Planned Gift to Support UW’s Wyoming Public Media

A significant planned gift from University of Wyoming President Emeritus Terry Roark and his wife, Beverly, will support Wyoming Public Media, a service of UW.

Since 1987, the Roarks have consistently supported Wyoming Public Radio, part of the Wyoming Public Media statewide network. They recently decided to increase the impact of their giving by making a major planned gift to Wyoming Public Media.

“We give to them now, and we will continue to give to them,” Beverly says.

Terry served as the university’s 21st president from 1987 to 1997. Beverly, a computer programmer, worked part time for various campus departments from 1988 to 2013.

When they joined UW, there was no statewide network. KUWR -- the flagship station of Wyoming Public Radio -- only reached Laramie and Cheyenne.

“The southern part of the state was covered pretty well, but the central part was not -- and certainly not the perimeter,” Terry says.

He envisioned a statewide network that would connect Wyoming residents to news and cultural programming. With the support of the UW Board of Trustees and the help of then Wyoming Public Radio General Manager Jon Schwartz, his vision was turned into reality.

“At Wyoming Public Media, we think of Terry Roark as the father of our statewide service,” says Christina Kuzmych, general manager of Wyoming Public Media. “He recognized that Wyoming’s vast geography and dispersed population called for something larger than a collection of local stations -- a unified statewide network dedicated to serving all of Wyoming. Today, Wyoming Public Media serves more than 95 percent of the state’s population, providing trusted journalism, lifelong learning and a sense of connection across vast distances.”

The Roarks’ generous planned gift will allow Wyoming Public Media to continue to provide statewide service and to respond to opportunities as they arise.

“We are truly grateful to Terry and Bev for this meaningful gift that will serve Wyomingites into perpetuity,” Kuzmych says.

For nearly four decades, the Roarks have invested their time and resources in helping strengthen the university and expanding its impact statewide. They have chosen to support numerous areas across campus, including the Symphony Association, which Beverly co-founded, the Department of Music, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the UW Art Museum, the American Heritage Center, UW Libraries and the Cowboy Joe Club.

Originally from Oklahoma, Terry earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Oklahoma City University. He earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in astronomy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Beverly earned her bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Alabama. After she graduated, she moved to upstate New York to work for General Electric, where she was trained as a computer programmer.

Terry and Beverly met on a blind date while living in New York. They married in 1963.

Terry began his career as a faculty member in astronomy at Ohio State University in 1966 before moving into senior academic administration in 1976. In 1983, Terry served at Kent State University as a professor of physics and vice president for academic and student affairs. Following his UW presidency, Terry continued his service to higher education as interim president of Montana State University in 2000 and as interim CEO of Western Research Institute in 2006.

Beverly served in computer programming roles at Ohio State and the University of Akron before coming to UW.

In addition to their service to UW, the Roarks have served on several boards of directors in Laramie. Terry has served in various roles with the Ivinson Memorial Hospital Foundation board, and he has served on the board of Cathedral Home. Beverly served on the Wyoming Territorial Prison board and the United Way of Albany County board.

They have a son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.