Celebrating a $4 million gift to SMU-in-Taos from Rita and Bill Clements (center) this past summer were (left) Mike Adler, executive director of SMU-in-Taos, and President R. Gerald Turner.
A$4 million gift from former Texas Governor William P. Clements Jr. (’39) and his wife, Rita, will enable the SMU-in-Taos program to offer classes in the fall, beginning next year.
The Clements’ recent gift is the latest in a long history of support from the couple. When he was chair of SMU’s Board of Governors in 1964, Clements helped the University begin the process of acquiring the property at the former site of Fort Burgwin that became SMU-in-Taos.
Through the years, Bill and Rita Clements have contributed more than $21 million for the University’s academic programs and facilities, including their support of SMU-in-Taos. A gift of $10 million in 1994 endowed the William P. Clements Department of History, began a Ph.D. program in history and established the Clements Center for Southwest Studies. Other gifts include $1 million to establish the Betty Clements Professorship in Applied Mathematics in honor of Clements’ sister and funds for renovation of a building renamed Clements Hall.
The SMU-in-Taos project includes new and renovated student and faculty housing, state-of-the-art technology and a new student center. Fall semester classes will be offered for the first time, in addition to the summer terms. The goal is to accommodate 70 students for fall 2009; about 300 students participate in summer courses.
Other donors have given more than $850,000 to support the student housing portion of the project. They include Dallasites Roy and Janis Coffee, Roland (’69) and Maurine (’67) Dickey, Richard T. (’61) and Jenny Mullen, Caren H. Prothro and Steve (’70) and Marcy (’69) Sands; Jo Ann Geurin Pettus (’69) of Graham, Texas; and Richard Ware (’68) and William J. Ware (’02) of Amarillo, Texas.
Additional funds are being sought for the planned improvements. For more information, e-mail Allison Curran, associate director, Alumni Outreach, or call 214-768-4739.