UAB has received the single largest gift from an alumnus in its history. J. Frank Barefield Jr., president of Abbey Residential and chairman of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, has given the school $10 million.

Of that amount, he committed $5 million to name the UAB J. Frank Barefield Jr. Department of Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences; and the other $5 million was committed to name the UAB J. Frank Barefield Jr. Entrepreneurship Program in the Collat School of Business, according to a statement from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The gift also will name endowed faculty positions to recruit and retain top faculty in perpetuity, including the J. Frank Barefield Jr. Endowed Chair in Criminal Justice and the J. Frank Barefield Jr. Endowed Professorship in Entrepreneurship.

“I thought it was time I started helping others; UAB is where I received my MBA, and I am very appreciative of the benefits obtaining that degree has provided me,” Barefield said in the statement.

“Our economy and our standard of living depend upon business — both existing businesses and the creation of new businesses, which create opportunities for everyone to work and make a better and more rewarding life for their families. The more people can give to educational institutions which will expand the new business horizon, the better.”

The gift to the Department of Criminal Justice will help the department expand its efforts in predicting an individual’s risk factors for crime, collaborating with law enforcement on strategies for crime prevention and implementing interventions in neighborhoods to combat cycles of violence, according to the statement.

“There is probably no bigger opponent of business than the numerous crimes perpetuated on the public by those individuals who wish to take something — whether it be someone’s life or property — from those who have earned it,” Barefield said in the statement.

Kecia Thomas, Ph.D. and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences said the criminal justice department is interdisciplinary in that it reflects research contributed by the social sciences, physical sciences and computer science.

“Yet, the core value that drives the department is justice,” she said in the statement. “This amazing gift will provide the department with the opportunity to expand its reach as it seeks to identify and dismantle the elements and systems that produce crime as well as perfect techniques and strategies to resolve crimes when they occur.”

The gift to the business school is aimed at helping Birmingham continue to serve as a catalyst for growth, offer a first-rate education to Birmingham residents, incubate new ventures in growth industries and create jobs in the city and beyond, according to the statement.

“This generous gift from one of our own MBA graduates will allow us to continue growing a popular entrepreneurship major into a world-class program,” said Eric Jack, Ph.D., Wells Fargo Endowed Chair in Business Administration and dean of the Collat School of Business. “The impact on our students and on the Birmingham entrepreneurial ecosystem will be tremendous for years to come.”

UAB President Ray L. Watts expressed his gratitude for the gift.

“Frank Barefield is widely respected for his remarkable accomplishments as an entrepreneur and business leader as well his strong advocacy of public safety, so it is very fitting that both our Department of Criminal Justice and our Entrepreneurship Program will bear his name,” Watts said. “This generous gift will bring tremendous strides in recruiting and retaining top faculty and students, accelerating research and development of new programs, creating additional jobs and startup companies, and fostering a safer and more prosperous Birmingham.”

Deeply Into Education

Barefield received his undergraduate degree in finance at the University of Alabama and served four years in the U.S Air Force before being honorably discharged as a captain.

He worked in investment banking in two Birmingham banks while receiving his MBA degree from UAB at night. He worked for five years with Arthur Young & Company, where he became a CPA.

He later formed the predecessor to Abbey Residential in 1984 with his partner, Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, for whom the UAB Heersink School of Medicine is named.