A new gift from The Crain Foundation will enhance the SMU campus with a pedestrian walkway linking the Hughes-Trigg Student Center on the north with the new Residential Commons complex to be built on the southern end of the campus.
The Crain Family Centennial Promenade will add a highly visible and convenient passageway to sites including the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Moody Coliseum, Collins Executive Education Center and Blanton Student Services Building.
“Crain family members have long-standing ties to SMU, and we are grateful for their vision and generosity in providing this beautiful addition to the campus,” says President R. Gerald Turner. “The Crain Family Centennial Promenade will serve as an appropriate capstone to new construction taking place now and into 2015, when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of SMU’s opening.
“In addition to the quality of SMU’s programs, the beauty of our campus is a major attraction to prospective students,” Turner adds. “The addition of this promenade makes the campus more pedestrian-friendly, an attribute that helps build a sense of community.”
SMU maintains a special place in the hearts of the Crains, with family ties to the University spanning three generations.
The Crain Foundation previously provided funds for construction of a fountain on the plaza in front of the Blanton Student Services Building, which opened in 2003. The Crain Fountain serves as a focal point at the intersection of SMU Boulevard and Airline Road.
The Crain Foundation gift counts toward the $750 million goal of SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign, which to date has raised more than $610 million to support student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience. The campaign coincides with SMU’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the University’s founding in 1911 and its opening in 1915.
Members of the SMU community – alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends – may participate in the centennial commemoration by contributing $100 toward pavers for the Crain Family Centennial Promenade. The pavers will be customized with wording specified by each donor.
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