News and Progress

Financial services industry leader makes gift to MU

April 22, 2009

Chancellor Brady Deaton thanks Catherine Allen, BS HE '68, for her gift of $1 million at a ceremony at MU. Stephen Jorgensen, dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences, left, also participated in the gift announcement, which capped a Personal Finance Symposium at which Allen spoke.

At a time when money is on many individuals' minds, financial services industry leaders gathered to discuss the issues at the MU Personal Finance Symposium, hosted by the College of Human Environmental Sciences (HES). At the end of the event, HES received a financial boost of its own.

Catherine Allen, BS HE '68, a financial services industry leader who spoke at the symposium, committed $1 million of her estate to the college. The gift will be split between the Department of Textile and Apparel Management (TAM), the Office for Financial Success and the HES Dean's Fund for Excellence.

The Office for Financial Success is part of the Personal Financial Planning Department at MU, one of the premier personal financial planning programs in the nation. The Department of Textile and Apparel Management also is nationally recognized. TAM graduates prepare for leadership in the soft-goods industry and the international marketplace as faculty advise policymakers on global textile and apparel issues.

"This generous gift will provide resources for the college to meet its greatest needs and seize opportunities to serve," says Chancellor Brady Deaton. "As a whole, HES touches every aspect of our lives with its five departments and the School of Social Work covering the basic human needs of food, clothing, shelter, finances, family and community. The human touch of HES graduates is critical to a more peaceful world."

Allen chaired the For All We Call Mizzou campaign steering committee for HES and represented the College on the National Campaign Steering Commitee. In 2003, she received the Faculty-Alumni Award from the Mizzou Alumni Association. In 2005, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from MU for her professional achievements in financial services and technology.

"It is an honor to be part of the Mizzou family and I am grateful for the education I received when I was here," Allen says. "This gift is because of my belief in supporting public education and the excellent academic programs led by MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and HES Dean Steve Jorgensen."

Allen was the founding chief executive officer of the financial services industry consortium BITS, which facilitated the transition from paper to electronic statements at financial institutions around the world. BITS also led the creation of best practices in the financial industry in more than 30 areas. Allen retired from BITS and is now chairman and CEO of The Santa Fe Group, a strategic consulting company in Santa Fe, N.M., where she lives. She is chair of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling Advisory Council.