ 3FE E92E :D 23@FE 2== H6 <?6H]k^Am
kAmy:> H@F=5 5:D2AA62C 2?5 D9@H FA 7@C 3C62<72DE] (96? 2D<65 23@FE E96D6 ?@4EFC?2= 24E:G:E:6D[ 96 H@F=5 4FC:@FD=J C6DA@?5 E92E 96 925 366? 2E E96 4@>AFE6C 46?E6C H96C6 96 925 366? “AC@8C2>>:?8]” }@H[ F?56CDE2?5 E92E E9:D H2D :? E96 62C=J `hf_D 2?5 E96D6 4@>AFE6CD H6C6 G6CJ ?6H] {:EE=6 5:5 H6 <?@H H92E 2? :>A24E E96D6 >249:?6D H@F=5 F=E:>2E6=J 92G6 :? @FC 52:=J =:G6D]k^Am
kAmy:> z6??6>6C :D 7C@> %FD4F>3:2] w:D H:76 }2?4J !6EEFD :D 7C@> q:C>:?892>] %96J >6E 2?5 3@?565 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ] %96J 92G6 366? >2CC:65 d_ J62CD 2?5 92G6 3F:=E 2? 6>A:C6 E@86E96C 2?5 92G6 8:G6? 324< E@ E96:C 2=>2 >2E6C[ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 p=232>2]k^Am
kAm%96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 p=232>2 C646?E=J 9@DE65 2 C646AE:@? E@ 2??@F?46 E96 8:7E 2?5 E96 ?2>:?8 @7 E96 z6??6>6C r6?E6C] %96 r6?E6C H:== 36 9@FD65 H:E9:? E96 &p w@?@CD r@==686]k^Am
kAmp7E6C =62G:?8 &p H:E9 2 q$ 2?5 |qp 568C66D[ y:> D6EE=65 :?E@ E96 324< @7 2 H2C69@FD6 :? q:C>:?892> 2?5 56D:8?65 E96 7:CDE 7F==J AC@8C2>>23=6 A2J>6?E AC@46DD:?8 H@C<DE2E:@?D] %96 7:CDE 4FDE@>6C H2D E96 =2C86DE 32?< :? E96 4@F?ECJ] (:E9:? 2 76H J62CD[ DJDE6>D H6C6 :?DE2==65 2E >2;@C 32?<D[ FE:=:E:6D 2?5 @E96C =2C86 AC@46DD@CD E9C@F89@FE E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] pE @?6 A@:?E C@F89=J `aT @7 E96 &]$] vs! 7=@H65 E9C@F89 E96D6 DJDE6>D E92E y:> 56D:8?65]k^Am
kAm(96? E92E 4@>A2?J H2D 24BF:C65[ y:> 2?5 2 A2CE?6C AFCDF65 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ :? t?8=2?5 E92E F=E:>2E6=J 8C6H :?E@ 2 4@>A2?J 96 E@@< AF3=:4 @? E96 {@?5@? $E@4< tI492?86]k^Am
kAmq24< :? p=232>2[ y:> 4@?E:?F65 H:E9 2 D6C:6D @7 DF446DD7F= 4@>A2?:6D] p7E6C @?6 @7 E96D6 4@>A2?:6D 925 366? 24BF:C65[ y:> 42>6 24C@DD 2 C6G@=FE:@?2CJ }p$p 56G6=@A65 E649?@=@8J 7@C 62C=J 56E64E:@? @7 6J6 AC@3=6>D :? 49:=5C6?] %9FD[ ':D:@? #6D62C49 r@CA@C2E:@? H2D =2F?4965]k^Am
kAm':D:@? C6D62C49 3642>6 y:>’D C62= =@G6] y:> @C:8:?2==J 925 2? 6?EC6AC6?6FC’D :?E6C6DE 2?5 :?E6?E H:E9 E96 4@>A2?J] w@H6G6C[ 27E6C D66:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 49:=5C6?’D =:G6D >256 D@ >F49 36EE6C 27E6C 4@CC64E:@? @7 E96:C G:D:@? AC@3=6>D[ 96 H2D 9@@<65 7@C =:76 H:E9 9:D AC@;64E] wF?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 <:5D 2C6 D4C66?65 6249 J62C 2?5 @G6C E96 J62CD[ 2=>@DE @?6 >:==:@? 49:=5C6? 92G6 366? 96=A65]k^Am
