Real money is under the microscope of students at Missouri Southern.

At 2 p.m. March 17, students, faculty and staff gathered around the second floor of Matthews Hall to dedicate the Edward Jones Investment Center.

University President Julio León opened the ceremony.

“Welcome all members of the Edward Jones family,” he said. “This has been made possible through the recognition and respect of Edward Jones.”

He said the investment center is a part of the community as well as part of the University.

“It’s always gratifying when an interest and commitment comes from the support of the people around [the campus] and the community,” he said.

The investment center will allow students to work with a $30,000 portfolio coming from set projects from the Southern Foundation.

Doug Hill, senior partner with Edward Jones, introduced the Edward Jones nomination for the dedication of the center.

“We believe in a quality education and that is vital to our country,” Hill said.

The center was dedicated to Jim Goodknight, an investment representative from the Joplin area and a graduate of Joplin Junior College.

“He came from the school of hard knocks,” Hill said.

Goodknight went into investment services after graduation and when business got too much for him to handle, he decided to work with a partner. This idea was unheard of at the time while many companies were in favor of competition between investment representatives. Goodknight found business picked up again, but he was able to work with the customers easier than working alone. Soon, more representatives came to work with him and this started a trend, which spread through the Edward Jones Company.

“He had already done this four times,” Hill said. “It’s now called the Goodknight plan.”

Goodknight said he was happy to have the dedication.

“It is very great for me to represent Edward Jones in this center,” he said. “It’s a great honor being a graduate at the fore-runner of Missouri Southern.”

He said the center is something that will help students get a feel for the real world.

“It can be a really wonderful tool for the students,” Goodknight said. “They learn the basics of how the world works on a solid investment portfolio.”

He said the students will not learn about day trading but will focus on how to make a long-term portfolio, leading to more wealth over time.

Curt Betebenner, director of the Southern Foundation, said the real money factor will cause the students to focus more in the right direction.

“It’s easy to be real cavalier when you’re working with simulated money,” Betebenner said.

He said the students will be watched and advised choices as to help them learn what works and what doesn’t.

“It’s not like you’re just going to turn them loose,” Betebenner said.

He said he is glad to be a part of the center’s work and is glad the community came out in support.

The money to pay for the building of the center came from various sources around the community, including a separate donation from the Southern Foundation.