Kansas State University President Richard Myers received approval from the Kansas Board of Regents to name the new volleyball arena the Morgan Family Arena for alumni Ward and Brenda Morgan, their children and grandchildren. The volleyball arena will be part of the Volleyball and Olympic Training Facility.
The Morgans were 2019 Lud Fiser Citizens of the Year for Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. They are the 53rd recipients of the award and the first to receive as a couple.
Brenda grew up in Manhattan attending Woodrow Wilson and Northview Elementary schools and graduating from Manhattan High School. She attended MATC and Kansas State University and worked for Steel and Pipe Supply before starting her career as a local volunteer. Ward grew up in Kansas as well graduating from Decatur Community High School. He went to tech school for auto mechanics and Kansas State University for business. He co-founded Networks Plus in 1994 and then went on to create CivicPlus.
The Morgans have been integral in helping to revitalize downtown with the creation of the Green Apple Bike Program and most recently opening the Midwest Dream Car Collection. They established a donor-advised fund at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation for $17 million.
The K-State Volleyball team is in action at No. 2 Texas tonight at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin. The Wildcats were swept by the Longhorns last night, and will wrap up regular season at home against Kansas next Friday and Saturday, November 26-27.