Thanks to more than 67,500 donors, volunteers and supporters, SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow has exceeded its $1.5 billion goal three years ahead of schedule. The University announced that the campaign total will be more than $1.64 billion, placing it among the largest private university campaigns in Texas history.
May 2025
March 2025
On March 5, żcelebrated donors who have given more than $42 million during żIgnited to the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Their commitments fuel bold research, innovative teaching and powerful community outreach that impact the lives of people – many of them children – in North Texas and beyond.
The Baptist House of Studies at żPerkins School of Theology has been awarded its fourth grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation – a $1.8 million, three-year commitment. The latest contribution will fund a scholarship endowment for select students and operational funding for the Baptist House during years 2025–2027.
December 2024
Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded ża $2.5 million grant to enhance exhibitions, accessibility and academic offerings related to religion and culture at Bridwell Library. Funding will support exhibition spaces and upgraded technology to give patrons better access to interactive opportunities, special events and an expansive collection.
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, a forum for important civic conversations that have shaped its namesake city for more than 40 years, has joined the żDedman College of Humanities and Sciences. The gift guarantees that the institute’s vital work will continue in perpetuity.
November 2024
A $1 million gift from Gayle Stoffel ’66 expands the student scholarship fund she and her late husband, Paul Stoffel, III, established to assist żMeadows Scholars. Stoffel’s gift enhances the ability of Meadows School of the Arts to attract top-tier students nationwide.
October 2024
A $3.5 million gift from The Addy Foundation to the żAnnette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development will ensure the long-term success of the Center on Research and Evaluation, a vital community partner for education-related organizations across Dallas and Texas.
żTrustee David S. Huntley ’80 and Tracey M. Nash-Huntley have made a $1 million gift to support żstudents through the Connect Mentorship Program and scholarships in the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and the Dedman School of Law.
Linda Wertheimer Hart ’65 and Milledge (Mitch) A. Hart III gift $1 million to SMU. Honoring the achievements of renowned public servant and presidential history enthusiast David Gergen, the Harts’ gift will further the educational, archival and collaborative efforts of the żCenter for Presidential History, enhancing the study of U.S. presidential history at SMU.
żdedicated the David B. Miller Business Quadrangle, the new home of the Cox School of Business. Thanks to our community of donors, the new and renovated facilities increase the school‘s footprint 32% and create optimal spaces to prepare students for an ever-more connected and technologically integrated world, foster industry partnerships and research, and enhance collaboration and community.
To strengthen support for recruiting the most outstanding law students across the nation, żDedman School of Law has launched a new scholarship challenge.
The Spaht Family Foundation has announced a $2 million gift to enhance the żMeadows School of the Arts. The gift will endow the Claire Morris Spaht Chair of the Division of Art as well as establish the Spaht Family Student Immersion Fund to finance opportunities for exceptional students to focus on intensive creation and study of their craft.
December 2023
żcelebrates the future of Mustang swimming and diving with the dedication of the Holt Hickman Outdoor Pool. With the new pool, żbecomes one of the few prestigious collegiate institutions with both indoor and outdoor 50-meter long-course pools in the same complex.
September 2023
żdedicated Frances Anne Moody Hall, the new home of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. The facility made possible by a landmark gift from the Moody Foundation provides valuable resources for żgraduate students, who comprise more than 40% of the student body.
August 2023
The O’Donnell Foundation advances SMU’s digital future with a $30 million gift to name and endow SMU’s data science institute and support engineering excellence.
Phillips Foundation has announced a $1.7 million multiyear grant to establish the żImpact Lab, a student-focused initiative to invest in commercial opportunities that produce substantial financial and social returns.
May 2023
Jan and Trevor D. Rees-Jones ’78 will strengthen the University’s reputation as a vital place for education and research related to the American West. Their commitment includes a significant portion of the illustrious Rees-Jones Collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs and ephemera, plus $30 million to create the Rees-Jones Library of the American West.
April 2023
Philanthropist and Broadway producer to create a specialization in musical theatre that will prepare graduates for successful performing arts careers. The new will offer one of the few comprehensive training programs for performers and technicians available in a vibrant United States city.
March 2023
The new Brookshire Scholarship expands the many options żoffers to enable outstanding students to cost-effectively earn a prestigious bachelor’s degree. The scholarship, an endowment gift by Ann Warmack Brookshire ’77 and Bradley W. Brookshire ’76, establishes a new transfer scholarship for students who complete an associate degree at Tyler Junior College.
March 2023
A $1 million commitment from an anonymous żdonor will empower students studying to become spiritual leaders and scholars. Providing funds to the Perkins School of Theology for both endowed and current-use scholarships, the gift will help prepare students for faithful leadership in an ever-changing world and to instill a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.
