The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has received a gift of $3 million from Thomas L. Parker (B.S., business administration, 1943) of Upper Arlington, Ohio. The gift supports the university's new Food Science and Technology facility, as well as the Thomas L. Parker Excellence in Dairy Foods Program.

The gift is the culmination of the Parker family's involvement and partnership, over several decades, with Ohio State food scientists in new food product development. Enabling the Department of Food Science and Technology to surpass its $6.2 million campaign for the new building, the new gift triggered an additional $10.9 million in appropriations from the State of Ohio to complete construction. In recognition of the gift, the new facility will bear the family's name as The Parker Food Science and Technology Building. **

"We are very grateful for this generous gift from Mr. Parker," said Ohio State President William E. Kirwan. "The Department of Food Science and Technology at Ohio State is quickly emerging as a national and international center for excellence and innovation. The Parker Food Science and Technology Building will be instrumental in our quest to make the department the top food science program in the nation by 2003."

Over the last several years, rapid growth of the value-added food industry has placed additional demands on the areas of Ohio State that serve that industry. In response to this urgent need for a structure to facilitate the research, teaching, and service functions of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, the Parker Food Science and Technology Building-a state-of-the-art facility serving faculty, students, staff, and the food industry-will unify all of the various food sciences program at Ohio State. It will serve as a permanent and visible symbol of the importance of food science and technology to the university, to the economy, and to all who benefit from improved food products.

Now ready for occupancy, the Parker Food Science and Technology Building connects Howlett Hall-home of the Ohio Food Industries Pilot Plant, which processes fruit and vegetables-and the Animal Sciences building, which houses a meat processing plant. The Parker Building will feature a new dairy foods pilot plant, enabling students to process fluid milk; to produce all varieties of cheese, yogurt, and other traditional dairy foods; and to investigate new processes, potential new dairy foods, or dairy-derived ingredients.

In addition, the Parker Food Science and Technology Building will feature a student-managed retail dairy store, offering products produced primarily by students to the public; state-of-the-art teaching laboratories for educating tomorrow's food scientists about food fermentation, microbiology, chemistry, and engineering; and a new sensory laboratory, which will be available for use by Ohio industry representatives using faculty-directed testing.

Also funded by the Parker gift, the Thomas L. Parker Excellence in Dairy Foods Program will provide continuous support, in perpetuity, for research, teaching, and outreach in the dairy foods arena. Annual income from this endowed fund will support the Thomas L. Parker Distinguished Visitor or the Thomas L. Parker Lecturer; scholarships and fellowships for students enrolled in dairy foods programs; support for student organizations, including the Dairy Foods Judging Team; special programs in the Dairy Foods Store, including student sensory testing; and annual funding for research in dairy and food engineering, as identified by students, faculty, staff, and the dairy industry-thus complementing the existing J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods.

Tom Parker is the retired chairman and president of the former Big Drum, Inc., the packaging manufacturing company founded by his father, J. T. "Stubby" Parker. Big Drum, which was eventually sold by the Parkers, was a "descendant" of the Frozen Drumstick Sales Company, the ice cream novelty manufacturer founded by Stubby and his twin brother (Tom's uncle), I. C. Parker, in 1928.

Parker's past support for Ohio State includes his establishment of two endowed chair positions, in memory of his parents. He created the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods-currently held by Professor W. James Harper-in memory of his late father and remains active on the Parker Chair Advisory Board, as does his daughter, Pamela Parker Gartin. He also established the Gertrude Parker Heer Chair Fund in Cancer Research at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, in honor of his late mother; the In addition, he has supported Longaberger Alumni House, as well as the Joseph M. Ryan, M.D., Chair Fund in Cardiovascular Medicine.

The Parker gift is part of Ohio State's ongoing fund-raising efforts following the success of its five-year, $1.23 billion "Affirm Thy Friendship" Campaign.

** All namings are subject to approval by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.

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