University of Arkansas receives $1.5 million gift from alumnus, wife

Dan Tate, a University of Arkansas alumnus of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and his wife, Terry, have given $1.5 million to the school, the UA said Thursday (May 7). Their contribution, a testamentary gift from their estate, establishes the Daniel Roger and Terry L. Tate Endowed Scholarship in Architecture.

The scholarship covers full tuition and fees for full-time undergraduate architecture students in the professional-track program at the Fay Jones School. Recipients must demonstrate financial need, with preference given to students from the St. Louis area.

“We wanted to create an opportunity for future architects who have the talent and drive but may need financial support to attain their goals,” Terry said. “Knowing that we have helped the next generation focus on their potential and future impact in the architecture field, rather than the cost of pursuing their education, gives us tremendous joy.”

Dan grew up in St. Louis, developed an early interest in building and design, and knew he wanted to be an architect. He learned about the UA at a college fair, visited the campus with his parents and met then-associate dean Ernie Jacks while touring the architecture program in Vol Walker Hall. He enrolled in fall 1983.

As a student at the Fay Jones School, Dan’s educational experience was shaped by close interaction with faculty, classmates and mentors. Those relationships formed his approach to architecture and professional life. Now he serves as senior design architect with TR,i Architects in St. Louis.

“I thought it was a well-rounded education in architecture — not too technical and not too design-oriented, but a lot of both,” Dan said. “As I look back, the program has come a long way and is much stronger today. That growth is really a testament to the leadership of the school and the support from the community.”

“Dan and Terry Tate’s gift establishing an endowed scholarship for Fay Jones School students is the consummate demonstration of alumni commitment to architecture education,” said Peter MacKeith, dean of the school. “Dan’s experience of the school — the faculty, his classmates, the overall atmosphere — was transformative for him, and so it is, we believe, for our students now. The Tates’ gift is compelling on many levels, not least in its encouragements to our students, and to all of us at the school, to continue to maintain and strengthen those qualities that Dan came to value. On behalf of the school, I am very grateful to the Tates for their vision, commitment and generosity.”

Terry and Dan met in St. Louis. Terry had attended community college on a scholarship and the University of Missouri–Kansas City. She worked for Macy’s, was recruited into its executive training program, advanced to roles in buying and management, and later joined Dillard’s in St. Louis.

“For a long time, we have both felt drawn to taking a student under our wing and helping them in their educational journey,” Terry said. “Dan was fortunate to have parents who supported him through his time at the U of A, and I received an academic scholarship, which paid my tuition to a community college. Both of us were able to experience college and all that it offers without having to worry about how it was going to be paid for.”

This led the couple to create the scholarship endowment and reflects Dan’s interest in strengthening ties between the Fay Jones School and his hometown of St. Louis.

Architecture programs typically require five years of study before graduates can begin their professional careers.

“Today, many students graduate with so much debt that it weighs them down from the very beginning,” Dan said. “They’re mortgaging their future just to create one, and that burden can limit their opportunities. I was fortunate to finish school without that kind of debt, and that experience helped shape the idea behind this scholarship.”

Dan is a member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Fay Jones School’s Dean’s Circle. The Tates were inducted as Gold members of the Towers of Old Main giving society during its 25th anniversary celebration on April 10, honoring the university’s most generous benefactors.