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Debbie O'Leary
IU School of Law - Bloomington
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IU Media Relations
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Last modified: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Elmore gift funds entrepreneurship law clinic scholarships at IU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two Indiana University alumni are infusing their entrepreneurial successes into a two-year-old J.D./M.B.A. clinical program at IU.

David Elmore, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955 and a law degree in 1958, and his son, D.G. Elmore, who earned a J.D./M.B.A. degree in 1984, have made a $3 million gift to the IU School of Law-Bloomington to fund scholarships for Entrepreneurship Law Clinic students, joint J.D./M.B.A. candidates and students demonstrating a strong interest in business law.

In recognition of this significant commitment, the clinic will be formally renamed the Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic during an Oct. 5 ceremony.

"Dave and D.G. Elmore have made a transformational gift, one that will assure that this unique and path-breaking clinic continues into the future and that the law school can recruit the very best students to take advantage of the educational opportunities the clinic offers. We are profoundly grateful for this stunning commitment," IU School of Law Dean Lauren Robel said.

Unique in the country, the clinic provides third- and fourth-year J.D./M.B.A. joint-degree students the opportunity to assist high-growth potential start-up ventures with both legal and business planning. The clinic also is unique in being a joint venture itself, between the law school and IU's Kelley School of Business.

"While attending law school in the 1950's, Indiana University did not have a joint J.D./M.B.A. program. I was fortunate the school allowed me to take a number of M.B.A. classes during the three years of law school," said David Elmore. "While I did not receive my M.B.A., the class work allowed me to pass the exam for certified public accountants during my final year of law school.

"I have always believed the combined coursework of Indiana's M.B.A. and law programs provided me with a competitive edge in law, business, and particularly, as an entrepreneur. I am grateful to our school for my outstanding educational experience and believe the joint J.D./M.B.A. program will be of great benefit to our students."

Don Kuratko, executive director of the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and the Jack M. Gill Chair in Entrepreneurship in the Kelley School, considers the Elmores a "perfect fit" for the clinic. "Their personal and professional lives demonstrate that David and D.G. Elmore truly embody the entrepreneurial spirit," he said.

Over the years, that spirit has been well documented. David Elmore has developed numerous real estate projects and is the owner and chair of The Elmore Sports Group, a highly successful conglomerate in the sports and entertainment industry. The company owns five minor league baseball teams -- the Colorado Sky Sox, Eugene Emeralds, Idaho Falls Chukars, Inland Empire 66ers and San Antonio Missions -- and a hockey team, the Utah Grizzlies. It also owns several companies in areas that include travel, facility management and special events management, and sports marketing. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Kelley School in 1989 and was inducted into the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows in 2006.

D.G. Elmore is chairman and owner of two minor league baseball teams -- the Bakersfield Blaze and the Helena Brewers -- as well as industry-leading companies in corporate travel management, software development, micro staffing, education publishing and manufacturing. He chairs the law school's J.D./M.B.A. Advisory Board.

In discussing the gift, D.G. Elmore said, "The education that I received in the Indiana University J.D./M.B.A. program continues to be one of the most important experiences of my life. The Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic is an integral part of one of the country's best J.D./M.B.A. programs, and I am glad that we can give back to the university and to future students in this way."

"Both David and D.G. Elmore are distinguished by their entrepreneurial spirit, community involvement, and commitment and generosity to Indiana University," added IU Foundation President Curt Simic. "On top of managing their many and varied businesses and other commitments, both find time to support multiple areas at IU, and Dave is a longtime member of the Foundation's Board of Directors. We are so pleased not only that this gift will benefit students, but also that the program that is to be named for them is a perfect fit with their interest in entrepreneurship and belief in legal education."