The Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., has given Harding University a $1.7 million challenge grant toward the construction of an $8.5 million facility to house the Carr College of Nursing and the Communication Science and Disorders Department.
 
The new building will be constructed on the south side of the Harding campus adjacent to the Farrar Health Sciences Center. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and the facility is expected to open in time for the 2013 fall semester.

To qualify for consideration of a challenge grant, Harding administrators had to certify they had already raised $3.4 million or 40 percent of the cost of the project. Harding has raised $3.6 million.
 
To meet the final provision of the challenge grant, Harding must raise the remainder of the $6.8 million to complete the project by March 1, 2013.
 
"We are very excited about meeting this challenge grant opportunity from the Mabee Foundation," said President David Burks. "This is certainly a pace-setting gift on this very important project for the Harding community. The Mabee gift will ensure the project will be completed next year."

The Mabee Foundation has previously provided gifts and grants to Harding totaling more than $10.3 million. The two most recent gifts were a $1.1 million gift for the construction of the Farrar Health Sciences Center in 2008 and a $1 million gift toward the construction of the Thornton Education Center in 2005.
 
The largest gift made by the Foundation came in 1994 with a $2 million grant toward the construction of the McInteer Bible and World Missions Center.