Barefield Gift to Name UA’s College of Arts and Sciences

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alumnus J. Frank Barefield Jr. has made a $35 million gift commitment to The University of Alabama to name the College of Arts and Sciences.  

The J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences enrolls over 9,000 students across 80 majors, minors, concentrations and graduate programs. It is now one of only two colleges at the University to be named.  

“Mr. Barefield’s remarkable generosity reflects the spirit of giving that defines The University of Alabama,” UA President Stuart R. Bell said. “His gift further elevates the College of Arts and Sciences, which educates thousands of students across disciplines and fosters excellence in research and creativity.” 

The UA System Board of Trustees approved the gift and the College’s naming at its meeting on June 6. Board President Pro Tempore Scott Phelps expressed the Board’s appreciation for Barefield’s transformative gift and his support for education across the UA System.  

Barefield’s gift provides the College with a fully discretionary endowment that allows its leadership to “act quickly, think boldly and lead purposefully” with initiatives such as: 

• Launching innovative research the moment opportunity strikes 
• Retaining top scholars with competitive support 
• Intervening when students face unexpected hardships 
• Investing in bold, high-impact initiatives across Alabama and beyond 

“With this support, the College is poised to elevate its excellence in teaching, innovation, research and creative endeavors, reinforcing its commitment to meaningful impact and academic distinction,” said Dr. Joseph P. Messina, dean of the Barefield College of Arts and Sciences. “Mr. Barefield’s belief in our work affirms our mission. We are profoundly grateful for this support and look forward to the remarkable progress it will inspire in the years to come.” 

About J. Frank Barefield Jr.  

Barefield holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UA, an MBA from UAB, is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. He is an owner and the president of Abbey Residential, LLC, a multifamily real estate firm headquartered in Birmingham. His partner in Abbey Residential is Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, for whom the UAB Heersink School of Medicine is named. Barefield said his motivation to make the gift was to help UA students “dream big, because anyone can achieve their goals.” 

“I am very appreciative of the education I received from The University of Alabama as it has been the foundation of whatever success I have achieved,” Barefield said. “My goal with this gift is to assist the University in its ability to attract and retain the top educators and students from around the world. I am humbled and honored that the College of Arts and Sciences will forever bear my name.”  

Upon earning his degree at UA, Barefield was commissioned in the United States Air Force, serving four years before he was honorably discharged at the rank of captain. Barefield was also the silver medalist in the 1974 world powerlifting championships. 

Barefield then transitioned to banking and finance in the Birmingham area, serving as vice president and senior investment officer at Southern National Bank and manager at Arthur Young & Company, an international public accounting firm. Currently, Barefield co-owns and manages a property portfolio through Abbey Residential, LLC in excess of $2.5 billion in assets.  

Barefield and his wife, Barbi Breimann, reside in Vestavia Hills.  

In addition to his support of UA, Barefield serves as board chair of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama and has supported other law enforcement initiatives in the area, including a gift to name the Hoover Police Department’s training facility. He also made a sizable gift commitment of $10 million to UA’s sister institution, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to name its department of criminal justice and its entrepreneurship program. 

He said he’s proud to extend his philanthropy to his alma mater and “can’t wait to see its impact on one of the top educational institutions in the world.”  

“It’s a difficult thing to wrap your head around, that a school the size of The University of Alabama, and my name would somehow be associated with it,” he said.

About the J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences 

Each year, the Barefield College of Arts and Sciences provides nearly half of all credit hours for UA’s students. As artists, scientists, political leaders, scholars and performers, these students excel in many ways: 

• 54% of pre-health graduates are accepted to med school – 18% higher than the U.S. average. 
• 85% of pre-law students are accepted to law school, many attending top 14 schools. 
• Kate Herndon, a May 2025 graduate, was among 32 students in the nation to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. 
• John Richardson, a May 2024 graduate, was the first UA graduate to be named an Eisenhower Global Scholar. 

The College has equally talented faculty members across its 22 departments. In 2024, the Barefield College of Arts and Sciences’ faculty generated $41.5 million in grants, which funded meaningful research in areas that impact Alabama, our nation and the world. In the past five years, research funding increased by 42% over the prior five-year period. 

The College has more than 55,000 alumni throughout 64 countries and all 50 states.  

About The Rising Tide 2.0 Capital Campaign 

The Rising Tide 2.0 capital campaign is the most successful capital campaign ever for higher education in the state of Alabama. UA reached its original campaign goal of $1.5 billion in February 2024 and, two weeks later, announced the Rising Tide 2.0 with an enhanced goal of $1.8 billion. 

The campaign has generated more than 1,150 new endowed scholarships, produced 68 new endowed faculty support funds and supported the construction of more than 500,000 square feet of campus facilities.