Bob Barker Donates $1 Million For Animal Rights Professor

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Former television game show host Bob Barker, who ended episodes of "The Price is Right" by asking viewers to spay and neuter their pets, donated $1 million to Drury University to establish a professorship on animal rights that he hopes will lead to a full undergraduate degree program.

Barker, who graduated from the small liberal arts school in 1947 with a degree in economics, said Tuesday that he hopes the school will eventually be able to offer a program of studies that would train them to be animal rights activists and to respect animals.

"I think some students would become full-fledged animal rights activists," Barker said. "Some will become lawyers and doctors who will always be interested in animal rights. And some will have more respect for animals."

The new professorship went to Patricia McEachern, a professor of French who will work full time to develop what Barker and McEachern said would be the nation's first undergraduate program in animal rights.

Barker named the new professorship for his late wife, Dorothy Jo Barker.

Last year, Barker gave the school $1 million to establish the Drury University Forum on Animal Rights, which led to an undergraduate course on animal ethics.

The course was offered for the first time this semester, and 18 students enrolled, McEachern said. The class fulfills a core requirement in the university's global studies program.

Barker has also has established endowment funds on animal rights law at eight law schools, including Harvard Law School.

If Drury establishes the new animal rights program, Barker said he expects other schools to duplicate it.

McEachern said it is too early to know how soon the animal rights program could be started, but she hopes to add two more courses to the program in the next two years. Drury would first offer animal rights as a minor before students can major in it.

Drury has 1,555 full-time undergraduate students.

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

Comments

[NoSillyName]

Way to go, Mr. Barker!!!

[ChaiKat]

That's fantastic! Kudos to Mr. Barker!

[truthartbeauty]

good for him. We need to teach courses in simple kindness. sounds silly to some but this is exactly what is needed. It would help the world a lot more to have a class in simple kindness and compassion. They dont learn it at home. they will never learn it in church.

[monkeybeans]

This is great news! I had to make up my major when I studied animal rights in college through the philosophy department. We're making progress!!!

[hippie4ever]

Not long ago women and children were legally considered property; animals are still considered as such but there has been a huge shift in perceptions and attitudes. Pets are definitely accorded special status, and rightfully so as they are members of the family. And many more appreciate the wildness of the land and respect the right of animals to exist in their native habitat. The old guard -- the hunters with semi-automatic rifles -- are a disappearing species. Thanks, Mr. Barker.

[Kuuba]

The greatest of a nation can be determined by how it treats its animals - Ghandi.

[mollymac]

Mr. Barker, you are a man for all seasons and a true gentleman. thanks for thinking of the animals.

[ragtag]

Saw him on the local news the other day while he was at Drury.

I was surprised at how frail he looked - the dude's gettin' old on us...

[rssrai]

You are a true hero. Animals have feelings too, and it is wonderful that people like you know it and do something about it.

[LeeCalif]

Very cool.

[Integrity4most]

How exciting - the start of something big, I hope. Thank you Mr. Barker on behalf of all animals.

[ChelleAgain]

There's a difference between animal rights and animal welfare. PETA is animal rights and they're a hot mess, doing more harm than good. Animal welfare believes in humane treatment of animals and animal rights tends to -- when you really boil it down -- not believe animals should be kept as pets.

[3fingerbrown]

Reading the comments here, I'm surprised how many intelligent people seem to be unaware that the distinction exists, as though all "animal rights" means is the humane treatment of animals. Of course, the well-financed animal-rights public relations machine spends millions every year blurring the line between the two concepts, so that well-meaning casual observers will continue making donations to radical kooks like PETA and and bloated fund-raising monsters like HSUS.

You want to do right by animals? Make a donation to your local humane society. They're always underfunded, and they do more hands-on, practical good for animals in one day than PETA or HSUS have done in their entire existence. And you can be sure that your money will go to feed and house and re-home animals instead of pushing the nutty notions PETA hides in the fine print and camouflages with paid celebrity shills.

In any event, those with tender feelings toward animals should look into the distinction between animal rights and animal welfare. You may agree with my assessment, you may not. But at least you'll be aware of the difference before you write a check.

[lioness39]

As a retired Animal Welfare worker and humane officer, I am well aware of the distinction. Animal welfare refers to the humane treatment of animals. Animal rights means to give them full rights as beings that are not considered the same as your sofa or kitchen stove, a status women and African slaves held at one time. I am for both the humane treatment and their rights as individuals. I salute Mr. Barker for his contribution to a very worthy cause.

[NoSillyName]

Animal ETHICS == Animal WELFARE.

[brady61995]

animal ethics = well animals

[Imzadi]

Kudos, Mr. Barker!!!

A true caring person. You are a rare gem.

[lalalalilly127]

I love you Bob Barker!!!

[Nishnabe]

Hold on a minute, Drury University has 1500 full time students. A congregational church school in the middle of the conservative bible belt? In order to support an undergrad major, there has to be way more students than this will draw. They have a 75 million dollar endowment and it will likely cost them way more for this position than grads it will produce. And exactly what kind of job does a grad with a degree in animal rights going to find? Also, a French teacher heads up the program? I like Bob Barker and think he is a wonderful guy for doing this, but the university would have been much better served if it were in veterinary science.

[NoSillyName]

Drury is his Alma Mater. Do a websearch and see that he is giving lots of money to lots of animal causes.