Celebrating 30 Years of Community Impact

Visionary Leadership and Education. 

Learn about the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility through the years.

May 1995: Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility founded

The Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility was established in 1995 following several years of planning by visionary SMU faculty and leadership. Dr. William F. May was appointed the Center’s first director and the inaugural holder of the Cary M. Maguire University Chair in Ethics, launching programs that continue to shape the Center’s mission today.

That same year, the Center was formally funded through a $2.5 million endowment from its namesake, Cary M. Maguire. University leaders—including then-Provost Ruth Morgan, President ad interim James Kirby, and President Gerald Turner—envisioned the Center as a hub for intentional reflection and ethical inquiry, grounded in the belief that addressing society’s most pressing challenges requires thoughtful moral engagement.

In June 1995, the Center’s charter was published, formally outlining its mission, objectives, organizational structure, and activities, marking the official foundation of the Center as a permanent institution at SMU.

February 5, 1996: Dr. James Hopkins Delivers First Maguire Public Scholar Lecture

The Maguire Center created the Maguire Scholar Program to highlight the work of SMU and regional faculty and to encourage scholars to engage ethical issues in ways accessible to a public audience. The program was intentionally designed to avoid functioning solely as a host for outside speakers, instead prioritizing faculty whose scholarship could inform public discussion and connect academic research to civic life.

The inaugural Maguire Scholar lecture was delivered by Associate Professor James Hopkins of the SMU History Department, whose work exemplified the program’s goals. Hopkins’s lecture, “The Rise and Fall of the Public Intellectual,” examined the diminishing role of scholars in public discourse and the ethical implications of that shift. By addressing how intellectuals engage—or withdraw from—public life, Hopkins set a clear tone for the series: rigorous scholarship presented in a form intended to reach audiences beyond the academy. 

May 1996: Maguire Public Fellowship Program Established

The Maguire Center’s Public Service Fellowship program was created to provide essential gap funding for students pursuing public service and ethics-related work that financial circumstances might otherwise make inaccessible. The Public Service Fellowship program began by funding paid summer positions for SMU students engaged in public service and ethics-related research.

Undergraduate students were compensated at $7 per hour and graduate students at $10 per hour, typically completing between 120 and 200 hours of service or research. Early Fellows worked with organizations such as the American Diabetes Association in Houston, the Jeffries Street Learning Center in Dallas, the SMU Law School Criminal Justice Clinic, and the ProBAR Asylum Representation Project in Harlingen, Texas. This hourly, service-based funding model later evolved into today’s Maguire Public Service Fellowship, which now provides fixed summer stipends of $2,000 for undergraduate students and $2,400 for graduate students who complete 200 or more hours of public service or ethics-related research with nonprofit organizations, research institutions, and community partners worldwide.

February 1997: First J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award Presented to Curtis Meadows

The Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility established the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award to honor individuals who epitomize moral leadership, public virtue, and a sustained commitment to the public good. Named in honor of J. Erik Jonsson, the public-spirited former mayor of Dallas, the award reflects the belief that liberty alone cannot sustain a thriving society without public virtue—understood as a willingness to place community needs above self-interest.

The inaugural J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award was presented to Curtis Meadows, former president of the Meadows Foundation, recognizing his leadership and ethical contributions within the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. From its inception, the award was designed to celebrate leaders whose careers merit recognition, emulation, and public acknowledgment, grounding the Center’s work in lived examples of ethical responsibility.

June 1, 1998: Richard O. Mason Appointed Center Director

Following the completion of Dr. William F. May’s three-year term as founding director, Richard O. Mason was appointed Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility on June 1, 1998. Mason, who held the Carr P. Collins Distinguished Chair of Management Information Sciences at SMU’s Cox School of Business, brought a scholarly focus on the ethical and social implications of technology and information systems.

Prior to his appointment, Mason served on the Center’s Faculty Advisory Committee and co-chaired its major public conference on media ethics. His leadership reflected the Center’s continued emphasis on interdisciplinary ethics, public engagement, and addressing emerging moral questions at the intersection of technology, business, and society.

