Monthly Archives: January 2025

Donor Stories, Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, Saluki Athletics, SIU

Hayes donates $1M to Saluki Athletics

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Jim Hayes Stadium Club to be named in honor of historic gift

Jamie Hayes stands in front of the Jim Hayes, Inc. car dealership in Harrisburg, Illinois.
Jamie Hayes, owner of Jim Hayes, Inc., and his wife, Netta, are donating $1 million to Saluki Athletics.

By Jeff Wilson

With a $1 million gift, Jamie and Netta Hayes further strengthen their family’s ties to Saluki Athletics.

The Hayes family has been a fixture around SIU since Jamie’s father, Jim, first came to Southern in 1961 on a football scholarship.

In honor of this historic gift, SIU Director of Athletics Tim Leonard has announced the naming of the Jim Hayes Stadium Club inside Saluki Stadium. Some of the funds from this gift will be used to revitalize the space.

“For Jamie and Netta to step up in this way says a ton about them and where we are headed,” Leonard said. “They see the vision. They see the passion. They know how valuable Saluki Athletics is to SIU and all of Southern Illinois. This is massively important for us, and I want to thank them on behalf of Saluki Nation.”

One of the premier locations on campus, the Jim Hayes Stadium Club will continue to be utilized by members of the entire campus community for important events and major announcements.

“For my dad’s name to be further etched into Saluki history this way is incredible,” Jamie Hayes said. “We wanted to make a statement about how we feel about SIU and what the Salukis mean to us and this community. We wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for him. I think he would be proud.”

Jim Hayes headshot
Jim Hayes first came to SIU in 1961 on a football scholarship.

The Hayes Legacy

After graduating from SIU with a degree in education in 1962, Jim Hayes moved to Macomb, where he taught, coached football and married his wife, Bette, in 1966. After taking up car sales as a part-time job, he found a knack for the profession and moved his family to Harrisburg in 1976, founding the Jim Hayes, Inc., car dealership.

“My dad played linebacker at SIU. He had a great nickname, ‘The Axe,’” Jamie Hayes said. “From there, it was just always following the Salukis. He had a lot of great loves. He loved his family, the business, his employees, customers, and he loved SIU.”

Raising his family and growing his business in Southern Illinois, Jim Hayes made a point to support SIU through Saluki Athletics. Jim Hayes passed away in 2018, leaving an incredible legacy at Southern. The dealership is now owned and operated by Jamie Hayes.

“I grew up going with my dad to basketball games. SIU has a history of great coaches and great teams,” he said. “The time spent with my dad was always good. I have great memories of these programs.”

Jamie Hayes graduated from SIU in 1994 with a degree in speech communication from the College of Liberal Arts. He has long supported Saluki Athletics, including partnerships and charitable giving through his business, and been a fixture at SIU events for decades.

He recently joined the Big Dawg Leadership Society, which recognizes donors who give annually to Saluki Athletics.

“The success of SIU can do nothing but help the region,” he said. “Now, more than ever, it’s time to step it up a little bit more. You’re going to need more community involvement. You have to bleed maroon no matter what.”

Donor Stories, Philanthropic Women

Daley makes $25K gift to support interior design students

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By Jeff Wilson

What began with an interest in a design education has come full circle for SIU alumna Jill Daley. With a $25,000 gift, she established the Jill Daley Design Scholarship in the School of Architecture.

Jill Daley
Jill Daley

A Crystal Lake native, Daley started her education at Harper College in Palatine and started researching design schools.

“SIU came up as one of the top 10 design schools in the country, and it had in-state tuition,” she said. “Truthfully, I’m not sure if I didn’t have the SIU option what I would have done, because I pretty much put myself through school.”

Daley graduated from SIU in 1979 with a degree in interior design. She credits her education for much of her initial success.

“I moved to Florida and had to take a licensure exam, which I passed on my first attempt, which is very unusual. I have known people who have had to take it 10 times,” she said. “We had a lot of bonding in our department. We had a lot of excellent teachers. I will always be thankful to SIU for providing me with the foundation of a great design education.”

During her career she has started two interior design firms, Office Dimensions and All Interiors, and written a book, “Design Secrets,” and she is working on a follow-up.

“There’s a lot that goes into this. People think interior design is just making places pretty … but it is a lot more complicated,” she said. “I wanted to educate people a little bit on all the different factors interior designers take into consideration. We want to live a healthy, long life. There are a lot of things we can do, even with our interiors, that can help that.”

While working in Florida, she helped start a scholarship for members of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

“I saw how impactful it was on the lives of these kids,” Daley said. “Perhaps if it wasn’t for scholarship funds, they wouldn’t have been able to get a higher education.”

Once she reconnected with Southern, she decided making a similar impact at her alma mater made sense.

“I decided this was something I’d like to do because I’d like to enrich and enhance the experience of someone interested in interior design,” Daley said. “It’s good to leave a legacy, and I believe in the design field and SIU, so I wanted to get involved and see what I could do to help.

“(These students) are going to get some additional help to pursue their passion and their love, which is the most important ingredient to having a successful career. Every bit of support, I’m sure, would be appreciated by them and put to good use.”

To learn more about making a gift, visit siuf.org.