Regions Bank representatives Jack Fleischauer, regional chief executive officer (CEO) and Larry Worsham, Northeast Arkansas president and CEO, presented the check to Wyatt and Mike Medlock, chair of the ASU Board of Trustees, during a brief ceremony in Little Rock.

“We at Regions Bank are very pleased and excited about making this scholarship endowment gift to Arkansas State University,” Fleischauer commented.

President Wyatt expressed appreciation to Fleischauer, Worsham and Regions Bank, saying that "Arkansas State University, and the generations of students who will benefit, are grateful for Regions Bank's generosity and for its vision for Arkansas' future.

Before presenting the gift, Fleischauer summarized how the bank became interested in supporting higher education students.

Regions Bank’s predecessor in Arkansas, First Commercial Corp., and its CEO, William H. Bowen, supported a national advisory board of successful Arkansans who lived throughout the country. The board met annually to examine major issues facing the state, and education was a frequent topic.

"These great minds who loved Arkansas would get together and bring their talents to bear on various issues," Fleischauer recalled.

Because they saw the need to help promising young students meet the costs of higher education, the board contributed frequently to a scholarship fund that was administered by the bank.

“We annually awarded scholarships to young Arkansans attending Arkansas universities and colleges, both public and private,” Fleischauer said.

The bank continued to administer the fund even after the advisory board ceased to operate, but recently concluded that institutions of higher educations, including ASU, would be in a better position to process applications and make awards to outstanding students.

“Because of our interest in ASU, Regions Bank wanted ASU to have a significant gift that the university could manage and use to help attract young people into the university," Fleischauer continued. "Northeast Arkansas is so important to our company. We have talked with President Wyatt about how ASU can utilize these funds as an incentive for quality students from the Delta region to pursue their higher education at ASU."

Larry Worsham, president and CEO of Regions Bank of Northeast Arkansas, also emphasized ASU's significance to the bank and to the area.

"Arkansas State University is of such vital importance to Northeast and Eastern Arkansas," Worsham added. "We are very proud that our company recognizes that and is showing its support for scholarships."

He also expressed his appreciation to Fleischauer for his leadership role in making the gift a reality for ASU.

"Jack Fleischauer, who now leads Regions West (Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas), has been a great friend of ASU and Northeast Arkansas throughout his career in banking," Worsham said. "We are appreciative to him for his influence and leadership, which led to this large gift that will benefit outstanding ASU students for years to come."

Wyatt added, "Jack Fleischauer has been a good friend to ASU since the time he was a student here. We appreciate his loyalty and interest in our future."