SMU receives more than $4M for Tower Scholars program

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The Tower Scholars Program received more than $4 million in endowments, including $2 million from Highland Capital Management.

Southern Methodist University’s Tower Scholars Program received more than $4 million in endowments thanks to Highland Capital Management and other charitable foundations.

Highland donated $2 million to the program through the Highland Capital Management Endowed Tower Scholars Program Fund. Ten sophomore students will be chosen each year, starting this fall, to take part in the program.

“This is the first time we’ve received a gift from Highland,” said Robin Maness, executive director for principal gifts at SMU. “We want them to be engaged as much as they want to be associated with the program.”

Participants will study domestic and foreign affairs, national security and defense and international political economy, finishing with a minor in public policy and international affairs.

The Hamon Charitable Foundation donated $1 million toJake L. HamonEndowed Internship Program in the Tower Scholars Program Fund. A $1 million gift from the Berry R. Cox Family Foundation will also support the program and give operational support.

Additionally, the program received $400,000 from various other sources that will help the Tower Scholars Program operate before the endowments fully mature.

“Obviously this is a very exciting program for SMU and this endowment will help support the activities with it through travel, research and more,” Maness said.

The Tower Scholars Program is part of SMU’s John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies, created in honor of the late U.S. SenatorJohn Tower. It educates students from middle school through post-doctorate and provides them with hands-on research in domestic and foreign policy. Classes, seminars and public lectures are also offered to the public through the center.

Tower attended graduate school at SMU, receiving a Master of Arts degree in 1953, and served in the U.S. Senate from 1961 to 1985, defeating incumbent William Blakley for the seat in a special election following Lyndon B. Johnson's election as vice president in the John F. Kennedy administration. Tower died in 1991 in a plane crash near Brunswick, Georgia, along with his daughter, Marian, astronaut Sonny Carter and 20 other people.

by Korri Kezar