McReynolds Gift to Support New Dillard Hall at Walton College

Judy and Lance McReynolds of Fort Smith have committed $500,000 to the University of Arkansas' Sam M. Walton College of Business to support Mandy and Bill Dillard II Hall, the college's newly planned academic building.

In recognition of the gift, a 135-seat classroom on the third floor of Dillard Hall will be named the Judy and Lance McReynolds Classroom. The space will become part of a new academic facility designed to bring more Walton College students and classes together while creating additional opportunities for learning, collaboration and engagement.

“Supporting Dillard Hall is important to us because it’s an investment in the future of Walton College and its students,” Judy McReynolds said. “Education has long been a cornerstone of our family’s story, beginning with Lance’s grandfather, who attended a one-room Arkansas schoolhouse and inspired both his sons — and later our sons — to attend the University of Arkansas. We’re delighted to help create a classroom where future generations of students can learn, collaborate and prepare to make meaningful contributions to business and the world around them.”

“We are grateful to Judy and Lance for investing in a place where the work at the heart of Walton College will happen every day,” said Brent Williams, dean of Walton College. “This classroom will be a place where students learn from outstanding faculty and from one another, and where that learning connects directly to the world around them. They will work alongside companies, take on business challenges and put their ideas into practice — experiences that prepare them not simply to enter the business world, but to help shape where it goes next.”

The approximately 100,000-square-foot Dillard Hall will add about 1,600 classroom seats and 600 to 700 seats in study, collaboration and gathering spaces, creating more opportunities for students to interact with faculty and staff, collaborate with one another and engage with companies. Planned for the corner of North Harmon Avenue and West Fairview Street, the building also will house the McMillon Innovation Studio. Groundbreaking is expected in late April.

The McReynolds' commitment builds on philanthropic support for Dillard Hall, including gifts from Mandy and Bill Dillard II and the Walton Family Foundation. Support from the McMillon Family Foundation will also help establish the McMillon Innovation Studio's future home in Dillard Hall.

“Transformational projects like Dillard Hall are made possible when people who believe in the University of Arkansas come together around a shared vision,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “Judy and Lance McReynolds are adding their support to a remarkable group of donors investing in the future of Walton College and its students. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and for the lasting connection their family will have to this important new academic space.”

For Judy and Lance McReynolds, the gift also builds on longstanding connections to Walton College, the University of Arkansas and the state.

Judy McReynolds is chairman of the board and former president and CEO of Fort Smith-based ArcBest, where she spent nearly three decades and helped lead the company’s evolution into a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics organization. She is a member of the Walton College Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2023. Lance McReynolds, an Arkansas native, has been active in the Fort Smith community and previously worked in business and ministry. The McReynolds are members of the Chancellor’s Society and the Arkansas Alumni Association.

“We are grateful to Judy and Lance for the thoughtful and enduring way they have invested in Walton students,” said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “Their generosity spans the experiences that broaden a student’s perspective and the spaces that shape the everyday academic experience with transformational impact that will benefit generations of students to come.”

Judy and Lance have previously supported Walton College students through the Judy & Lance McReynolds International Experience Endowment.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is one of the nation's leading public business schools, serving more than 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. Through applied learning, impactful research and deep industry partnerships, Walton prepares leaders to compete and innovate in a global economy.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas 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 University of Arkansas among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among the top public universities in the nation.