“The first thing that impressed us were the audible gasps from the audience after the amount was announced, then spontaneous applause and a standing ovation.”
– Dennis H. Treacy, vice president, environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods Inc.

When Larry Pope was a student at Ferguson High School in the 1970s, Christopher Newport University was a small liberal arts college across the street, and Smithfield Foods Inc. was a struggling pork producer. Mr. Pope returned to the CNU campus several decades later on Aug. 31, 2005, as president and chief operating officer for Smithfield Foods, now the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In front of 500 people gathered in the Ferguson Center for the Arts, he announced a $5 million gift to the University from the Smithfield-Luter Foundation – the largest single donation in CNU’s history.

“It’s a privilege for Smithfield Foods to be helping fund the future of this school,” said Mr. Pope. “We generally like to support programs that we think can make a difference. We believe this gift to Christopher Newport University will help. We’ve noticed what President (Paul) Trible has done at CNU, the transformation and accomplishments, and we want to be a part of that success.”

CNU applied $4 million to its endowment and established the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business, named for Smithfield’s chief executive officer and grandson of the company’s founder. CNU also will use the gift to recruit and retain faculty, provide academic enrichment and bring experts in for guest lectures.

The remaining $1 million – matched dollar for dollar by CNU – will provide academic leadership scholarships for high-ability students. Under the scholarship program, each student will receive $10,000 over four years – $2,000 each year – plus an additional $2,000 to study abroad.

News of the Smithfield Leadership Scholarships brought a flurry of inquiries from high school students, according to Patty Cavender, CNU dean of admissions, who identifies and recruits the best and brightest from high schools.

“We’re talking about kids with GPAs as high as 4.3 and SAT scores of 1380,” she said. “This is beyond exciting. For a person in my position to hear the University has been recognized with that kind of generosity is a moment that stands still in time,” Dean Cavender said.

As one who grew up in the shadows of what was then Christopher Newport College, Mr. Pope, whose son graduated from the University in 2001, said CNU’s explosive growth parallels that of his own company over the last six to 10 years. The generous gift will ensure CNU’s continued growth and academic excellence far into the future.

“It is rare that one finds an opportunity to shape a program that will attract outstanding students and nurture an appreciation for the art of leadership and the importance of citizenship,” said President Trible. “It is even rarer that one finds an opportunity to enrich the academic life and reputation of a university that will define it for generations to come. I am convinced that the generous support of Smithfield Foods will achieve both of these purposes.”