At a news conference, Tim Burr shared his family’s passion for supporting higher education.

His parents, Burr said, earned accolades for their generosity in the support of people in need as well as philanthropic causes.

“My parents believed that higher education creates opportunities for people to improve themselves and the community,” said Burr, in a news release. “They also really loved Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and the entire Northwest Florida region, so there was no better way to give back to the community than by supporting the university.”

As an expression of love and a token of appreciation, the Burr family left the University of West Florida a $770,000 donation from its estate.

Of the gift, $520,000 will go to the UWF College of Science, Engineering and Health. The remaining $250,000 will go toward athletics in support of the football team.

UWF President Judy Bense said the Burrs’ legacy will enable the school to enhance academic and athletic opportunities for current and future students.

“This gift represents one couple’s belief in the value of education,” Bense said. “The Burrs chose to leave a lasting legacy by investing in UWF, and this is a leading example to show that every gift can have a lasting legacy by investing in UWF.”

The $250,000 donation athletics is the largest gift the new football program has received. In recognition of the Burr’s philanthropy and its impact on the university, the UWF Field House lobby will be named in their honor.

The $520,000 donation will be used to establish the John Thayer and Joan Ames Burr Undergraduate Research Endowment. It will help students participating in high impact and undergraduate research to better prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.

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