The school, home to one of the nation’s most popular mining engineering programs, announced the receipt of the gift on September 11.

The funds, donated by the Murray family, were matched dollar-for-dollar by the state through the Research Trust Fund.

“This gift will enable our students and faculty to conduct the kind of groundbreaking research our nation needs to maximize our energy resources,” WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources dean Gene Cilento said.

While Murray was a graduate of Ohio State University, three of his sons – all of whom work for Murray Energy – graduated from the mining engineering and geology programs at the university.

Also last week, Murray Energy’s American Coal Company donated $10,000 to the cooperative coal mining program of Southeastern Illinois College and Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, to aid in the construction of a new mine fire training facility.

An operator spokesperson said the funds will be used to build a burn tunnel underground at the SIC campus.

“We recognize the importance of a facility like this to area mine operators, and equally important, see it as another enhancement to the mining education and training programs for which SIC is known,” the school’s academic and student affairs vice-president Dana Keating said.

Murray Energy emergency preparedness manager Bill Moser said the company was glad to support the project while encouraging its construction, as it gave high priority to worker safety.

“A burn tunnel allows our miners to learn to fight mine fires in a setting that duplicates real-life scenarios far better than above-ground simulations, and will benefit all of the mine operators in the area,” he said.

The facility will be near several mines, including the American Coal Company and KenAmerican Resources.