Why I Give—Allen Loe

Equipping Muleriders with the education they need to advance in a “biological world” inspired Allen Loe ‘78 to leave a legacy through a planned gift benefiting the Biology Department of Southern Arkansas University. “SAU is where it all started,” Loe said. “A thriving Biology Department at SAU is very important.”

Loe, a resident of Columbia, La., graduated from Prescott High School in 1972. After working briefly in construction, he realized how strongly he felt about going to college. He chose SAU because it “felt like the place to be. Several of my family members attended, and I had an aunt and uncle in Magnolia.” As a Mulerider, Loe was exposed to a wide range of academic offerings that shaped and molded his abilities.

“I learned how to move around in the world, I learned how to associate with people, make friends, and come to class on time. It jump-started me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without SAU,” said Loe.

As a biology major, Loe was inspired by Dr. Henry Robison and also Coach Rip Powell. “I played high school football but did not consider myself a college-quality athlete,” he said. “During a water safety class, Coach Powell saw something in me I had not recognized. He is one of the people who allowed me to look deeper into myself and see there are other phases of a personality besides what you think is there.”

Dr. Robison served as an inspirational professor and mentor. Loe recalled the numerous field trips Robison provided for students. “We’d drive across the state of Arkansas, from the bayou to the mountains. Those trips were a 24-hour classroom. We’d leave on Friday at 5:00, and unload on the steps of Overstreet late Sunday night. He showed me how the biological world hooks together.”

Dr. Martha Forgey also provided life-long lessons that served Loe well in his career. “I have spoken before the New York City Council, been on the cover of USA Today, and I have been in front of media across the U.S., without freezing up, because she taught me how to speak and write professionally.”

After SAU and graduate school, Loe teamed with another Mulerider, Dr. Matt Evans, as well as Kerry Bourne, to start their own biology-based company, Vector Disease Control, originally based in England, Arkansas. “We started with one $40,000 contract,” Loe said, “and grew from there.”

The company provides mosquito abatement, surveillance, and disease-monitoring services. By 2005, Vector operated in 23 states, three countries, employed 350 people, and owned a fleet of trucks and airplanes. “We specialized in the public-health aspect of mosquito control,” Loe said, noting the company worked closely with FEMA, the Center for Disease Control, and state and local health departments. He was the company’s owner and president until 2011.

Loe now divides his time between Teton County, Idaho and a hunting/fishing lodge in Louisiana, which he originally purchased with Dr. Evans, who passed away in 2007. “We actively grow rice, soybeans, and do guided hunts in the winter,” Loe said of his farm.

After reconnecting with the campus and talking with Dr. Trey Berry, SAU’s president, Loe decided to include the Biology Department at SAU in his estate plans.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I hope the benefit will be long-lasting and worthwhile to students. I love what the University means to south Arkansas. The growth there is just so exciting to be part of.”

The impact of Loe’s legacy will be realized through a scholarship endowment named for Dr. Matt Evans. Dr. Evans is a longtime friend from Smackover, Arkansas and served as a family physician for many years. The scholarship will benefit a pre-med student. He will also fund a scholarship endowment in honor of Dr. Robison, benefitting a biology student.

“I hope the Robison endowment will reach a student who walks into that Science Building and realizes how important biology is,” Loe explained. “I want them to get excited about forestry or fisheries or wildlife, or any of those sciences.”

The remainder of his estate gift will provide overall support to the Biology Department. “We all live in a biological world,” Loe said. “We hear about global warming, but people forget where our food and water come from, and the micro-habitats and microsystems that make everything work.”

Educating future scientists is key to Loe’s vision. Thanks to his generosity, SAU will fulfill that need for many generations to come.