Walter C. “Buddy” Coleman, whose family and farm have been neighbors of UALR since the campus was established, died Monday, Oct. 24, just days after he and his family were honored for their support for Trojan athletics. He was 83.

“Buddy and his family have been going on five generations of supporting young people in Arkansas, not just through athletics,” said UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson. “You name it, the Coleman family has been instrumental in enhancing the lives of those youths.”

Last December, Coleman’s sons – the fifth generation of Coleman dairymen – presented UALR a gift of 10 acres of what was part of the oldest dairy farm west of the Mississippi to make possible a recreation and sports complex. The complex, nearing completion at Asher and University avenues, will make Little Rock eligible to host sanctioned track and field events.

“I grew up in Central Arkansas and remember as a kid touring the dairy and drinking chocolate milk,” said Bob Denman, executive director of development at UALR. “And anyone who played ball either played on a Coleman Dairy team or played against them. Buddy Coleman was a vital part of sports development in Central Arkansas. This new sports complex at the site of the old dairy will be a tribute to his life and work.”