May 1999: Irby Family Public Service Fellowship Endowment Established

SMU received a $50,000 gift from the Elizabeth M. Irby Foundation to establish a new endowment supporting the Maguire Center’s Public Service Fellowship program. The endowment was created to provide financial support for one or two students each year to pursue public service or ethics-related work through the Fellowship, helping expand access to opportunities that might otherwise be financially out of reach.

This gift strengthened the Center’s long-term commitment to student engagement in public service and helped formalize sustained funding for what would become a cornerstone of the Maguire Center’s student-facing programming.

October 5, 2000: Maguire Center Brings National Voices to Campus for Sports Ethics Conference

Amid growing concern about the pressures placed on collegiate athletes, the Maguire Center convened a public conference focused on the ethical dimensions of college sports. The Welfare of the College Student-Athlete: Ethical Perspectives drew more than 150 attendees and examined how competitive culture, media influence, and institutional priorities shape the lives and well-being of student-athletes.

The conference featured prominent voices from athletics, journalism, law, and ethics, including NCAA President Dr. Cedric Dempsey, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, and nationally recognized scholars and commentators. Through keynote remarks and panel discussions, participants explored questions of exploitation, accountability, and fairness in intercollegiate athletics. Dedicated to the memory of Tom Landry, a member of the Ethics Center Advisory Board, the event underscored the Maguire Center’s role as a convener of serious ethical inquiry at the intersection of sport and public responsibility.

March 27, 2002: National Leaders Gather at SMU to Examine the Ethics of the War on Terror

In the immediate aftermath of September 11, as the United States grappled with how to confront terrorism without abandoning its moral foundations, the Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility stepped into the national conversation. Partnering with SMU’s John G. Tower Center for Political Studies, the Center convened a major conference examining the ethical dilemmas raised by America’s emerging War on Terror.

The event brought together nationally and internationally recognized voices in ethics, religion, and global politics, including Charles E. Curran, J. Bryan Hehir, Stephen Krasner, Joseph S. Nye, and Albert Pierce. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger delivered the keynote address, confronting the unprecedented challenges of a world in which terrorism, unlike Cold War adversaries, was not constrained by survival or deterrence.

Held on the SMU campus, the conference drew an audience of roughly 500 and positioned the Maguire Center as a serious forum for moral reflection at a moment when ethical clarity was anything but obvious. The program earned public praise from The Dallas Morning News, which applauded SMU for hosting a “blockbuster conference” that elevated ethical inquiry during one of the most consequential periods in modern American foreign policy.

March 4, 2003: Constitutional Scholar Michael J. Perry Named the First Maguire Scholar-in-Residence

Legal scholar Michael J. Perry, a nationally recognized authority on constitutional law and religious freedom, was selected as the inaugural Maguire Scholar-in-Residence. During his time on campus, Perry engaged with faculty, students, and advisory groups before delivering a public lecture examining the balance between the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. His lecture explored how religious language and belief operate in public discourse and where constitutional boundaries are drawn. By bringing scholarly expertise directly into the classroom and public forum, the Scholar-in-Residence initiative reinforced the Center’s mission to connect ethical reflection with real-world legal and civic challenges.

February 5, 2004: ExxonMobil Lecture Series Examines Ethics in Advertising and Media

As corporate trust and accountability became pressing public concerns in the early 2000s—amid high-profile business scandals and growing scrutiny of corporate influence—the ethical responsibilities of media and advertising came sharply into focus. In response, a new public forum emerged at SMU to examine how persuasion, credibility, and ethics intersect in the marketplace.

Through a grant from ExxonMobil, SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute established the ExxonMobil Lecture Series on media, advertising, and corporate ethics. The series’ second annual event featured a high-profile panel discussion titled Advertising Ethics: A Call to Reason, bringing together senior leaders from the advertising industry and national media organizations, including representatives from the National Advertising Review Council, the American Advertising Federation, and The Wall Street Journal.

Hosted on the SMU campus and co-sponsored by the Dallas Ad League and the SMU Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the event reinforced the importance of ethical leadership in shaping public trust. By convening influential voices from business and media, the program highlighted the Maguire Center’s expanding role in addressing applied ethics beyond traditional academic settings—where real-world decisions carry real-world consequences.

