“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 advisor, Gary has served S&T with one goal: to make a difference.”

“Gary Havener’s impact has been felt across our university for four decades,” says 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 advisor, 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, a 1962 mathematics graduate, is the founder and president of Havener Companies, a commercial real estate firm in Fort Worth, Texas. Originally from Mexico, Missouri, he began his career with General Motors’ Packard Electric subsidiary and served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before becoming an entrepreneur in industries such as electronics manufacturing, aircraft refurbishment and commercial real estate.

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.

“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.”

The Gary W. Havener Endowed Scholarship Fund has benefited 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 provided strategic vision as a member of the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees and the Kummer Missouri S&T Foundation Board of Directors.

“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.”