Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

$5 million gift will fund Dean museum
Story by Jonathan Petty
The legend of Jimmy Dean
continues to grow in his
hometown of Plainview; specifically
at Wayland Baptist University.
On the heels of a $1 million gift in
2008, Dean’s death in 2010 and the
opening of Jimmy Dean Hall in August,
Dean’s influence continues to impact
his hometown university as a $5
million donation has been made by his
widow, Donna Dean-Stevens, to fund
a Jimmy Dean Museum. The museum
will serve as a memorial to a man who
grew up in the poor neighborhood of
Seth Ward on the outskirts of Planiview
and became a legend in the entertainment
industry.
“The museum will be a fitting and
attractive tribute to Jimmy’s life and
career,” explained Wayland Baptist
University President Dr. Paul Armes.
“The new building will be more than a
museum; it will be a gathering place
for our university and community.”
Tentative plans call for the Jimmy
Dean Museum to be built adjacent
to the existing Museum of the Llano
Estacado on the Wayland campus
and include a community venue that
can be used for various activities and
events.
Dean-Stevens originally planned to
use the money to fund a museum on
the Dean property in Virginia. However,
zoning and construction complications
made the project exceedingly difficult
to undertake. In her ongoing conversations
with Wayland representatives,
she decided to donate the money to
Wayland with the stipulation that it be
used to fund a museum.
“Construction will probably begin
sometime next summer,” Armes said.
32 footprints
Jimmy Dean Hall opened in August, housing
350 men. A generous donation from the Dean
family will now fund a Jimmy Dean Museum
addition to the Museum of the Llano Estacado.
“We are currently meeting with museum
consultants to develop a conceptual
plan for the structure.”
The museum will house memorabilia,
videos and awards earned by
Dean throughout his long career as an
entertainer, singer, television personality
and businessman. The Sara Lee
Corporation that purchased the Jimmy
Dean Sausage Company in 1984, has
also committed to donate a life-size
bronze of the legendary pitch-man.
Dean’s personal items and memorabilia
have already been shipped from
Virginia and are in storage, awaiting
construction of the museum.
Armes said the majority of the
donation will be used for construction
and to set up an endowed fund
to offset the cost of maintenance and
upkeep on the structure. Dean-Stevens,
who will have input into the process as
it moves forward, stipulated that any
additional funds may be used at the
university’s discretion.
Armes said the Deans’ generosity
has had a major impact on the university.
“At just the right moment, the
Deans intersected the life and ministry
of the university,” Armes said.
“Their support represents more than
the dollars they have contributed. By
their generosity, they have enhanced
and empowered the mission of the
school. They will always be cherished
at Wayland.”
In total, the Deans have donated
approximately $6 million to Wayland
since 2008. A Jimmy Dean exhibit is
already in place as part of the Hale
County Hall of Fame exhibit in the
Museum of the Llano Estacado. Jimmy
Dean Hall, a 350-bed men’s dormitory,
opened in August of 2012.