$1 million gift from Janet and Craig Duchossois to establish endowed professorship in SMU’s Cox School of Business

DALLAS (SMU) — A gift of $1 million from two SMU alumni will establish the Janet and Craig Duchossois Endowed Professorship in Management and Organizations in SMU’s Cox School of Business.

“We are deeply grateful to Janet and Craig Duchossois for supporting their alma mater with this generous gift,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “As leaders in their professions and communities, they know that organizational management and efficiency are key concerns facing corporations and other types of institutions. Strengthening Cox’s program in this area of increasing importance will add to the stature and impact of the School, its faculty and its graduates.”

The Cox School of Business ranks among the top business schools nationally and globally, according to leading publications such as Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist and Forbes.

“The Department of Management and Organizations in the Cox School offers students tools to succeed in a globally competitive environment,” said Cox Dean Albert Niemi. “The increased faculty strength provided by this new professorship will enable more students to develop skills that help prepare them for future leadership in the business world.”

  Janet and Craig Duchossois earned B.B.A. degrees from SMU’s business school in 1966 and 1967, respectively. Craig also earned an M.B.A. degree from SMU in 1968. While at SMU, Janet was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, the Student Senate and the Fashion Committee. She was named a Rotunda Beauty and Outstanding Business Woman.

Craig was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and received the AFA-AFROTC Award for Outstanding Senior Cadet. After graduating, he spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including service in Vietnam. They now reside in Chicago.

Craig Duchossois is the CEO of The Duchossois Group, Inc.  The company’s operating business deals with commercial and residential access control.

Craig Duchossois was honored in 2002 with the Cox School’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

“In developing our careers, we both benefited greatly from the education we received in SMU’s business school,” said Craig Duchossois. “We are pleased to be able to pass those benefits on to future generations of students by further strengthening the outstanding faculty of the Cox School, particularly in preparing students to deal with challenges facing tomorrow’s business leaders.”

In addition to establishing the new professorship, Craig and Janet Duchossois have supported SMU with other gifts to the Cox School of Business, SMU’s Annual Fund and the Parent Fund. One of their daughters, Shallan Duchossois Hazelwood, graduated from SMU in 1995. Their other daughter, Ashley Duchossois Joyce, holds degrees from the University of Colorado and the University of Chicago.

Both Craig and Janet Duchossois provide leadership service to their community and beyond. He serves on the boards of the Culver Educational Foundation, University of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. He is vice chair of the Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Trustees. He is a past chair of the Board of Visitors for the U.S. Naval Academy.

Janet Duchossois previously owned an interior design and home furnishings business. She serves on the board of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago. She also has served on the board of the Field Museum in Chicago.

In 2011 the Duchossois family received the American Cancer Society’s Medal of Honor for their contributions to research and care of cancer patients and their families.

“Establishment of the Duchossois Endowed Professorship moves SMU closer to its goal of achieving 110 endowed faculty positions by the end of the Second Century Campaign,” said Brad Cheves, SMU vice president for Development and External Affairs. “The support of loyal alumni such as Janet and Craig Duchossois is a major factor in the campaign’s success.”

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SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign, launched in 2008, is the largest fundraising effort in the University’s history, with a goal of $1 billion. To date, it has raised more than $902 million to support student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience. The campaign coincides with SMU’s celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the University’s founding in 1911 and its opening in 1915.