Paying it forward

To commemorate the close ties the late James H. Sharp ’51, ’74, ’87 had to the SMU Lyle School of Engineering, his widow, Noriko Sharp, established the Dr. and Mrs. James Hilton Sharp Endowment. The gift will fund in perpetuity meaningful engineering research and advancement.

“Donors like the Sharps highlight the impact that many of our alumni and their families have on the University long after graduation,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “Honoring James’ memory and lifelong passion for engineering research, this gift will ensure that future generations of innovative young minds have the resources they need to make new discoveries.”

With three degrees from SMU – bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering and a doctorate in digital signal processing – James Sharp was a renowned presence in the engineering space. For more than 30 years, he worked at organizations like Dallas-based Texas Instruments and aerospace and defense corporation General Dynamics.

Sharp served in the United States Navy during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He also demonstrated his love of learning and discovery by earning training certificates from George Washington University in fields like radar systems analysis and infrared systems.

Over the years, Sharp regularly returned to SMU to learn and support discovery at his alma mater. Noriko Sharp says some of her fondest memories of her husband include weekly Sunday trips to campus during which Sharp would visit Lyle School labs and spend his time furthering the Lyle School’s mission to conduct “research with the ultimate goal of technology transfer for the betterment of mankind.”

“Throughout his life, James maintained a close relationship with and genuine love of SMU,” said Noriko Sharp. “This is truly a gift from him, and he would be proud to know that his memory will live on through the support of new research and developments that will benefit the future of the Lyle School and the community he loved so dearly.”