Grambling State News

Working with a committee focused on $1,000 donors, group tops $100,000 goal to give president discretionary funds to lead institution

By Will Sutton
GSU Media Bureau

When Rick Gallot was named the 10^th president in July, James Bradford was there in the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors room as scores erupted in glee. Bradford was elated but he decided he had to do something, something big.

Initially, he thought he’d set a goal of raising $50,000 to help the new president take on the challenging job of running a historically black university with dwindling state funding and an enrollment lower than it was years ago. Then, as Bradford quietly talked with a few associates and friends, he decided even that wasn’t enough. On his own, he decided to increase the goal to $100,000.

After a quiet campaign including no advance publicity and lots of telephone calls, emails and letters, Bradford announced that he and a committee of supporters raised $140,000 during a private, special fundraising event in the World Famed Tiger Marching Band band room inside the Conrad Hutchinson Performing Arts Center Saturday night. Bradford teased the scores of people who showed up to support the president as he asked presidential assistant Constance Nelson to add one number at a time on a large check with space for a total. Bradford teased the  president, and the crowd, sometimes saying he wasn’t sure whether they would reach the $100,000 goal. But when the final number was revealed, the president and the crowd erupted in applause and with cheers, and Gallot stood and applauded in the direction of the crowd.

Gallot said he was thrilled, but not surprised.

“I know they were working hard….,” he said. “We had a lot of somebodies in here tonight who really love Grambling, so that part doesn’t surprise me. Given the chance to help the university, we rally around one another and this university, and I am very thankful.”

During an interview, Bradford, also Jonesboro’s mayor, said the group exceeded expectations with personal, one-on-one contacts and requests.

“We made personal contact. Everybody who contributed we called or we saw them somewhere, and we followed up on their commitments,” he said. “After a while people started hearing about it and they said, ‘I want to give,’ and they gave. We could not have done this with another president. …The key was who we have as president now. Rick is the key. They trust him. They support him.”

“The closer we got to it, the more the money kept coming in,” he added. “We were amazed, shocked when we got to $100,000, $105,000, $110,000, and it just kept coming.”

Bradford said raising that much money means “we have life at the university again, saying that Grambling is the Place Where Everybody is Somebody, …People just want to help, and they feel good about it.”

Bradford was clear that the money raised would go into a discretionary foundation account the president can use to get things done “as he sees fit.” Gallot said he will be responsible with the money, adding that “it will go to the betterment of the university and the students and the university will benefit directly.”

Marc Newman, GSU’s vice president for institutional advancement, said he appreciates the committee’s efforts and raising the money will help the university a great deal. Having someone like Bradford was key, he said.

“Having someone of Mr. Bradford’s caliber willing to provide his personal network on behalf of Grambling State University is a tremendous asset,” he added. He said Gallot is “really setting the tone” and the message he is sending to Grambling alums across the nation is ‘It’s time; it’s time to get on board, it’s time to support our institution,’ …and this could not have come at a better time.”

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