Scott-Hawkins Lecture Fund

In 1917, Elmer Scott founded The Civic Federation of Dallas as a community-wide social service agency. Under Mr. Scott’s leadership, the Federation presented lectures, socials, dramas, and musical evenings. When the Federation was dissolved in 1958, the board of directors assigned its assets to SMU and asked that the annual income be used for the Scott-Hawkins Lectures. Gaynell Hawkins was a 1917 graduate of SMU. Upon graduation, she began working for the Civic Federation, first as research secretary and later educational director. She moved on to other projects in 1940 and upon her retirement in 1965 she received the SMU Woman of Achievement Award.

The DCII now administers the Scott-Hawkins Lecture Fund, which provides financial support for speaker events organized by SMU faculty. The DCII particularly welcomes proposals for events that can appeal to a broad interdisciplinary audience of students and faculty. Applicants are expected to seek additional sources of funding to match the amount requested from the Scott-Hawkins Fund.

Fall Semester 2026 Scott-Hawkins Events:

Pakistan's Muhajirs: Nationalism, Migration, and Ethnicity in the Wake of 1947 Partition

On Thursday, October 8th at 3:30pm, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology Tahir Naqvi, of Trinity University, will present groundbreaking research on the Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), a political movement that transformed the cities of southern Pakistan and whose politics speak to the legacies of Partition, the rise of military dictatorship, and the dynamics of urbanization and democracy in South Asia. This event is sponsored by the SMU Religious Studies Department, Asian Studies Program, and funded with help from the Scott-Hawkins Lecture Fund.

Building Flourishing City Arts Ecosystems

The event explores what it takes to build flourishing arts ecosystems at the local level. Bringing together voices from across the sector, this panel will examine how sustained public and private investment, cross-sector partnerships, and the diversification of cultural organizations create cultural life that is resilient, broadly accessible, and able to sustain itself beyond any single funder or institution. Attendees will walk away with a sharper framework for what it actually takes, structurally and practically, to build lasting cultural vitality in their communities.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Lecture: 6:00–7:00 p.m. CT
Reception: 7:00–8:00 p.m. CT
O'Donnell Hall, Owen Arts Center
Southern Methodist University

Registration: https://luma.com/ssgm7cex

Organizer: Jen Benoit-Bryan, PhD

Scott-Hawkins Lecture Fund