kAmy:> z6??6>6C 8C6H FA 23@FE 2 >:=6 7C@> w6=6? z6==6C’D 3:CE9A=246] x 92G6 2=H2JD E9@F89E E92E D96 H2D 2? :>A6EFD E@H2C5D y:> z6??6>6C’D ':D:@? #6D62C49 r6?E6C]k^Am
kAm#646?E=J[ rC@H?6 w62=E9 7@F?56C 2?5 rt~[ q:==J y@?6D[ 2?5 9:D H:76 uC2?46D[ 82G6 Sa >:==:@? E@ %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ[ 9:D 2=>2 >2E6C] %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ H:== FD6 E96 8:7E 7@C 2 ?6H 3F:=5:?8 @? E96 %C@J 42>AFD] %96 3F:=5:?8 H:== 36 ?2>65 :? 9@?@C @7 q:==J y@?6D @7 |@?C@6G:==6] xE H:== 36 2 46?E6C 7@C C6D62C49 :? E96 2C62 @7 A@=J>6CD 2?5 A@=J>6C C64J4=:?8] %96 3F:=5:?8 ?2>65 :? y@?6D’D 9@?@C H:== 2=D@ AC:>2C:=J 2?5 2AAC@AC:2E6=J 36 2 w62=E9 $4:6?46 3F:=5:?8]k^Am
kAmsC] y24< w2H<:?D[ r92?46==@C @7 %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ[ 92D 366? <?@H? 7@C 9:D AC@H6DD 2E 7F?5C2:D:?8 5FC:?8 9:D bd J62C C6:8? 2D r92?46==@C @7 %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ] w6 >256 2? 6=682?E AC6D6?E2E:@? :? 9:D C6>2C<D 9@?@C:?8 y@?6D 2E E96 46C6>@?J 36DE@H:?8 E96 y@?6D ?2>6 FA@? E96 3F:=5:?8] w6 D2:5 DF44:?4E=J[ “q:==J y@?6D :D 2 4@C?6CDE@?6 :? E96 BF2=:EJ @7 962=E942C6 :? p=232>2] pD !C6D:56?E 2?5 rt~ @7 rC@H?6 w62=E9 $JDE6>D[ 96 92D 366? 2 =686?5 :? p=232>2[ 2?5 96 :D 2 %C@J AC@5F4E] (:E9 `g ?FCD:?8 9@>6D 2?5 a___ 6>A=@J66D[ 96 92D >256 2 C6>2C<23=6 5:776C6?46 :? E96 BF2=:EJ @7 42C6 8:G6? E@ >2?J E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6] xE :D 2AAC@AC:2E6 E92E 9:D ?2>6 H:== 36 C67=64E65 @? 2 3F:=5:?8 E92E :D 565:42E65 E@ E96 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 65F42E:@? @7 962=E942C6 H@C<6CD] w6 92D 366? 2 8C62E DFAA@CE6C @7 E9:D F?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 H6 2C6 G6CJ AC@F5 @7 E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A H6 D92C6 H:E9 9:>]”k^Am
kAm%96 D2J:?8 E92E p=232>2 :D @?6 3:8 7C@?E A@C49 4@?E:?F6D] sC] y24< w2H<:?D 2?5 q:==J y@?6D 8C6H FA E@86E96C :? |@3:=6] %96J 92G6 <?@H? 6249 @E96C D:?46 E96:C 52JD E@86E96C 2E |FCA9J w:89 :? |@3:=6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$E6G6 u=@H6CD :D p=232>2UCDBF@jD =625:?8 A@=:E:42= 4@=F>?:DE] w:D H66<=J 4@=F>? 2AA62CD :? @G6C e_ p=232>2 ?6HDA2A6CD] $E6G6 D6CG65 `e J62CD :? E96 DE2E6 =68:D=2EFC6] $E6G6 >2J 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]DE6G67=@H6CD]FDQmHHH]DE6G67=@H6CD]FDk^2m]k^Am
