Jenkins family strengthens ties to University, athletics with transformative fieldhouse gift
CLARKSVILLE—When the opportunity to give Austin Peay State University athletes an indoor facility which stands alone among Ohio Valley Conference brethren, there was no way Austin Peay Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison could allow the chance to go by.
But an undertaking of this kind requires trusted partners, the sort who believe in the vision being laid down by those in charge. And that's where the Jenkins family comes into the picture.
Don and Sandy Jenkins have been a supportive part of the Austin Peay community for years, donating their time and monetary support for a variety of endeavors academically and athletically. Most recently, the family gave a transformational gift to the university, part of which went toward the repurposing of the indoor facility. While it has not been dedicated at this time, the Board of Trustees has passed a resolution allowing the facility to be named the Jenkins Family Fieldhouse.
Austin Peay has a long partnership with the Jenkins family. Their philanthropy has been evident in the Blake Jenkins Plaza at Fortera Stadium, the Don Jenkins Men's Basketball Locker Room in the Dunn Center and now, the 27,000-square foot monolith centrally located between Fortera Stadium, Morgan Brothers Soccer Field and Cathi Maynard Park at Cheryl Holt Field. The state-of-the-art facility features Shaw Sports Turf's Legion hybrid synthetic turf, used at high-major indoor facilities at LSU, Missouri, Vanderbilt and more.
A Board of Trustees member, Don Jenkins was inducted into the Red Coat Society in 2012 and received the 2015 Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy for his years of service to Austin Peay. He is also retains emeritus status with the APSU Foundation.
But it's a family effort as well. Sandy is a longtime fan, supporter and volunteer for all manner of Austin Peay initiatives. His daughter, Casey, is Treasurer of the APSU Foundation and a member of the athletics subcommittee. In 2016, the family gave the University right of first refusal for the former Jenkins and Wynne auto dealership property on College Street, with the subsequent purchase finally connecting the campus with the downtown community. The University Advancement offices are housed in the Jenkins Building at this location, while the Jenkins family has endowed a significant scholarship to the College of Business in honor of their late son, Blake.
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