The Meadows Foundation, Inc. pledged $45 million to SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and the Meadows Museum this month. This marks the single-largest gift in the University’s history.

“This year, as we celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the Meadows Museum and the centennial of SMU’s opening, we are honored to accept a gift that will continue this extraordinary partnership,” President R. Gerald Turner said in a press release.

According to Turner, SMU has had a long partnership with The Meadows Foundation that was initiated through Algur H. Meadows’ endowment of the Meadows School of the Arts and the creation of the Meadows Museum.

“The resulting collaboration has enhanced the lives of thousands of students, faculty and members of the local, regional and international communities,” Turner said in a press release.

The $45 million gift designates $25 million to support goals and programs at the Meadows Museum and $20 million to support the Meadow’s School of the Arts in its goal to lead the nation in arts education.

The $25 million gift to the Meadows Museum includes $13 million for exhibitions, education programs and initiatives, $6 million for acquisitions and $6 million for an acquisition challenge grant. The gift will also help the Museum expand relationships with international cultural institutions.

“As we celebrate the important role the Meadows Museum plays as an educational and cultural leader, we also honor the pivotal role the Meadows family and Foundation have played in the creation and incredible growth of the Museum,” said Mark A. Roglan, the Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum and Centennial Chair in Meadows School of the Arts in a press release.

The $20 million gift to the Meadows School of the Arts includes $12 million for facility enhancements, a $10 million challenge grant and $8 million for student and faculty recruitment, retention and strategic initiatives.

“This generous gift will help the Meadows School to maintain and continue its historic journey as a national model for arts education,” said Sam Holland, the Algur H. Meadows dean of the Meadows School of the Arts, in a press release.

Algur H. Meadaows and his wife, Virginia, created The Meadows Foundation in 1948 to benefit the people of Texas. The Foundation has donated more than $700 million in grants and direct charitable expenditure to more than 7,000 Texas institutions and agencies. With this commitment, The Meadows Foundation has provided more than $100 million to the University since 1995.

“This historic gift recognizes their remarkable transformations over the past two decades, as well as the talented leadership in place at SMU,” said Linda P. Evans, chairman and CEO of The Meadows Foundation in a press release.

The $42 million gift counts toward the $1 billion goal of SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign. The campaign has raised more than $942 million in gifts and pledges to date.

“This year, as we celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the Meadows Museum and the centennial of SMU’s opening, we are honored to accept a gift that will continue this extraordinary partnership,” Turner said in a press release.

SMU will formally announce this gift to the SMU and Dallas community Monday at 11 a.m. in the rotunda of Dallas Hall.