When Northwestern University is spending over $10 million on a ballpark, you know there’s a major arms race in college baseball, as the school announced a $5 million gift for Rocky Miller Park renovations.
Richard and Roxelyn (Roxy) Pepper have pledged $5 million toward the ballpark renovations, dependent on the school matching the gift. The renovations include new seating, a new scoreboard and upgraded press box, and new clubhouses for both home and visiting teams.
Roxy Pepper is the daughter of longtime NU president Dr. J. Roscoe (Rocky) Miller, who was at Northwestern from 1949 to 1970. She and her husband are major donors to Northwestern. From the Chicago Daily Herald:
Richard Pepper, chairman of The Pepper Companies, received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Northwestern in 1953. Roxy Pepper received a degree in communication sciences and disorders from Northwestern in 1953. The two met and married while undergraduate students at Northwestern.
Richard and Roxy Pepper have been longtime volunteers and benefactors of Northwestern. Both have served as leaders for several alumni organizations and on their class reunion committee. Roxy Pepper also was a member of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees from 1985 to 1989. In 2001, they jointly received Northwestern’s Alumni Medal, the highest honor awarded to alumni.
Rocky Miller Park opened in 1958 and currently seats 600.
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!