The University of Nebraska has announced a gift of $5.3 million from alumnus and former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson to the University of Nebraska Foundation in support of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts' Department of Theatre Arts.

The gift from Carson, '49, will be used to support the renovation and expansion of the Temple Building and to create an endowment to keep performance spaces equipped with the latest lighting and sound technologies and assist students and programs in the department. In recognition of Carson's philanthropy over the years, the university will rename the department of theater arts in his honor.

"I got my start in the Temple Building and have never forgotten the impact of my academic studies at the University of Nebraska on my life and career," said Carson. "It is my hope that this gift will enable future generations of theater and film students to learn their craft in the Temple Building, which will enable them to pursue their goals, just as I did."

"From the halls of the Temple Building to the studios of NBC, Johnny Carson has left an incredible legacy to the world of entertainment and television," said NU foundation president and CEO Terry L. Fairfield. "Through this generous gift, he creates another rich legacy to provide educational opportunities and possibilities for the next wave of actors, designers, writers, and filmmakers at the University of Nebraska."

Carson, 79, grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska, enrolled at NU in 1947 after serving as an ensign in the Navy during World War II, and received his bachelor of arts degree in radio and speech, with a minor in physics, in 1949.