William L. “Spud” Spadoni and members of his family have given a gift of $1 million to Coastal Carolina University, according to an announcement today by Coastal President Ronald R. Ingle. In recognition of the gift, the university will name its education college the Spadoni College of Education.

The gift was made by Spadoni, owner of Better Brands, Inc., of Myrtle Beach, his wife Julia, daughter Brenda Spadoni Urquhart and son-in-law Gary Urquhart.

“I look forward to meeting with members of the Spadoni family to discuss ways to enhance Coastal’s education programs,” said Gil Hunt, dean of the College of Education. “This gift offers a tremendous opportunity for Coastal to better prepare teachers for today’s K-12 classrooms, as well as to further develop our master’s degree programs in education.”

The gift was made in conjunction with Coastal’s 50th Anniversary Initiatives, a capital campaign to raise $10 million for various university programs. The campaign, outlined by President Ingle at a news conference today, is the largest fund-raising effort in the history of the university.

“Coastal Carolina University has brought a great sense of pride to the area, and we have always felt the importance of giving back to the community,” said Brenda Spadoni Urquhart. “Even when my parents didn’t have a lot to give, I grew up watching them give back what they had.”

The Spadoni name has long been associated with Coastal. The campus’ Spadoni Park, named in memory of Spadoni’s son Nicholas, was dedicated in 1982. The park has been a focal point of campus life, the setting for many festivals, receptions and other events.