SMU Receives Largest Gifts in University History

SMU President R. Gerald Turner has confirmed that Dallas business leader and SMU trustee Ray L. Hunt and his wife, Nancy Ann, have made a $35 million commitment to SMU, the largest single gift in the University’s history, just topping the recent $33 million record donation given to the University by The Meadows Foundation this spring. 

Both gifts will be considered part of the next SMU major gifts campaign, now in it's planning stages. As the campaign nears public kick-off, a major part of the Hunt gift will be designated for an academic initiative. The initiative is currently yet to be determined, but it will be announced as the campaign goes public. “We have just completed our new University strategic plan, which will help us work with our donors in designating gifts for priority academic projects,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

The $33 million gift includes $25 million to support goals and programs of the Meadows Museum, housing one of the finest collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. These funds will be used for acquisitions, exhibitions, an educational curator position, an expanded educational program, and special initiatives of the museum director. Included in the $25 million is a $5 million challenge grant to match dollar-for-dollar new gifts for acquisition of additional works of art for the collection. The gift also designates $8 million for the Meadows School of the Arts, specifically to support faculty and student recruitment and enrichment, as well as to maintain the school’s facilities.

 "This gift...clearly reflects the confidence we have in SMU’s vision for the Meadows School of the Arts and the Meadows Museum. The grant is specifically designed to provide the margin of excellence to enable the school and the museum to be the very best and to broaden their outreach to the community,” said Linda P. Evans, president and CEO of The Meadows Foundation.

“This remarkable gift reflects the historic partnership between SMU and The Meadows Foundation that has resulted in a museum and arts school of international distinction. Together they have inspired countless students and enriched the broader community for four decades,” said Turner.

With this new gift, total giving to SMU by the Meadows family and Foundation exceeds $97 million in original gift value (the value of the transactions at the time they were made). Current estimates of the value of the artwork alone well exceed $100 million.

“Algur Meadows envisioned a community of artists as an integral part of SMU, with students and faculty who contribute to society through the arts,” said Robert Blocker, SMU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “True to his vision and the values of The Meadows Foundation, SMU remains committed to providing the finest education in the arts and to preparing cultural leaders for our global society.”

With these two unprecedented gifts pledged to SMU, there Turner is confident the future of the University's next campaign looks bright. “Ray L. Hunt was a key figure in the success of SMU’s last campaign, serving as a co-chair and, with Nancy Ann, providing generous support for a new scholarship program,” Turner said. “We are fortunate that he will also play a leading role in our next campaign, and that part of the Hunts’ new gift will fund another project that will enhance academic quality.”

The Meadows Foundation gift and the Hunts’ gift to SMU become the first major commitments to the upcoming campaign. “The generosity of these visionary donors will help us to make dramatic progress as we launch a campaign that will significantly alter the academic profile of the University,” Turner said.

Patti LaSalle
Associate Vice President and
Executive Director of Public Affairs

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