June 1, 2005: Tom Mayo Appointed to Lead the Maguire Ethics Center

Dr. Tom Mayo was named director of the Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, bringing nationally recognized expertise in health law and medical ethics to the Center’s leadership. Mayo held dual appointments at SMU’s Dedman School of Law and UT Southwestern Medical School, where he taught courses in bioethics and professionalism. Beyond the classroom, he served on—and chaired—hospital ethics committees across Dallas, contributed to complex medical decision-making cases, and co-founded the Dallas Legal Hospice, Texas’s first pro bono legal clinic for individuals with AIDS and terminal illnesses. His work consistently bridged ethical theory and real-world practice.

As director, Mayo articulated a vision focused on expanding collaboration across SMU’s schools, strengthening community partnerships, and deepening the Center’s engagement with applied ethics in Dallas and beyond.

October 20, 2006: Maguire Ethics Center Marks 10th Anniversary with Conference on Domestic Surveillance

Guarding the Guardians: The Ethics and Law of Domestic Surveillance, brought together campus and community members together to examine privacy, national security, and the limits of government power in the post-9/11 era. The conference marked the Center’s 10th anniversary and honored the career and retirement of former director Dr. Richard O. Mason, whose scholarship focused on information ethics and emerging technologies. Featuring keynote addresses and panels with leaders in law, ethics, technology, and public policy, the event explored what Americans may legitimately expect of their intelligence agencies. The conference concluded with a celebratory reception and dinner recognizing Dr. Mason’s nearly 50-year career, with more than 100 attendees from the SMU and Dallas communities.

September 13, 2007: Bhakti Yoga Club and Maguire Center Co-Hosts Lecture on Leadership with Romapada Swami

Students, faculty, and visitors gathered for Leadership in the Modern Age: The Spiritual Dimension, a lecture that challenged conventional ideas of leadership and authority. Co-sponsored by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility and the SMU Bhakti Yoga Club, the program featured remarks by Romapada Swami, who drew on Eastern philosophy and ancient Indian texts to frame leadership as a practice rooted in humility, balance, and service to others. The lecture emphasized ethical discipline, self-reflection, and trust as foundations of effective leadership and concluded with a discussion on applying these principles in everyday life.

March 6, 2008: Maguire Center Welcomes SMU Law Alumni to Discuss Landmark Second Amendment Case

Two SMU’s Dedman School of Law alumni returned to the Hilltop for a lecture sponsored by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility examining a landmark Second Amendment case. Attorneys Carl Cecere and Cara Foos Pierce discussed their involvement in District of Columbia v. Heller, one of the most significant Supreme Court cases of the 2007 term. The conversation explored the ethical and legal challenges surrounding constitutional interpretation, the Court’s role in defining the right to bear arms, and the broader, evolving impact of gun rights on American culture. 

March 25, 2009: Lecture Examines Cultural Conservation in Post-Conflict Afghanistan

A lecture on cultural preservation and ethical responsibility in conflict zones brought global urban conservation issues to campus through Saving a Garden in the Midst of War. The program featured Ajmal Maiwandi, who discussed post-conflict rehabilitation efforts in Afghanistan, including work at historic sites such as Bagh-e Babur in Kabul and the Timur Shah Mausoleum in Herat. Co-sponsored by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the SMU-in-Taos Program, and the Department of Anthropology, the event examined the moral and cultural stakes of rebuilding cities amid war and political instability. 

October 14, 2010: 25th Conference of the Professions Examines the Ethics of Humor in Professional Life

Representatives from law, medicine, and the clergy gathered for the 25th annual Conference of the Professions, a long-running interdisciplinary forum addressing shared ethical challenges across professional fields. The 2010 conference, themed “A lawyer, a priest, and a doctor walk into a bar… The Ethics of Humor in the Professions,” examined the role of humor within professional practice. Organized in collaboration with SMU’s Dedman School of Law and Perkins School of Theology, and supported by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility alongside regional professional organizations, the program featured a keynote address by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Phillip Freeman, M.D., D.M.H.

June 1, 2011: Dr. Rita Kirk Named Director of the Maguire Ethics Center

Dr. Rita Kirk was named Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility in January 2011, becoming the Center’s fourth—and current—Director. Later appointed the William F. May Endowed Director, she expanded the Center’s public programming and deepened its focus on student engagement.

