Gary Havener, a Texas entrepreneur and Missouri S&T alumnus, has made a historic gift of $25 million to Missouri S&T in support of the university’s new Havener Arrival Complex, a transformation of the entrance to the 154-year-old campus. The project, a major component of S&T’s Campus Master Plan, connects the university’s entry point off Interstate 44 to campus and directs visitors through a grand entrance plaza currently anchored by two flagship facilities, the Innovation Lab and the Welcome Center.  

“Gary Havener’s impact has been felt across our university for four decades,” says S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani. “From the student center that bears his name to the academic facilities his generosity helped to build, from the lives of students transformed by his scholarships to his longstanding leadership as a trusted adviser, Gary has served S&T with one goal: to make a difference. Now he has chosen to invest in the most ambitious campus project in our history. I am thrilled that all who enter our campus will do so through the Havener Arrival Complex.”

Havener is the founder and president of Havener Companies, a commercial real estate investment and management firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. A native of Mexico, Missouri, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Missouri S&T in 1962. After working for General Motors’ Packard Electric subsidiary and serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Havener built his career as an entrepreneur, establishing and acquiring companies in industries including electronics manufacturing, aircraft refurbishment and commercial real estate. 

“The Arrival Complex is a powerful symbol of the change underway at Missouri S&T,” Havener says. “This major reconfiguration of the campus entrance sends a strong message that the university is on the move. As an alumnus, what a source of pride it is to see the Campus Master Plan come to life — and what a thrill to be part of this achievement.”

Havener has been making a difference at S&T since his first gift to the Miner Alumni Association in 1980. He was the lead donor to the Havener Center, the university’s student center dedicated in 2005, as well as a major donor to Toomey Hall, Bertelsmeyer Hall and the Kummer Student Design Center. The Gary W. Havener Endowed Scholarship Fund has benefitted students majoring in math since it was established nearly 40 years ago, and his support of the Finish Line Scholarship Fund has helped students nearing graduation to complete their degrees. He established the Gary W. Havener Endowed Chair in Mathematics and Statistics in 2021.

Havener has also given back as a mentor and adviser, speaking to first-year students in the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy, serving on advisory and capital campaign committees, and providing strategic vision as a member of the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees and the Kummer Institute Foundation Board of Directors.

He received the university’s highest honor in 2011 when he was named to the inaugural class of Alumni of Influence. His other awards include an honorary doctor of engineering degree in 2013 and the Miner Alumni Association’s Robert V. Wolf Alumni Service Award in 2012.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.