Submitted by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - When Robert Drury donated the Pear Tree Inn to Three Rivers College in 2009, he did so to honor the memory of his father, Lambert C. Drury, who believed that communities are built on foundations of education, partnerships, and values.

The college felt that an appropriate memorial for this gift was to put the Drury name on a building that will serve as the hub of student success and support programs at Three Rivers.

At its May meeting the Three Rivers Board of Trustees approved a resolution to create the Lambert C. Drury Academic Resource Commons in appreciation of the Drury family’s support of Three Rivers and the students the college serves.

The ARC, which is now being renovated, will house the Myrtle Rutland Library, a public computing center, the TRIO ACHIEVE program, the Transitional Education Program, the Tutoring and Learning Center, and a coffee shop. The majority of the renovation project is being paid for with $2 million the college received several years ago from the state for building projects.

The donation of the Pear Tree Inn and adjacent restaurant to Three Rivers by Robert Drury, the Drury family, and Drury Southwest Inc. was the first major donation of my administration. It was the start of an outpouring of support and community partnerships that continue to help Three Rivers enhance the educational and career opportunities for the region’s students.

The sale of the restaurant and land yielded the college more than $530,000. Those funds are aiding Three Rivers in fulfilling our mission of providing quality, accessible, and affordable learning opportunities and services for academic scholarship and professional success. With the support of community partners like the Drurys, the college is striving toward its vision of being the preeminent, cutting-edge community of learners with a student-first focus, and operating as a vibrant, dynamic catalyst for the creation of opportunities that foster learning and student success.

We appreciate the efforts of the Drury family, which for more than 30 years has worked to build a company that has grown from a small plaster- ing business in Kelso, Missouri, to a successful, expanding system of 130 hotels in 20 states.

Company founder Lambert C. Drury taught his sons to always focus on quality, service, value, and innovation. One of the reasons the family made the donation of the Pear Tree is that they saw that Three Rivers shares this same focus.

Drury Southwest continues to make significant contributions to the economic development of the region. Robert Drury, the Drury family, and the companies they operate have shared the fruits of their success by giving back to the communities that support their family businesses through donations of land, money, and time.

The Lambert C. Drury Academic Resource Commons is a fitting memorial to a family that gives so much back to the community.