A professor of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at SMU, Dr. Kirk is a communication strategist whose work centers on public argument analysis and the ethical implementation of communication campaigns. She served for 16 years as an on-air analyst for CNN and other news outlets during presidential elections and major political events, and continues to consult with national and multinational organizations on public policy and leadership. The author of five books and numerous articles, her research focuses on election integrity and the politics of trust. In 2023–2024, she served as a Visiting Fellow at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, researching system trust.

November 7, 2012: Veterans Day Luncheon Honors Military Service and Community Support

SMU honored U.S. military veterans with a Veterans Day Luncheon held in the Martha Proctor Mack Grand Ballroom at the Umphrey Lee Center. The program featured a keynote address by U.S. Navy Admiral Patrick Walsh and included a campus-wide effort to support Toys for Tots, with students and community members collecting toys and care packages for active-duty service members. Sponsored by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility in partnership with the Office of the Provost, Central University Libraries, and the Division of Student Affairs, the event highlighted civic responsibility, service, and respect for those who have served.

March 1, 2013: Philosopher Shelly Kagan Explores the Ethics of Death and Well-Being

A packed audience of students and faculty gathered for Why Is Death Bad for You?, a lecture by Yale philosopher Shelly Kagan that examined how we understand death, harm, and human well-being. Presented by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility in collaboration with the SMU Philosophy Department, the talk opened a wide-ranging discussion on whether death should be considered a harm to the person who dies. The event also included an advanced workshop on the philosophy of well-being held as part of the Hughes–Trigg Forum, featuring scholars from Duke University and Coe College. Kagan’s lecture became one of the Ethics Center’s most widely viewed programs, later gaining significant reach through YouTube.

February 6, 2014: Goals for Dallas Program Highlights Ethical Leadership and Civic Vision

Civic, student, and business leaders gathered for Goals for Dallas: The Impact of Ethical Leadership, a program reflecting on how ethical decision-making shapes the long-term direction of cities and communities. Goals for Dallas was a long-term civic initiative launched by former Mayor J. Erik Jonsson to guide Dallas’s growth through shared priorities in public service, business development, education, and ethical civic leadership. The event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the initiative and featured a keynote by former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who outlined future priorities for the city.

February 26, 2015: Ethics Center Partners with Edelman to Examine Trust in Business and Media

The Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility partnered with Edelman and the Dallas Regional Chamber to convene business and civic leaders for a breakfast discussion on the newly released Edelman Trust Barometer, a global survey examining trust in business, government, media, and innovation. Featuring insights from Edelman Global Chief Operating Officer Matt Harrington, the conversation explored declining institutional trust, the rise of digital media and search engines as trusted information sources, and the ethical responsibilities organizations face in rebuilding trust through integrity, transparency, and engagement.

May 3, 2016: Tipping the Scales Conference Confronts Children’s Health Inequities

More than 400 leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors convened for Tipping the Scales for Children: From Ethics to Action to Wellbeing, a conference focused on the ethical, social, and policy dimensions of children’s health in Dallas County. Presented by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility in partnership with The Cooper Institute, the program examined issues ranging from childhood obesity and food insecurity to education, community design, and national security. Held at the George W. Bush Presidential Institute on SMU’s campus, the conference brought national and local leaders together to set actionable goals aimed at improving health outcomes for children and strengthening long-term community wellbeing.

December 16, 2016: William F. May Director Endowment Secures Center’s Leadership

A $2 million gift from Cary M. Maguire endowed the Center’s directorship in honor of founding director William F. May, providing long-term financial stability for the Center’s leadership and ensuring sustained support for its mission. The endowment strengthened the Center’s capacity to plan beyond annual funding cycles and invest consistently in programming, research, and student engagement. Dr. Rita Kirk was the first to hold the William F. May Endowed Director title.

September 19, 2017: Olympic Champion Shares Lessons on Values and Ethics

Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin joined the Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethics at SMU as the 2017 featured speaker, reflecting on discipline, resilience, and character beyond competition. Presented in partnership with the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Delta Gamma, the lecture connected elite athletic achievement to ethical decision-making, leadership, and responsibility off the mat. The annual lectureship, established in 1992, highlights how values shape lives across professions and public life.

