Remembering Edwin L. Cox, Sr. ’42
Trustee emeritus Edwin L. Cox Sr. ’42, a business icon noted for his vision, integrity and selfless spirit, died November 5, 2020, at the age of 99.
Carolyn and David B. Miller ’72, ’73 make $50 million commitment to SMU and the Cox School of Business
When former Mustang basketball standout David B. Miller ’72, ’73 and his wife, Carolyn, made the largest single alumni gift in SMU history, the Hilltop milestone made headlines in Dallas. Longtime business columnist Cheryl Hall ’73, who earned her journalism degree from the University, wrote about the publicity-shy couple for The Dallas Morning News. In this excerpt of the newspaper profile, their generous spirit and their love for family, community and SMU shine through. BY CHERYL HALL ’73 How does a guy who went to Southern Methodist University on a basketball scholarship strike it so rich that he can give his alma mater more than $100 million? He parlays the finance education that he earned at its Edwin L. Cox School of Business into co-founding one of the world’s largest private equity firms. And just how David B. Miller came to do that is one of those under-the-radar success tales that Dallas is so famous for. Miller and his wife, Carolyn, pictured at right, made headlines in October 2019 when they gave SMU $50 million — the biggest individual donation in the University’s 108-year history. The Millers’ moment in the spotlight was unusual for this Highland Park couple who have quietly given tens of millions of philanthropic dollars since 2006. The Miller name is already on the event center of Moody Coliseum and the floor of its basketball court, [...]
Latest Hart gift amplifies SMU’s impact on regional economic growth
The new Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship will build upon SMU’s existing expertise in business and engineering, create a new concept-to-prototype pipeline and provide the resources, inspiration and guidance students and faculty need to turn their business plans into viable enterprises.
To Our Readers: A Great Time To Be On The Hilltop
As the University makes final preparations for the arrival of new students and the start of fall classes August 21, I am more excited than ever about the opportunities ahead – for the Class of 2021 and for the University as a whole.
Welcoming SMU’s Olamaie Curtiss Graney Design Lab
The Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development dedicated in March the Olamaie Curtiss Graney Design Lab in Harold Simmons Hall.
Ana Rodriguez ’03 named director of Cox’s Latino Leadership Initiative
SMU Cox Executive Education welcomes a new director to take its four-year-old Latino Leadership Initiative to the next level. Ana Rodriguez ’03, an alumna of SMU Cox, brings nearly twenty years of experience in higher education, not for profit and corporate work.
Hal Brierley Helps Prepare The Next Generation Of Business Leaders
Hal Brierley has come a long way from starting a database marketing firm in 1969 in the basement of Dillon Hall at Harvard Business School. Brierley became well known as the only external consultant involved in the launch of American Airlines AAdvantage, the nation’s first frequent traveler program. He grew his firm Epsilon into an industry leader, and then spent 30 years building Brierley + Partners into a global leader in the design and management of customer loyalty programs. A $10 million gift to SMU from Brierley and his wife, Diane, created the Brierley Institute for Customer Engagement in Cox, the nation’s first academic institute devoted to study of the field.
Cox recognizes outstanding alumni
The Cox School of Business honored Distinguished Alumni Peter T. Dameris ’82, Kirk L. Rimer ’89 and Liz Youngblood ’05 along with Outstanding Young Alumni Amber Venz Box ’08, Baxter Box ’01 and Vik Thapar ’09 at its annual alumni awards luncheon on May 19.
SMU alumnus Mark Lau ’06: Finding a perfect fit at Nike
“I met Michael Jordan during the first week of my internship,” recalls Mark Lau ’06. “Right then I knew that Nike was the place I wanted to work.” Now global director of the company’s EKIN Experience, Lau stays in touch with fellow Mustangs as co-president of SMU’s Portland alumni chapter.
SMU alumni honored by Cox School of Business
The SMU Cox School of Business honored Distinguished Alumni – Peter T. Dameris, BBA ’82; Kirk L. Rimer, MBA ’89; and Liz Youngblood, MBA ’05 – and Outstanding Young Alumni – Amber Venz Box, BA ’09; Baxter Box, MBA ’11; and Vik Thapar, MBA ’09 – at its annual awards luncheon on May 19.