Photos: Major gift evokes Fort Howard Paper history

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has announced in a news release that a $5.5 million gift from the family of the late Fort Howard Paper Co. founder Austin E. Cofrin will result in creation of the University’s second fully endowed chair, a permanent endowment to fund academic enhancements, and a new name for the school’s business program. It is the largest academic gift in school history.

The gift honors the memory of the late Austin E. Cofrin (1883-1980). The elder Cofrin used a commitment to innovation, efficiency and hard work to turn what in 1919 was a small mill on the west shore of the Fox River into a world leader in the paper products industry. University officials say it is fitting that the school’s business program will have a direct link to one of America’s great 20th century entreprenuers.

The historic archives of the Fort Howard Co. are housed in the Area Research Center at UW-Green Bay’s university library. The following are examples from that collection. Click on photos below to enter slideshow view.

Photos courtesy of Fort Howard Company Archives, Special Collections Department, David A. Cofrin LIbrary, UW-Green Bay