The O’Donnell Foundation, one of Dallas’ most generous and prolific benefactors, is donating $30 million to Southern Methodist University to create 10 endowed academic positions in data science and engineering and support related research.
SMU President R. Gerald Turner announced the gift Wednesday at a university faculty meeting. The money will be split evenly between the school’s newly named O’Donnell Data Science and Research Computing Institute and its initiative for digital innovation in engineering and computer science.
The foundation, created in 1957 by the late Peter O’Donnell Jr. and his late wife, Edith, long ago became one of Texas’ leading philanthropists by spearheading what’s been called “moon-shot advancements in math, science, computing and the arts.” For years, most of their gifts — which totaled $780 million, according to Peter O’Donnell’s published memoir — were anonymous.
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