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When Dana and Barron Collier III gave nearly $11 million to the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business this summer, you might have forgiven the folks at Florida Gulf Coast University for feeling a little bit left out.
After all, FGCU in Fort Myers is in the family's backyard. Barron Collier III is chairman of Barron Collier Cos., the land development and agriculture company founded by his grandfather and the county's namesake.
But the Colliers have been longtime supporters of FGCU. They endowed scholarships at FGCU in 1995, two years before the university even opened its doors. On Nov. 20, FGCU announced the Colliers pledged $4 million for student scholarships.
The Colliers have close connections to both state universities. Barron Collier III, better known as “Barry,” graduated from USF's Muma College of Business in 1980. His daughter graduated from FGCU.
Both recent gifts will be used for student preparedness. The USF gift will be used to teach students communication skills, sales skills, leadership, ethics, public speaking, networking and other training. The FGCU gift will be used to award scholarships to students from Collier County.
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