John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts Pledge Will Benefit Wilson School
For release: February 3, 2004
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey

John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts has made a $250,000 pledge to the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management at the University of Memphis. The funds will go toward the establishment of a scholarship for students and toward the support of faculty at the Wilson School. A classroom at the school will be named for company.

"The scholarship gift from the John Q. Hammons organization will allow the Kemmons Wilson School to attract top quality students from across the country," said Dr. Robert O'Halloran, director of the school. "John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts is a national organization in its scope, and the Kemmons Wilson School wants to have that same reach. We are proud to have them as an educational partner."

John Q. Hammons and a business partner bought 10 Holiday Inn franchises from Kemmons Wilson in 1958. They became major developers of Holiday Inn hotels. Hammons and Wilson became great friends, staying in contact until Wilson's death last year.

John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts today manages 60 hotels in 22 states. Over the course of his career, Hammons has developed 150 hotels, working with franchises such as Embassy Suites, Marriott and Holiday Inn.

Recipients of the John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts Scholarship must be enrolled in the Wilson School, with priority going to students from outside the state of Tennessee, including international students.

Faculty support may take several forms, including a cash stipend for travel or supplies related to a professor's current research project, or a visiting professor program.

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