A $7.5 million gift from Jane R. and Pat S. Bolin, BA ’73, to SMU Cox School of Business will foster collaboration inside and outside the classroom and strengthen students’ advanced data analysis skills.
The Bolins’ gift will be combined with $7.5 million of a previously announced gift from Gina L. and Tucker S. Bridwell, BBA ’73, MBA ’74, to create the new Bolin-Bridwell Hall, part of the future Cox School renovation and expansion project. Bolin-Bridwell Hall will offer a learning environment that mirrors the evolving workplace and uses the latest technology to build students’ data fluency.
“I am grateful to Jane and Pat for empowering students who will become the next generation of business leaders,” says SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “Bolin-Bridwell Hall will be a vital addition to the educational facilities of the Cox School.”
Inside Bolin-Bridwell Hall, spaces for collaborating outside of class will support innovative teaching practices and build the collaboration skills that top companies seek and entrepreneurs need. The facility will promote all three of the School’s NextGen Cox Curriculum pillars: leadership, analytics and experiential learning.
“Jane and I were inspired by the generous gift to SMU made by Gina and Tucker, who have been great friends to us for more than 50 years,” says Pat Bolin, a longtime leader in the energy industry and the Dallas community. “We feel this is the perfect time to invest in the future of the Cox School and in preparing students for the ever-evolving world of business.”
Some Bolin-Bridwell Hall classrooms will be dedicated to technology, data and data analytics. Meeting spaces will provide room for collaboration that drives innovation and research. Students will develop their business skills through highly engaging projects with corporate partners. Bolin-Bridwell Hall will also be the new home for the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, which will examine and promote free enterprise in markets around the globe.
“Gina and I are happy to partner with our friends Jane and Pat to further elevate the output of Cox students, faculty and staff,” says Tucker Bridwell, an esteemed energy executive.
“What happens in Bolin-Bridwell Hall will exemplify our new pedagogy that enhances the leadership skills our students need.”
Cox School Dean Matthew B. Myers
The new Bolin-Bridwell Hall will raise the acclaimed academic experience of Cox School students and elevate the School’s edge in attracting outstanding students, faculty and corporate partners. Facing Bishop Boulevard and sharing the traditional collegiate Georgian architectural exterior of other SMU buildings, the new facility will act as the northwest anchor of the transformed business school quad.
“I thank the Bolin and Bridwell families for their investment in the future of the Cox School,” says Matthew B. Myers, Cox School dean, Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership and David B. Miller Endowed Professor in Business. “What happens in Bolin-Bridwell Hall will exemplify our new pedagogy that enhances the leadership skills our students need.”
The gifts extend the Bolin and Bridwell families’ legacies of support for SMU and the Cox School of Business and promise to elevate the Cox School’s already outstanding global reputation.
“Pat and Jane have been fixtures of the North Texas philanthropic community for many years, and we have always been grateful for their steadfast support of SMU,” says Brad E. Cheves, SMU vice president for development and external affairs. “It’s fitting that Bolin- Bridwell Hall will be a place that builds the enterprising spirit the Bolins and Bridwells have demonstrated through all their business and charitable initiatives.”
Pat S. Bolin serves as executive chairman of Eagle Oil & Gas Co., which he co-founded in 1976 with his father, D. Phil Bolin, and business partner Warren T. Ayres. Pat is also the company’s former president and CEO. He also serves on the board of Veritex Community Bank of Dallas. Pat graduated from SMU in 1973 with a BA in psychology and is a member of the Cox School’s Executive Board and the School’s Maguire Energy Institute Advisory Board. He is a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and is actively involved in all of the club’s activities and community outreach. He is also an active member of the Dallas Wildcat Committee, where he has served as chairman, in addition to other various leadership roles. In 2010, SMU Cox School of Business recognized Pat with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Jane Bolin is an advisor to the Pat and Jane Bolin Family Foundation and has been a board member with Sterling Family Partners since its formation in 2013. She earned a BA from the University of Mississippi in 1978. Passionate about helping the Dallas-Fort Worth community, Jane is actively involved in many charities and organizations. She has served as a director of the Elizabeth Toon Charities and of Camp John Marc, a program for campers with physical challenges, for which she chaired the 2008 Wesley Rankin Benefit. She was also a member of the Baylor “Celebrating Women” advisory committee. The Bolins have two sons.
Gina and Tucker Bridwell have generously supported student scholarships, the Moody Coliseum renovation, the construction of the Indoor Performance Center and the establishment of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom.
Expected Impact
• Builds the leadership, analytics and collaboration skills that top companies seek and entrepreneurs need.
• Provides modernized spaces that foster collaborative learning inside and outside the classroom.
• Strengthens students’ advanced data analytics skills.
• Offers a new home for highly engaged projects for corporate partners and for SMU’s leading energy industry institute.