In a closing act before leaving Congress, longtime Sen. Richard Shelby marked $666 million in federal funding in this year’s spending bill.

Now, $100 million of that funding will establish an endowment for distinguished faculty at the University of Alabama.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees unanimously approved the endowment at the University of Alabama on Friday, Feb. 3. The also approved a $10 million Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership at UA, which will house Shelby’s congressional papers.

In a news release, Shelby said he had “dedicated several years” to securing the faculty endowment, which would support the recruitment and retention of about 30-40 faculty members in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

“Education is key to unlocking opportunity, which is why I believe one of the most important investments we can make is in our classrooms,” he wrote.

Chancellor Finis St. John III called the appropriations “unprecedented,” remarking that it would be the “largest single contribution to go down in the history of our system.”

“These two initiatives, along with a number of other things, demonstrate one has benefited more than the University of Alabama system,” another trustee added. “From Huntsville to Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, Senator Shelby has provided resources and funding that we would not otherwise have, and he’s done it in a way that will enable us to benefit long after the people sitting in this room have moved on.”

Shelby, who retired this January at age 88 after serving for 36 years in the U.S. Senate, is known for earmarking federal funds to support efforts in his home state.

Several academic buildings in the state already are named after the former congressman, including engineering halls at UA, Auburn and the University of South Alabama.

This year, omnibus funds also will support research efforts at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn, University of South Alabama and UAH, a nursing program at Spring Hill University, and a math and science building at Marion Military Institute, according to The Associated Press.

UA Provost Jim Dalton said details about both initiatives are still being worked out, but that the university expects to allot about $250,000 in salary support and research funds to each faculty member supported by the endowment. Shelby will have no involvement in choosing or approving the endowed faculty, Dalton said.

Additional philanthropic and university funds will support The Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership, a two-year leadership program in the political science department. Each year, a cohort of about 40 students will take specialized coursework in policy, and will have access to policy and leadership-focused internships and networking opportunities, Dalton said.

At the board meeting, UA President Stuart Bell said the new institute would provide a “tremendous opportunity” for the students to learn directly from the Senator’s papers.

The program will be located in Tuomey Hall,which currently houses the university’s Blount Scholars Program, a four-year liberal arts program that enrolls about 400 students.

Early news of the rededication sparked backlash from some Blount students, who told the campus newspaper that they felt “disheartened” that they weren’t initially included in discussions about the potential loss of the building.

Dalton said adjustments have been made to support Blount students at other campus buildings and still allow them to share Tuomey, which some feel is a reasonable compromise.

“I think the most important thing is still allowing the students to have that space,” Elena Dixon, president of the Blount Student Organization, told AL.com after the vote.

The Trustees approved several other construction projects at UA System campuses, including the establishment of the James C. Kennemer Center for Innovation and Social Impact at UA, as well as a laboratory facility at UAB.