Hendrix College has received a $26 million gift from the estate of Mary Ann Dawkins of Little Rock. The gift, the largest in Hendrix College’s history, will support scholarships, promote college affordability and launch the school’s fundraising effort to construct a new welcome center at the northeast corner of the campus.
“Not only is today’s announcement a historic moment for Hendrix, it’s an incredible moment for future students,” said Hendrix College President Bill Tsutsui.
Dawkins, a United Methodist, passed away in December 2014. In 1986, she attended a performance of the Hendrix College Choir’s Candlelight Carol Service at First United Methodist Church in North Little Rock. Following the performance, she was inspired to establish the Dr. David and Mary Ann Dawkins Endowed Scholarship Fund at Hendrix in memory of her late husband, Dr. David Dawkins.
Dawkins retired from Coulson Oil Company, founded by her parents, after 41 years. She served as Corporate Secretary and previously served on the Board of Directors at Coulson Oil. She was on the boards of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association and Mid-South Make-A-Wish Foundation and was a Special Olympics supporter.
“We are grateful, honored, and humbled by Mary Ann Dawkins’ extraordinary generosity,” said Tsutsui. “This gift will help us continue to attract bright and talented students and keep the world-class liberal arts education and student experience at Hendrix within reach of all young people and their families.”
Prior to the Dawkins estate gift, the previous largest gift to Hendrix was a $10.985 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in 1998, which was used to complete a comprehensive renovation of science teaching and research facilities and to construct the new Donald W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences.
With the Dawkins’ gift, the Hendrix endowment will surpass $200 million for the first time in the institution’s history.