Answer Man: Reader asks how much Bob Barker has given to Drury and how the money is spent

Answer Man: Drury University alumnus Bob Barker has donated millions to Drury for its animal studies program. As I understand it, the program is only an academic minor with only a handful of students. How much has he given and how does Bob’s money get spent? — a reader who asked that his name not be used because he works at Drury

Mike Brothers, spokesman for Drury, gathered the following information about Barker, who hosted "The Price is Right" for 35 years and is a 1947 graduate of what was then Drury College. It is now Drury University.

Barker has donated $3.1 million to Drury since 2008 to create and support Drury’s animal studies program, which is formally called the Drury University Forum on Animal Rights.

All of that money goes to the animal studies program, including an endowed professorship in animal studies, Brothers tells me via email.

Barker, 95 next month, has roots here, although he was born in the state of Washington and grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He is one-eighth Sioux. 

In 1929, his father was a foreman on the electrical transmission being constructed through Washington when he fell from a tower and died. The family moved to Springfield in 1931.

Barker attended Springfield Senior High — which became Central High School. It's where he met Dorothy Jo Gideon.

According to a 2007 News-Leader story by colleague Amos Bridges, their first date was at the Shrine Mosque. They saw Ella Fitzgerald. Later, they would see Frank Sinatra there.

They married in 1945.

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Healthy enrollment in program

Yes, Brothers tells me, the program is offered as a minor area of study, not a major. 

"It’s an 18-hour program that provides students with a specialized, in-depth understanding of animals’ lives and the intersection of their lives with humans, historically and in contemporary societies.

"We’ve had a number of students who’ve studied in the program go on to further their studies or do meaningful work in the field. One example is a 2017 graduate who earned the top scholarship available to the University of Virginia School of Law, which has a dedicated animal-law program.

"She plans to pursue a career in animal law. Virginia’s animal law program, by the way, was established by a gift from Bob Barker."

According to Brothers, it's more than a "handful of students" who enroll in animal-studies classes at Drury.

"The majority of the courses fill, or come close to filling, every semester," he says.

In February 2008, Barker donated $1 million to support coursework in animal ethics, as well as to bring in speakers and to support programming that would 'improve the lives of animals.'"

Drury's broader animal studies program was one of the first in the nation and is one of only a few such programs at the undergraduate level, Brothers says.

In October 2009, Barker donated an additional $1 million to create an endowed professorship, named in honor of his late wife.

The Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professor for the Study of Animal Rights is held by Patricia McEachern, who helped found the Forum on Animal Rights and has served as director since.

In 2013, Barker donated another $100,000 for scholarships in animal studies.

In the spring, Barker donated another $600,000 to create the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Scholarship Fund for students pursuing a minor or a credential in animal studies.

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Barker has donated elsewhere, too

At the same time, Barker gave $400,000 to create the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Internship Fund to provide funding for experiential learning grants for students pursuing a minor or credential in animal studies.

All these gifts are endowments, Brothers says, which means the money acts as principal to be invested so funds can be withdrawn in perpetuity.

Drury is one of many organizations Barker has supported because of his passion for animals, Brothers says, including Columbia University School of Law and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international marine wildlife nonprofit.

Program internships are with organizations such as the National Tiger Sanctuary in Saddlebrooke, the Missouri Highway Patrol K-9 Unit, Dickerson Park Zoo, Springfield-Greene County Animal Control, the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri, Castaway Animals Rescue Effort, and a horse therapy organization.

According to Brothers: "Thanks to Bob’s recent gift this spring, we are telling current students to dream big — they might want to intern with an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, Animal Defenders International, or with the Performing Animal Welfare Society.

"It’s certainly possible that a student could have an internship out of state or internationally, but covering expenses is obviously more difficult in those situations. Having an endowment to support such internships will broaden the possibilities for our students by making otherwise expensive experiences possible for students who might not otherwise be able to do so."

Barker attended Drury on a basketball scholarship. 

At the outbreak of World War II, he left Drury and served in the United States Navy and trained as a fighter pilot. However, the war ended before he was assigned to a seagoing squadron.

After the war, Barker returned to Drury to finish his education. He graduated in 1947 with honors with a degree in economics.

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Keep those questions coming. Send them to The Answer Man at 836-1253, spokin@gannett.com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by mail to 651 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65806.