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Come on Down: Bob Barker donates $1M to Drury

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Drury University, once again, won the final showcase.

Bob Barker, the 94-year-old former host of “The Price is Right”, yesterday issued a $1 million donation to his alma mater, according to a news release.

With the donation, Barker doubled down on his love of animals. When hosting “Price is Right,” he was known to end the TV game show with, “Have your pet spayed or neutered.”

The gift comprises a $600,000 donation to create the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships for Drury students pursuing a minor or credentials in animal studies. The remaining $400,000 launches the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Internship Fund, designed to bring in experiential learning grants for animal studies students at Drury, according to the release. Both awards are named after Barker’s late wife.

The latest gift brings Barker’s donations to Drury to $3.1 million since 2008. Drury’s animal studies program is entirely funded by Barker.

“We are fortunate to be able to help make real Bob’s passion for animals,” Drury President Tim Cloyd said in the release. “Drury University is able to place bright young minds into this important field thanks to his support. Gifts such as these have a ripple effect – on the lives of our graduates and the world around them.”

Known for inviting game show participants to “come on down,” and other catchphrases, Barker hosted “The Price is Right” for 35 years. He graduated from Drury in 1947 with a bachelor’s in economics, and after serving as a fighter pilot at the end of World War II, worked a stint in Springfield on local radio station KTTS before moving to California, according to the release. Barker also is a graduate of Central High School.

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