Dedman College’s English department recently received a $3.3 million gift from the late Catherine Perrine, the widow of former English professor Laurence Perrine, who taught at SMU for 34 years. While at SMU, Perrine served as the E.A. Lilly and Daisy Deane Frensley Professor of English literature before retiring in 1980 as the Frensley Professor Emeritus. In 1988, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from SMU.

“The Perrines have been an integral part of the university family for many years,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner said in a public affairs article. “Through his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Perrine enriched the lives of SMU students over three decades, and Mrs. Perrine assured that his legacy will continue through her generous bequest. Planned giving, such as this, enables individuals to leave a lasting legacy to benefit future generations of students.”

The money donated will be split among the department, with $1.5 million going toward the creation of the Laurence and Catherine Perrine Endowed Chair in English, which will provide support for a faculty position exclusively for creative writing. One million dollars will also be used to found the Laurence and Catherine Perrine Endowed President’s Scholarship Fund to support at least two President’s Scholars. The remaining money will be used as scholarships and will create the Perrine Endowed University Scholarship Fund. Students who receive the scholarships will be acknowledged as Perrine Scholars in English.

“It’s a wonderful, exciting gift,” associate professor and director of the creative writing program David Haynes said. “It’s going to be used to create a new chair for the creative writing program, which is very exciting. We don’t know who it will be, but it will be somebody new. Any time you bring someone new in, they bring their own energy and unique vision. It will be something good.”

Haynes said he hopes the scholarships will attract students majoring in creative writing, which was added to the English program in 1975.

“We also hope that in addition to drawing new students, it will be an opportunity to support students who are already creative writing majors,” Haynes said.

During his career, Perrine wrote several textbooks for his classes. “Sound and Sense,” which he wrote as an introduction and guide for reading poetry, remains in print and is used nationwide.

“Whole generations of young people can attribute their enjoyment and understanding of literature to Laurence Perrine,” Interim Dedman Dean Caroline Brettell said in a public affairs article. “His influence continues through this generous bequest, which will enable the Department of English to strengthen its creative writing program with a new endowed faculty position and allow Dedman College to attract some of the nation’s brightest students through additional scholarship opportunities.”