Shaddock makes $6M gift to SMU Cox for building aimed at partnerships, research

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Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

A gift from Kim and William (Bill) Shaddock ’74 will establish Shaddock Hall as part of the building renovation project of the Cox School of Business. The $6 million contribution will foster educational excellence through dedicated spaces for learning, research and collaboration. 

“Through this gift, Bill Shaddock and his family are helping to nurture business education and an enterprising spirit in future generations of SMU and Cox School students,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “Additions like Shaddock Hall will help the Cox School of Business grow in prominence and national rankings.”

Kim and William C. Shaddock Hall will promote strong partnerships and industry research to meet the needs of an ever-evolving business landscape.

“SMU was a bright and illustrious beacon in my life,” said Bill Shaddock, a leading figure in the North Texas business community. “It gave me the entrepreneurial education I needed, as well as the confidence to drive myself towards a very successful career.

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“It feels only right that I provide a tangible gift of appreciation for what SMU and Cox School of Business have done for me, my family and the success of my business,” he said. “I hope that this gift will help propel current and future students toward their own success, and that they, too, will pay it forward.”

Shaddock Hall will include dynamic spaces with a dedicated business library reading room and expansive classrooms, which will ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary to reach their goals. The hall will also be home to the dean’s boardroom, a premier conference room with seating for 20, overlooking the central hub of the Cox School. Shaddock Hall will also house offices for support services including marketing, communications and academic affairs. 

“This gift illustrates the quality and bold initiative of SMU’s alumni,” said Cox School Dean Matthew B. Myers. “As the Cox School continues to expand its reach beyond SMU’s campus, partnerships with our local business community are critical, and we are excited to join Bill in this new endeavor.”  

Seated at the heart of SMU’s campus, Shaddock Hall will support the future growth and success of SMU Cox and the work of its faculty and students within the school and across campus. Shaddock Hall will strengthen the school’s ability to attract external partners and outstanding new faculty and students. 

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“We are incredibly grateful to Bill Shaddock and his family for their tremendous commitment to the Cox School building renovation project,” said Brad E. Cheves, SMU vice president for Development and External Affairs. “Our donors are the backbone of our campus and our mission, empowering academic, personal and professional growth on the Hilltop.”

SMU alumnus, Bill Shaddock ’74, is owner and CEO of the Bill Shaddock Family of Companies. Shaddock earned his MBA in Real Estate at SMU in 1974 and went on to earn a JD from Baylor Law School before joining the law firm of Turner, Hitchins, Webb, McInerney, Hartnett & Strother in 1977. Shaddock left the practice of law in 1983 to join his brother, Peter, in the real estate development business. Since that time, Shaddock Development Co. has become one of the most prolific real estate businesses in North Texas. Bill is still a partner in Shaddock Development Co. with his brother Peter and sons, William and Andrew.  

Shaddock also is owner and CEO of Capital Title of Texas (the largest independent title company in the United States) and Shaddock National Title Holdings (a collection of leading title companies across the United States). He is also owner of and serves as Chairman of the Board for First National Title Insurance Co. (the ninth largest title underwriter in the United States) and Willow Bend Mortgage Company. 

Kim McDonald Shaddock graduated from Baylor University in 1976 and has a master’s degree from University of Texas at Dallas. Utilizing her university education in social work and sociology, she proudly served the children of Dallas as a special education teacher in the Dallas Independent School District for many years. A founding member of the Kim and Bill Shaddock Family Foundation and of Star Children’s Charity, Kim Shaddock was also an active member of both the National Charity League and National Service League.

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The Shaddocks’ relationship with SMU is strengthened by their sons, William and Andrew, and daughter, Caroline. All three of the Shaddocks’ children and their two daughters-in-law have attended and graduated from SMU. The couple’s contribution to the Cox School of Business honors and magnifies the family’s legacy at SMU by supporting a future of excellence at the Cox School and in its students.