A 1,000-piece collection of Jayhawk memorabilia will stay at the University of Kansas Union.

James and Mary Asher of Overland Park, Kan., have donated $130,000 to the KU Endowment so the union can buy the collection.

Bud Jennings began collecting the memorabilia in 1939. He donated it to the union four years ago, saying he hoped someone would buy it to help fund his retirement. But when no offers came in, the union said it would auction off the pieces or sell them on eBay.

The Ashers said they wanted to help Jennings while also keeping the collection on the Kansas campus.

Kansas spokesman Mike Reid says now that the collection will be permanent, some improvements will be made to the presentation.