The Meadows Foundation has pledged a total of $33 million to the Algur H. Meadows School of the Arts and its Meadows Museum, the largest single donation in the histories of the foundation and the university.

“This gift will provide that extra measure of excellence to an already nationally recognized arts school and university museum,” said Brad Cheves, SMU vice president for development and external affairs.

A large portion of the money, $25 million, will be used for Meadows Museum acquisitions, exhibitions, an educational curator position, an expanded educational program and special initiatives of museum director.

Mark Roglán was named museum director in January.

An additional $8 million will support the Meadows School of the Arts, specifically for faculty and student recruitment and enrichment.

“I think it’s significant that President Turner has said that our next campaign will be about programs and initiatives that benefit our student and faculty in the forms of endowments and scholarships,” Cheves said.

A portion of the funds is tied to maintenance and endowments, some of which will help maintain the visual arts wing after renovations are completed.

The Foundation’s decision follows a couple years of dialog between President R. Gerald Turner, Dean Carole Brandt and other administrators who have a role in the university’s strategic planning.

Provost Robert Blocker, a former dean of the school of music at Yale University, also provided insight and expertise to the process.

The Meadows Foundation, established in 1948 by Algur H. Meadows and his wife, Virginia Meadows, is a private philanthropic intuition to benefit the people of Texas.

It has given more than $580 million in grants and charitable expenditures to more than 2,000 Texas institutions and agencies.

In 1998, the Foundation gave SMU $20 million for the construction of the Meadows Museum, the largest gift at that time.

“It bodes well for the future, and I think it is an absolute endorsement of the strategic planning that has been shared wit the Foundation and continues with the faculty staff and administration across the university,” Cheves said.

A formal announcement will take place at 11 a.m. today in the Owens Arts Center of Meadows School of the Arts.