PERU – Peru State College announced the donation of 25 acres adjacent to the campus that will be designated as the Long Farm.

The college says the donation represents a significant potential for expansion and opens new opportunities for the college’s development.

Daryl Long taught at Peru State for 50 years and Mrs. Long taught many years in area school districts.

They have previously donated the Power of Thoughts sculpture and the Cat in the Hat statue on campus. Dr. Long was recognized with the College’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022.

 

Here is the college's press release

 

(Peru, Neb.) – Peru State College is thrilled to announce a generous donation of 26 acres of land from longtime supporters, Dr. Daryl and the late Peggy Long. This substantial gift, located adjacent to the college campus, represents a significant potential expansion of the college’s footprint, and opens exciting new opportunities for the institution’s growth and development.

 The Longs have been dedicated advocates of Peru State College for many years, consistently supporting the College’s mission to provide high-quality education and foster a vibrant learning community. Their latest contribution is a testament to their unwavering commitment to the college and its students. Dr. Long taught at Peru State for 50 years teaching chemistry, energy, and math among many other subjects. Mrs. Long taught for many years in area school districts.

“Peru State College is thrilled to receive this generous gift from Daryl and Peggy Long,” said President Michael Evans. “This property will impact the College far into the future, and we’re eager to start thinking about how to use it well to benefit our students. However we use it, this land will always be called the Long Farm, and we will install a bronze plaque recognizing Daryl and Peggy for their impressive contributions to Peru State. We are grateful for their kindness and support.”

It is his late wife who Dr. Long credits for their ability to be financially successful as she taught and worked while he was completing his doctoral studies. Fortunately, they were able to grow their funds which have been used to provide not only the recent gift of land, but many other gifts to Peru State.

Dr. Long commented, “Peggy and I always believed in the power of education and the positive change it can bring to individuals and communities. Peru State College has a special place in our hearts, and we are honored to contribute to its growth and future success.”

The Longs were the grand marshals for the 2017 Peru State homecoming parade. Most recently, Dr. Long was recognized with the College’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022. Over the years, the Longs have provided two different sculptures, the “Power of Thoughts” statue sits in the lobby of the Jindra Fine Arts Building, while the “Cat in the Hat” statue is nestled in the Sesquicentennial Plaza next to the Performing Arts Center. Recently, Dr. Long formalized two endowments through the Peru State College Foundation which will provide continual support for the College’s etiquette/financial planning dinners and to assist with the distinguished speaker series on campus.

Nestled in the hills of historic southeast Nebraska, Peru State College offers a mix of innovative online and traditional classroom undergraduate and graduate programs, including online graduate degrees in education and organizational management.