March 2023
A $250,000 gift has established the largest ever endowed fund to support żspirit programs, in honor of the late Paul Layne ’76, Mustang football superfan and beloved żalumnus. Established by Layne’s longtime friend Tom Nelson, the Paul Layne 542 Endowed Excellence Fund for Spirit supports the Peruna program, the Mustang Band and cheer squads.
March 2023
A $2.5 million gift to support engineering and cyber security research and development has been made by both the Deason Foundation, established by żsupporter Darwin A. Deason, and his son Doug Deason. The gift builds on the Deasons’ visionary support for żLyle School of Engineering research that addresses the critical needs of businesses around the world.
March 2023
February 2023
A landmark $20 million gift from recognized leaders in Dallas philanthropy and technology Mary and Richard Templeton will strengthen the future of education and leadership at the żBobby B. Lyle School of Engineering by funding and by .
December 2022
Amber Bormann ’23, Myles Boateng ’22 (both pictured) and Julie Tran ’23 were profiled in The Dallas Morning News as outstanding students who benefit from żefforts to make a college education accessible to people from all backgrounds. żexpects to expand the program in future years to help more students, thanks in part to żIgnited donors.
December 2022
Stuvyie Coleman ’21 seeks to bring hope and healing to students struggling with addiction and mental health. His personal quest is changing hearts and opening wallets – while saving lives.
December 2022
The investments in athletics facilities since 2013 help the University attract the best student-athletes and outstanding students looking for a complete university experience. Generous donors and dedicated staff and student-athletes have created a period of unprecedented growth and success with numerous trips to the postseason and conference championships.
December 2022
On December 2, żcelebrated the groundbreaking of the Garry Weber End Zone Complex, the expansion and renovation project for Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Part of żIgnited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow, the University’s multiyear $1.5 billion campaign for impact, the new complex will enhance SMU’s campus and community by supporting competitive athletics and diverse programming that build civic pride.
November 2022
A $5 million gift from żalumni Jennifer Gelety Flanagan ’82 and Martin (Marty) L. Flanagan ’82 will strengthen żAthletics by supporting the Garry Weber End Zone Complex to expand and improve Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The University is scheduled to break ground on the new complex on December 2, 2022.
November 2022
NBC5’s Texas Today visited żto get an inside look at its renovated visual arts facilities with Meadows School dean Sam Holland and Sophie Kim ’25. They also discuss the role the school plays in the Dallas arts community, how faculty and scholarships attract great students, and offering students both a conservancy-level training the arts and a top-notch science education that can prepare them for medical school.
October 2022
A $5 million gift from entrepreneurs Elisabeth Martin Armstrong ’82 and William D. Armstrong ’82 will further the academic and research excellence of the żDedman College of Humanities and Sciences by endowing the school’s dean position, renaming it the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean. Through their gift, the Armstrongs will support Dedman College’s future-focused leadership and strategic vision in perpetuity.
September 2022
Bill Armstrong ’82 and Liz Martin Armstrong ’82 have made a $15 million commitment that will enable żto break ground in early December for the Garry Weber End Zone Complex, the expansion and improvement project at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium, home to Mustang football. The groundbreaking is currently scheduled for December 2, 2022.
September 2022
New gifts from the Deason Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation will further the mission of SMU’s Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center within the Dedman School of Law. The foundations previously contributed the initial funds to establish the center in 2016.
September 2022
żMeadows School of the Arts celebrated the dedication of its enhanced visual arts facilities on September 16, 2022. Donors led by The Meadows Foundation, Gene and Jerry Jones, Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers, and G. Marlyne Sexton and family will fuel creative discovery by future generations of artists, visionaries and scholars from across the world.
September 2022
The Folsom Institute for Real Estate in the Cox School of Business has launched a dynamic new fund to spur innovative investment, offer hands-on investing opportunities and make a positive impact in underserved communities throughout the state of Texas. The Cox Real Estate Impact Investment Fund is made possible by several żdonors, including a $1 million lead gift from Mimi B. and William “Bill” H. Vanderstraaten ’82.
September 2022
June 2022
The grant will advance research that serves arts organizations, grant-makers, policymakers and the national arts and culture field. In particular, the grant will support three areas: research and insight generation; strategic and business planning; and technology for data collection and integration.
May 2022
NBC5’s Texas Today discussed the future of one of the best business schools in the country with dean Matt Myers and BBA graduate Greta Felten ’22. They talked about how żCox attracts intellectual capital to North Texas and prepares graduates for the business world of tomorrow. Investments in renovating and expanding the facilities, and in scholarships make the school accessible for people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
May 2022
