Alumnus Chris Lewis Makes Lasting Impact With $250,000 Gift

U of A alumnus Chris Lewis established the Land of Opportunity Scholarship Endowment by Roy Christian Lewis with a $250,000 planned gift. The gift will improve access to education by supporting academically talented Arkansas students from financially challenging backgrounds and will give preference to qualified students enrolled full time in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. 

The Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign launched in November 2024. The three-year initiative will expand educational access for students from all 75 Arkansas counties, create partnerships between the university and businesses throughout the state and fulfill the university’s land-grant mission to serve Arkansas through education and economic development. 

“I considered creating a scholarship initiative that would benefit kids from El Dorado and Union county,” Lewis said. “Then I thought, ‘Why not just open it up to the whole state of Arkansas and focus on students going into the school of design?’” 

“It doesn’t just have to be architecture,” Lewis added. “It can be landscape architecture or interior design, as well.” 

With the financial support provided by the Land of Opportunity Scholarship, recipients can spend more time focusing on their academic goals and engaging in co-curricular activities designed to support retention and graduation. Additionally, students will have increased exposure to high-impact practices like study abroad, undergraduate research and internships with businesses and communities in Arkansas seeking to grow the talent pool and support workforce needs. 

“There’s much more to education than just the classroom,” Lewis said. “When I was in school, I pretty much camped out in the architecture building.” 

Lewis added that to complete the demanding design projects assigned, it was not uncommon to spend 12 or more hours a day in the studio, in addition to other required classes. 

“Having the spare time to hold down a job was just not an option for me,” Lewis said. “This scholarship will give students the chance to be more intentional with their time, freeing them from having to obtain off-campus employment to pay for their education. That freedom will allow them to look at their education differently, giving them a leg up in preparing for the ‘real’ world of architecture that awaits them upon graduation.” 

“Chris Lewis built a tremendous career by pairing his talent and drive with the education he received at the University of Arkansas," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "Through this generous gift, he is helping generations of Arkansas students experience similar success and build a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities. We are deeply grateful for his commitment to expanding access to the life-changing benefits of higher education for students across our state.”  

Lewis grew up in El Dorado. He began his college career as an engineering student at Rice University in Houston, Texas, but decided that engineering didn’t fulfill his interest in design. When Lewis decided to change his major to architecture, he was told that he would have to sit out a year until a spot opened in the program the following year. At the time, Rice only offered a four-year program, so his final year would have to be at another school. This, plus the extremely high cost of tuition at Rice, ultimately convinced Lewis that Rice University was not the right fit. The following year, he enrolled in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the U of A in Fayetteville. 

Lewis graduated from the Fay Jones School with a Bachelor of Arts in 1978 and a Bachelor of Architecture in 1979. He spent the first six years of his career at Langwith, Wilson and King, an architecture firm in Houston specializing in truly fine and historically correct traditional design. After obtaining his license, he was offered a position leading the architecture division of the nationally renowned interior design firm Billy Francis and Associates. In 1988, Lewis founded his own firm, Chris Lewis Architecture.  

Lewis is a registered architect in Texas with over 570 (and counting) commissions and 40 years of experience in fine custom residential, interior, furniture and lighting design. 

“Chris’ gift reflects belief in the value of design education and in the promise of Arkansas,” said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “His story, beginning in El Dorado and finding his direction here on campus before building a remarkable career, will resonate with many students who are charting their own paths. We are grateful for his support and for the lasting opportunities this gift will create.” 

Over the years, Lewis has developed a professional relationship and a lasting friendship with Mary Purvis, senior director of development for the Fay Jones School. He describes Purvis as a textbook example of how to develop and nurture connections with alumni of the Fay Jones School. 

“She never pressured me and never once even asked for money,” Lewis said. “Instead, she created a relationship, and I developed an interest in doing something that would have a lasting impact and would make a difference for more than just a couple of years.” 

“I knew that I wanted to do something that would help kids from the state that I so love, in a way that I also know would make my parents proud,” he added. “Mary suggested looking at the Land of Opportunity Scholarship and helped me understand the lasting benefit this gift could have. It seemed like a perfect fit for me.” 

About the Land of Opportunity Scholarship: The  Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign is a three-year initiative to further educational access opportunities for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, improve graduation rates, create two-way engagement between the university and businesses throughout the state and fulfill the institution’s land-grant mission to uplift Arkansas. As of Oct. 31, 2025, the campaign has raised 68% of its goal in 33% of the time through more than $136,167,585 in pledges and commitments.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.