A Gift to Impact Thousands

Tom and Konnie Middleton’s $5 million donation positions UND as the premier provider of entrepreneurship education in the Midwest. 

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted in January to name the University of North Dakota School of Entrepreneurship & Management after Tom and Konnie Middleton. The couple donated $5 million to support the School and its students.

“With their generous gift, Tom and Konnie (Peach) Middleton are making a bold statement of support for the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration (NCoBPA),” said DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “They wanted to maximize the impact of their gift on the lives of UND students. We are grateful and humbled that they entrusted us to carry out their philanthropic vision.”

Tom grew up in Bowesmont, N.D., a little town wiped out by the Flood of ’97. He came from modest means, and found himself with a modern bathroom for the first time in his life when he lived on campus as a UND freshman.

Konnie grew up living in numerous towns in North Dakota, attending five different elementary schools. She graduated from Grand Forks Central High School. Tom, a Phi Delta Theta, and Konnie, a Pi Beta Phi, met at a fraternity party at UND when one of Tom’s friends introduced them.

Tom, a 1972 Business Administration graduate, spent his career in sales, sales management, and marketing with Johnson & Johnson and its various pharmaceutical subsidiaries. Konnie earned a degree in Education in 1975. Her predominant career was as a clothing buyer for major department stores across the country. The Middletons moved seven times during their 43 years of marriage and have two daughters.

“Tom and I were both raised to never live beyond our means. We were able to plan and make investment decisions that allowed us to provide our donation to UND,” Konnie said.

Last fall, the couple visited campus and had lunch with President Andy Armacost, first lady Kathy Armacost, NCoBPA Dean Amy Henley, Director of Development Jay Erickson and DeAnna Carlson Zink.

“We were considering options for giving a donation, but after that lunch conversation and the day at UND, my mind was made up that this is where I wanted our gift to go. Tom and I still had to discuss it, but I was convinced,” Konnie said.

Today, the couple is retired and living in Arizona. Their two daughters, Nicole and Lindsay, also live in Arizona.

“Konnie and I are very excited, honored and humbled to partner with UND and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration,” Tom said. “We have been very fortunate and we greatly value giving. We saw a tremendous opportunity to give both back and forward for the benefit of the University, its faculty and students.”

This is the first School to be named in the NCoBPA.

The Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management will represent who we have been, who we are, and who we strive to be.Dr. Amy HenleyDean, Nistler College of Business & Public Administration

“New and renovated buildings on our campus are wonderful, but it’s the programs occurring inside them which enable our students and faculty to engage in the education, conduct the research and provide the engagement opportunities that produce the leaders North Dakota needs,” said President Armacost

“Tom and Konnie Middleton hail from North Dakota, and they value and recognize the importance of entrepreneurship in the business world,” he continued. “Their most generous gift creating the Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management within the new Nistler College of Business & Public Administration building will have a real and lasting impact on the future of our state and its citizens by contributing to a stronger and more diverse economy.”

With six majors, two minors, and a certificate program, the Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management provides courses in the fundamentals of organizations and management, along with a mix of entrepreneurial skills focusing on reasoning, creativity, testing, and critical thinking valued by the most successful entrepreneurs.

“The Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management will represent who we have been, who we are, and who we strive to be,” said Dr. Amy Henley, dean of the NCoBPA. “Thanks to Tom and Konnie, we will be the premier provider of entrepreneurship education in the Midwest.”

The NCoBPA is the largest business school in North Dakota and serves an average of 1,400 undergraduate students and 350 graduate students per year. A new building for the College is under construction at the corner of University Avenue and Centennial Drive. 

INSPIRING FUTURE LEADERS

The Middletons are a great example of alumni who came from humble beginnings to make a huge difference in the lives of many UND students. If you'd like to shape the future of UND, there are many ways to start your giving journey. 

Visit the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration