Keeping the spirit

Donations to the Paul Layne 542 Endowed Fund for Spirit Programs honor the memory of an SMU superfan.

Devoted fans of SMU Athletics and alums of the SMU Spirit Program alike will no doubt recognize the name of Paul Layne. The 1976 graduate famously attended 542 consecutive football games – both home and away – from his first year of college up through his passing in 2022. That kind of dedication has inspired multiple generations of Mustang fans – and generous donors who wish to give back to the University in his honor.

“He was the nicest human being that you could ever possibly run into. He would do anything for anybody,” says Diamond M Club president Kellie Prinz Johnson ’96. “He loved everything SMU.”

A former SMU cheerleader, the lifelong Dallas resident was known to make his travel arrangements as soon as the team’s schedule was announced.

To honor his memory, friend Tom Nelson made a sizeable donation to start the fund – which supports the Mustang Band, Peruna, cheer and pom. Since then, the fund has been bolstered by SMU Giving Day donations to make an even larger impact.

“We all benefit from the money raised in that endowment,” says Charles Aguillon, director of Mustang Band and SMU Spirit Program.

To date, it is the largest endowment ever created for the Spirit Program. And though the Spirit Program encompasses a variety of functions, they share a lot of needs all supported by SMU Giving Day – namely, uniforms and travel.

“We try to take every student with us when we travel, so that allows us to make sure that everybody’s getting the same experience,” says Aguillon. “Those funds allow more equal member experiences across the board.”

Last year’s SMU Giving Day funds also helped support new uniforms for Mustang Band, cheer, pom and Peruna handlers. Peruna himself even got a new mascot costume.

However, those travel needs will only increase as SMU Athletics joins the Atlantic Coast Conference next year.

“We’ll be traveling further in the future, so we’d like that to be a focus of that fund this year,” says Aguillon. “A lot of what people see in the gameday experience is the work that we do, not only supporting our athletes but in supporting the University.”

One day. One SMU.

Together, we can shape a brighter future. Let’s show the world what Mustangs can do.