$1.5 Million Tate Gift Endows Architecture Scholarship at Fay Jones School

Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design alumnus Dan Tate and his wife, Terry, have made a $1.5 million gift to the school. Their contribution, a testamentary gift from their estate, establishes the Daniel Roger and Terry L. Tate Endowed Scholarship in Architecture.

The scholarship will help students pursue an architectural education while reducing financial barriers. It 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, Missouri, area.

“This scholarship will help make a world-class architectural education accessible to talented, ambitious students who deserve the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills to build meaningful careers and help shape the future of architecture," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "We are grateful to Dan and Terry Tate for their extraordinary generosity and the lasting impact it will have on our students." 

“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 Tate 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.”

Growing up in St. Louis, Dan Tate developed an early interest in building and design and knew he wanted to be an architect. He came across the University of Arkansas at a college fair, a school he had not previously considered. Dan visited the campus with his parents and met then-associate dean Ernie Jacks while touring the architecture program in Vol Walker Hall. He found the university’s atmosphere authentic and welcoming, and he enrolled in the fall of 1983.

As a student at the Fay Jones School, Dan’s educational experience was shaped by close interaction with faculty, classmates and mentors who helped cultivate students’ ideas and skills. Those relationships formed his approach to architecture and professional life, and today, 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 Tate attended community college on a scholarship and also the University of Missouri–Kansas City, while working part time for Macy’s. She was recruited into the company’s executive training program, advancing to roles in buying and management, and later continued her career with Dillard’s in St. Louis, where she met Dan. Their experiences in higher education inspired Dan and Terry’s interest in supporting students.

“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.”

That shared belief in helping students led to the creation of their scholarship endowment. The award also reflects Dan’s interest in strengthening ties between the Fay Jones School and his hometown of St. Louis.

“I’ve always thought St. Louis is a place where more students should consider the University of Arkansas,” he said. “Part of the idea behind the scholarship is to help expand the school’s reach in that region and strengthen the connection between the Fay Jones School and the St. Louis design community. It would be wonderful to see students come from that area, study here and return to St. Louis to build their careers.”

“Dan and Terry have created a scholarship that will change the trajectory for students who are ready to do the work but need the opportunity,” said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “Their commitment opens the door for talented students to gain meaningful and practical experience that will unlock their individual potential. We’re grateful for their investment in both our students and the future of design.”

Architecture programs typically require five years of study before graduates can begin their professional careers, and the cost of that extended education can place significant strain on students and families. Through their endowment, the Tates aim to ease that burden and expand access to the profession by offsetting the cost of completing an architecture degree.

“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. He is recognized, along with Terry, as a Thoroughred for their consecutive giving to the U of A and is included in the Chancellor’s Society. 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.

About University Advancement: University Advancement advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by raising private gift support from alumni, friends, parents, foundations, corporations, and other institutional supporters. Working in philanthropic partnership with academic leaders and volunteers, Advancement team members are determined to advance the people, work, and impact of the greater whole at the University of Arkansas.

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.