Ware Commons
Integrity | Knowledge | Growth | Loyalty
Integritas in Perpetuum. Integrity without End.
It's Ware You Belong
Integrity | Knowledge | Growth | Loyalty
Integritas in Perpetuum. Integrity without End.
"Living in Ware was such a blessing: It provided me not just a house, but a home. Everyone here is so close and nice to one another. We are just a big family now. Whether you are outside, in the game room, or lounges, it's almost impossible not to make a new friend".
Trevor Foltz, Ware Emeritus
Conclave (Latin for “gathering”) is our first Ware tradition of the year shared among incoming Ware Fellows and Affiliates. The Conclave ceremony focuses on sharing the possibilities of the Ware community, including what it means to live according our motto, Integritas in Perpetuum. We have been honored in the past to have our namesake, Richard Ware; his wife, Katherine Harris; and his son, William Ware speak at Conclave. Following our presenters’ words of wisdom, incoming Ware Fellows and Affiliates are then pinned, commemorating them as new members of our community. The Conclave concludes as we enjoy a casual meal, celebrating the excitement of the upcoming academic year.
Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. The initiative is a long-term, university-wide commitment led by students to partner with local residents, organizations, and other leaders to positively impact the community. There is equal emphasis on campus and community impact stemming from the initiative.
In Ware Commons, we focus on Community Rebuilding as a community need in Dallas. Ware students address this by collaborating on service events and activities with local partners, Rebuilding Together North Texas, Empowering the Masses, and Frazier Revitalization, to directly help those most in need. Our students who serve gain a broader understanding of current social problems, build community with both the city and their peers, and can earn their Community Engagement and Civics & Individual Ethics proficiencies required for graduation. Engage Dallas cultivates unique and enriching experiences for SMU students to explore and serve Dallas!
Questions? Email your Ware Engage Dallas Student Director, Tuqa Abualsoud at tabualsoud@smu.edu.
Get a feel for all that Ware Commons has to offer by scrolling through the photo gallery or viewing the video. If you prefer, check it out for yourself by visiting campus, or take an online 360°room tour.
Community bath double room
Square footage ranges
Furniture dimensions
Richard Ware, our namesake, was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas. Mr. Ware attended SMU where he earned his B.B.A. and was the President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After receiving his M.B.A., Mr. Ware continued a family tradition by making his career in banking. He became the president of Amarillo National Bank in 1981. The bank is still family owned and operated, as it has been for the last five generations. Mr. Ware continues to support the SMU community through his role on the SMU Board of Trustees. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Board from 2006 to 2008. He was recognized with SMU's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008 and has been selected by the SMU student body multiple times as Outstanding Trustee of the Year. The Ware Family demonstrates a long-standing tradition of supporting SMU through remarkable generosity and involvement in areas which include student leadership, fraternity and sorority life, recreational activities and athletics. The Wares frequently attend traditions in our Commons, such as Conclave and Krewe du Ware. They love supporting our community and enjoy interacting with students.
Community abbreviations | Ware |
Building capacity | 256 |
Year built | 2014 |
Residential area | Southeast |
Physical address | 5807 Bush Avenue |
Room types | Singles and doubles |
Gender | Co-ed by gender by room |
Get to know the faculty, staff, and student leaders of Ware.
Faculty-in-Residence
Andrew Graybill was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and attended college and graduate school on the East Coast. After nearly a decade teaching at the University of Nebraska, he moved to Dallas in 2011 to become the Director of the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies and a professor of history at SMU. His academic work focuses on the nineteenth-century North American West, and he is the author or editor of four books. He also writes regularly for Texas Monthly Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, among other venues. He spends much of his free time with his kids—Fiona, a sophomore in MHPS, and Gavin, a high school freshman, and they love to travel, especially to Michigan, New Mexico, and Guatemala. Learn more about Dr. Graybill and his family.
Residential Community Director
Mal Williams is a California native who has since lived in Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising, Digital Media, & Public Relations from Xavier University and a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Elon University. She is passionate about supporting students through the hardships and joys that come along with the residential experience and navigating higher education. Mal loves being creative and doing lots of arts and crafts in her free time. She also enjoys exploring restaurants around the greater DFW area and hanging out with her cat, Socks.