Higher Ed Utah

(Kevin Opsahl, Herald Journal) — Half of a $3.5 million donation from an Ogden-based company will help students at Utah State University’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business complete college and obtain jobs after graduation.

Both USU and the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah will receive $1.75 million, FJ Management Inc. announced Monday at the Flying J Museum in Ogden.

Approximately $1 million of those donations will fund fully staffed career services centers that will bear the Flying J name. The facilities will provide conference space and staff and will act as a valuable career outreach resource in connecting students with key hiring people at organizations.

Company officials said the David Eccles School of Business has opened its career center, but USU may have to wait until its business building addition is complete to open its center.

The proposed center at USU will add about 85,000 square feet to the school and be located just south of the current George S. Eccles Business Building.

In addition to the donation, the two universities will get an additional $750,000 over a 15-year period for scholarships.

“This is an extraordinary gift,” Anderson said. “I think it says a lot to say that this is one of the top priorities they (FJ Management Inc.) had. The advantages born from these scholarships will reach far beyond the classroom as they help build future business and civic leaders.”

Flying J emerged from bankruptcy in 2010 to become FJ Management Inc. – now a holding company for financial services and energy businesses. Under the old name, it was a diesel company that had a network of stations and truck stops across the U.S. and Canada.

Crystal Call Maggelet, the chief executive officer of FJ Management who has sat on the advisory boards at both business schools, said the donations to Utah’s two research institutions realizes her father’s interest in helping young people get an education. Jay Call founded Flying J in 1968, but died in 2003 when a plane he was piloting crashed in Idaho.

“Our family wants to make sure we give back to the community,” said Maggelet in an interview. “(The donation) was one of the ways we could help do that. I’ve been very impressed with both school and its deans.” More…