LINCOLN, Neb. – Johnny Carson (search)'s donations to his alma mater now total more than $11 million. A $5 million endowment to support theater, film and broadcasting programs was announced Tuesday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (search).
The $5 million will be used to start the Johnny Carson Fund for Theatre, Film and Broadcasting. Annual income from the endowment fund will be used to support the Department of Theater Arts at the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and the broadcast program at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Carson, a 1949 graduate, hosted the "Tonight Show" (search) for 30 years. He died on Jan. 23, at age 79.
In November, he donated $5.3 million to UNL. Of that, $4.3 million was earmarked for renovating and expanding the Temple Building. In 1988, he donated money toward building the Lied Center on the south end of the downtown campus, and his name is affixed to a small theater that is connected to the Lied.
UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the gifts "commemorate Johnny Carson's impressive legacy, both on this campus and around the world."
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