Our Crowdfunding Groups
UPDATE: We just unlocked the $2,500 Maxine's Taproom Challenge AND hit 100%!!
About Maxine Miller
Maxine Miller opened Maxine’s Tap Room on March 18, 1950, the day after St. Patrick’s Day, when she was just 24 years old. She borrowed money to open the business from her parents, and it was so successful early on that she was able to pay back that loan within a year.
Maxine’s Tap Room is set to celebrate its 75th year in business in 2025. It continues to be an example in the hospitality industry of inclusiveness and care for patrons, staff, and the larger University of Arkansas community.
This month would have been Maxine’s 100th birthday and we’d love for you to help us celebrate by making a gift in her honor!
Endowment Update & Current Needs
The Maxine Miller Legacy Fund was created through the Gender Studies Program to help support students with scholarships, undergraduate research projects, graduate conference travel, mentor expenses, and more. It was formed through a partnership with Andrea Foren, Maxine’s great-niece who took over the bar when she passed away, along with current Maxine’s caretaker, Hannah Withers, and University of Arkansas Gender Studies professor, Lisa Corrigan.
The fund endowed at $50,000 in its first year, which means we have established a permanent source of funding for student support! While the initial $50,000 will remain locked in to ensure the endowment is sustainable, the interest it accumulates can be awarded to students for years to come. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!
Once the Maxine Miller Legacy Fund has matured, we can begin distributing awards to students as soon as the fund matures! Our next priority is continuing to build the endowment because the more it grows, the more funds we will be able to give out each semester. We’re so excited for you to join us as we expand student support in perpetuity!
How You Can Help
We're seeking to fundraise $10,000 for the Maxine Miller Legacy Fund by May 31st in celebration of Maxine’s 100th birthday! Our goal is to increase the amount of funding available to U of A students. Together, we can provide students across campus with the support they need to succeed now and into the future!
100% of your donation will go to the legacy fund, so please help us support University of Arkansas students in the name and memory of Maxine Miller!
Maxine's Tap Room opened to the public in 1950! Donate $19.50 in honor of the inaugural year!
To celebrate the 74th anniversary of Maxine's Tap Room, consider donating $74!
May 5, 2024, we're celebrating Maxine's 100th Birthday! Anyone who knew Maxine knows she loved birthday celebrations. Donate $100 today in honor of her centennial birthday!
This is the number of pips on a set of dominoes, Maxine's FAVORITE game!
Donate $250 because that's the average tab for a four-top on a good night!
Everyone loved the Ding Ding Machine! Do you remember playing the Ding Ding Machine at the back of the bar when you were in Maxine's? It's everyone's favorite memory and it still exists with Maxine's archive! Donate $500 for the other star of the bar!
The most-played songs on Maxine's Jukebox were: 1) Patsy Cline, "Crazy" 2) Elvis, "Always on my Mind" and 3) Kenny Rogers, "The Gambler".
Maxine LOVED Mardi Gras! The first Mardi Gras celebration occurred in 1703 in the settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile. Donate $1,703 in honor of Maxine's legendary Mardi Gras parties!
