Maxine Miller Legacy Fund in Gender Studies Sets New FundRAZOR Record

Maxine Miller standing in front of her famous taproom, which will celebrate its 75th year of business in 2025.

The Maxine Miller Legacy Fund recently set a new FundRAZOR crowdfunding record by raising nearly $35,000 in May. 

The month-long initiative hit 100% of its goal in just eight days, making it the most successful campaign ever on the University of Arkansas’ crowdfunding platform. 

The fund was established in the name and memory of Maxine Miller, recognized as a groundbreaking business leader and pillar in both the Fayetteville and university community. The fund supports scholarships, undergraduate research travel, graduate conference travel and mentor expenses in the university’s gender studies program. 

“We are so grateful and completely amazed at the outpouring of community support for the Maxine Miller Legacy Fund in Gender Studies at the University of Arkansas,” said Lisa Corrigan, professor of communication and director of the Gender Studies Program. “Maxine would be thrilled at this kind of commitment to student support, and we are delighted to honor her legacy through the gender studies program.” 

As a 24-year-old single woman in 1950, Miller opened Maxine’s Tap Room with borrowed money from her parents. Her business proved an immediate success, and Miller paid the loan back within a year. A shrewd businesswoman and beloved character, she was present at the tap room every day from open to close and expected proper behavior in her establishment. Patrons fondly remember Miller’s famous last call, “May I have your attention, please. You have ten minutes to drink and get the hell out!”  

Maxine’s Tap Room was remodeled in 2013 and will celebrate its 75th year in business in 2025. The tap room continues to be an example in the hospitality industry of inclusiveness and care for patrons, staff and the community. 

The Maxine Miller Legacy Fund was established through a partnership with Andrea Foren, Miller’s great-niece who took over the bar when Maxine passed away, along with Corrigan and Hannah Withers, the current Maxine’s Tap Room caretaker. 

With a stated goal of raising $10,000 in May in celebration of Miller’s 99th birthday, the FundRAZOR campaign raised nearly $35,000 in one month. It garnered over 375 individual gifts, the most obtained by a single crowdfunding project. Remarkably, the campaign allowed fundraisers to achieve 70% of their entire endowment goal of $50,000. 

The overwhelming success of the campaign also highlights the efforts of FundRAZOR, the official crowdfunding platform for the university. Similar to Kickstarter and GoFundMe, FundRAZOR is designed to help the campus community raise private gift support for innovative ideas and important projects. 

FundRAZOR campaigns are created and promoted by U of A groups to fund everything from student scholarships and cutting-edge research to service trips and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Applications are open to U of A students, faculty and staff who are seeking to raise money for university-based initiatives. 

Learn more about the FundRAZOR Program and other crowdfunding campaigns at fundrazor.uark.edu.

About University Advancement: University Advancement advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by raising private gift support from alumni, friends, parents, foundations, corporations, and other institutional supporters. Working in philanthropic partnership with academic leaders and volunteers, Advancement team members are determined to advance the people, work, and impact of the greater whole at the University of Arkansas.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News. 

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.