Special to the messenger

State Farm Insurance® donated a total of $50,000 to the Troy State University Quad Revitalization Project on Tuesday, presenting the check to Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr., in a brief ceremony on campus.

Karen Carter, a TSU alumna and Vice President of Agency-Alabama, presented two checks for the project, $30,000 from the State Farm Foundation and $20,000 raised by State Farm Insurance® agents and associates.

"Troy State University's continued commitment to excellence has made it a premier institution, and we at State Farm Insurance are very proud to be a part of this winning team," Carter said." I believe this project is going to provide a beautiful showplace for the university, a place where students will be able to have good experiences and develop fond memories of Troy State University for years to come."

The project, initiated by the Troy State University National Alumni Association, will turn the Bibb Graves Quadrangle into a pedestrian-only park, complete with fountains, crosswalks and a nine-foot-tall statue of a Trojan warrior. The renovation will closely follow the original campus plan, designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers, whose firm also designed New York's Central Park and Biltmore, the Vanderbilts' estate near Ashville, N.C.

"This will be the focal point of our campus;" Chancellor Hawkins said after accepting the donation. He added that it was gratifying to see the TSU alumni employed by State Farm step up to support this project.

"The real barometer of the effectiveness of a university is the success of its alumni," Dr. Hawkins said. "We have many successful alumni within the State Farm family. We are very excited by the Bibb Graves Quad project and are deeply grateful to State Farm and all State Farm agents and employees for their generosity and hard work on behalf of Troy State University."