CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Shortly before she died, philanthropist Hallie Ford made a gift of $8 million to Oregon State University, the university announced Thursday.
     
The gift will be used to create the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, which will research child and family health issues. The gift will also create an endowment to recruit a director.
     
Ford was 102 when she died June 4. She was the widow of timber entrepreneur Kenneth Ford and a noted philanthropist supporting arts, schools and community programs. She co-founded the Ford Family Foundation which donated heavily to schools and communities in Oregon and in her native Oklahoma.

"Through her philanthropy, Hallie Ford has provided opportunity to thousands of children and families throughout Oregon and the nation," Oregon State President Ed Ray said in a statement. "We are honored to create a legacy in her name through this new research center, which will continue her life's work of service and caring for others."
     
The Ford center will be part of Oregon State's College of Health and Human Sciences. It will support research and outreach programs and address issues such as early childhood development, school readiness and childhood obesity, as well as child, youth and family resiliency.
     
The university said the center is the only research cluster of its kind in Oregon.
     
Hallie Ford's daughter, Carmen Ford Phillips said her mother's concern about children and their families prompted her to give the gift.
     
As a condition, Oregon State must raise an additional $2 million to support research and outreach activities for the center. University officials hope to complete that challenge in the next two years.
     
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)