September 25, 2018: SMUVotes! Mobilizes Student Civic Participation

Developed by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, SMUVotes! launched as a nonpartisan campus initiative to demystify voter registration and address historically low student turnout, in partnership with the Dallas County Elections Office on National Voter Registration Day. The event registered more than 200 students—far exceeding its original goal—and helped spark sustained civic engagement, leading to more than 30 additional voter registration efforts across campus.

October 2, 2019: Arthur Brooks presents on his book Love Your Enemies at SMU

In partnership with SMU’s Simmons School of Education & Human Development and the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Maguire Center welcomed Dr. Arthur C. Brooks to campus for a timely lecture on polarization, moral courage, and the ethical responsibility to engage across difference. Brooks, a New York Times best-selling author, drew from his book Love Your Enemies to examine how a culture of contempt undermines public life—and how choosing empathy and disciplined disagreement can help rebuild trust.

February 26, 2020: Certificate Program Trains Professionals in Ethics and Compliance

The Certificate in Ethics and Compliance brought together professionals from industry, government, and nonprofit organizations for two intensive days of instruction focused on ethical decision-making, risk management, and organizational responsibility. Developed in partnership with SMU’s Cox School of Business, Dedman School of Law, and the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the program combined faculty-led sessions, industry expertise, and case-based discussion to prepare participants for higher levels of leadership and accountability.

August 10, 2021: Founder Cary M. Maguire, Sr. Passes Away

Cary M. Maguire, Sr., trustee emeritus and former member of the SMU Board of Trustees, passed away after a lifetime of leadership and service. As the founder of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, Maguire established a lasting institutional commitment to ethical reflection, public responsibility, and civic leadership at SMU. His vision shaped the Center’s mission and ensured that ethics would remain a central and enduring part of the University’s work.

October 13, 2022: The Maguire Ethics Center advances research on healthcare and human flourishing

The Maguire Ethics Center convened an interdisciplinary research cluster focused on healthcare and human flourishing, bringing together scholars from ethics, theology, medicine, and the health sciences to examine compassion, professionalism, and moral responsibility in healthcare. Centered on Joshua Hordern’s work Compassion in Healthcare, the group met regularly for collaborative discussion and concluded with a public lecture and new partnership development, expanding the Center’s role as a hub for ethical inquiry at the intersection of healthcare and the humanities.

June 2023: Dr. Bosco Corrales Trillo joins Maguire Center as Summer 2023 Visiting Scholar

In Summer 2023, the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, in collaboration with the John G. Tower Center, welcomed Bosco Corrales Trillo to campus as a visiting scholar. An assistant professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of Valencia, Dr. Corrales contributed to faculty and student discussions on moral obligation, asylum, and refugee ethics, and delivered a public lecture examining the ethical responsibilities of states toward displaced populations—advancing the Center’s ongoing work at the intersection of ethics and global public policy.

October 27, 2023: Founding Director William F. May Passes Away

The Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility honors William F. May, a nationally respected scholar whose influence reached far beyond SMU. In addition to founding and leading the Maguire Center, Dr. May held senior academic appointments at Indiana University, Georgetown University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics, and Smith College, served as president of the American Academy of Religion, and helped shape the fields of medical, religious, and bioethics through his teaching, writing, and public service. His scholarship and leadership continue to inform ethical inquiry in higher education, healthcare, public policy, and civic life.

October 15, 2024: Students Examine Media Ethics with Industry Leaders

The Maguire Center convened students and journalists from The Dallas Morning News for a candid conversation on transparency, accountability, and public trust in journalism. Featuring Public Editor Stephen Buckley and CEO Grant Moise, the discussion explored how editorial decisions are made, how trust is earned and re-earned, and the ethical responsibilities news organizations face in an era of disinformation, financial pressure, and public skepticism—placing students at the center of a critical dialogue about the future of media.

May 15, 2025: SMU Secures National Grant to Advance Character Education

The Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility was selected as one of just 42 institutions nationwide to receive a competitive Capacity-Building Grant from the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University. The $40,400 award launched a year-long, campus-wide effort to strengthen how ethics, character, and public responsibility are integrated into the SMU student experience. Through collaborative conversations with students, faculty, and staff, the initiative focused on identifying shared values, aligning existing programs, and developing a common framework to guide character education across academic and co-curricular spaces.