LARAMIE, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Athletics Department and Cowboy Joe Club announced today that they will receive $2.250 million in investments from the Schwab family of Star Valley and Gene Humphrey of Laramie for future athletic initiatives and scholarships.
The Schwab family’s donation of $1.750 million will be partly distributed through the newly established S.C.H.W.A.B. Family Endowed Athletics Scholarship. $1 million will be used to fund the schooling of one Wyoming athlete annually based on their embodiment of “the characteristics of sacrifice, commitment, honor, work, attitude, and belief,” according to UW Athletics.
The remaining $750,000 will go to the Cowboy Joe Club for the organization’s athletic initiatives.
Speaking about his family’s gift to the university in a UW Athletics release, Daniel Schwab said that the contribution comes from a place of honoring Wyoming’s values.
“Wyoming represents hard-working, faithful people and, because of this, hard things can be accomplished,” Schwab said. “With this gift, we hope to assist in helping younger generations believe that their dreams are not only possible, but absolutely achievable.”
This contribution, once fully funded, would be the second largest donation to athletics initiatives in University of Wyoming history.
The other major donation comes from Gene Humphrey and the 9H Research Foundation and totals $500,000. All but $50,000 of that will go to cap off UW Athletics’ Difference Makers Campaign as it officially reaches $20 million in private donations.
Proceeds from that campaign will be used in the War Memorial Stadium renovation and the construction of a new natatorium. The remaining $50,000 will go to the Cowboy Joe Club.
Humphrey said in the UW release that, alongside military service in Vietnam, his time at the University of Wyoming helped him gain the tools to be successful and that he wants to help future students achieve the same.
“By funding student projects, scholarships, and internships, I hope to inspire the next generation of Wyoming engineers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs to make a real impact on the world,” Humphrey said.
As this funding comes in, the University of Wyoming Athletics Department is also announcing the creation of a new giving society, called the 7220 Society, as part of the Cowboy Joe Club. Benefits for membership and terms and conditions for the 7220 Society can be found at this link.
