SMU Meadows equips outstanding students to explore artistic pursuits alongside interests in other areas, and I’m honored to further their success.
— Gayle Stoffel ’66
Encouraging creative expression
A $1 million gift from Gayle Stoffel ’66 expands the student scholarship fund she and her late husband, Paul Stoffel, III, established to assist SMU Meadows Scholars.
A $1 million gift from Gayle Stoffel ’66 expands the student scholarship fund she and her late husband, Paul Stoffel, III, established to assist SMU Meadows Scholars.
Stoffel’s gift enhances the ability of Meadows School of the Arts to attract top-tier students nationwide, supporting their academic and artistic pursuits within a comprehensive university setting.
“A true patron of the arts, Gayle Stoffel has always given freely of her time and means to creative causes,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “Her unwavering generosity and commitment to her shared passion with Paul for helping SMU students through scholarships is a testament to their love of SMU and the arts.”
Established in 2015, the Gayle and Paul Stoffel Endowed Meadows Scholar Fund was augmented in 2018 and again with this latest $1 million gift. The fund supports SMU Meadows’ longest running scholarship program, which attracts students who meet rigorous criteria for both academic and artistic acumen. In recognition of her commitment to future generations of Meadows Scholars and the school’s future, Gayle Stoffel was recently named the honoree of the April 28, 2025, Meadows at the Meyerson benefit concert.
“Paul and I have always been proud to be a part of the SMU community, and he would be so pleased to know the fund we created together will make a difference in the lives of even more students,” said Stoffel. “SMU Meadows equips outstanding students to explore artistic pursuits alongside interests in other areas, and I’m honored to further their success.”
Growing from 14 students in 2008 to nearly 80 students in 2024, the Meadows Scholars program provides a significant annual award over a four-year term – plus unique opportunities for community engagement, student research, international travel and exclusive events in the world-renowned Dallas arts district. Each year, the Stoffels’ combined endowment gifts will benefit bright and creative young minds as they work toward their personal and professional goals.
“I have long admired Gayle Stoffel’s generosity of spirit and her sincere appreciation for the arts,” said Peggy Higgins Sewell ’72, co-chair of the SMU Ignited Campaign Steering Committee for Meadows School of the Arts. “I am fortunate to call her a dear friend, and I’m deeply moved by her enduring support for our school and its incredibly talented students.”
Expected impact
- Attract, recruit and retain creatively and academically accomplished students who receive competitive offers from top universities
- Empower SMU Meadows students to pursue their artistic and professional ambitions
- Lessen the burden of student debt by helping to fill the gap between financial need and means
Meadows School of the Arts programs inspire students to new heights of creative expression while fostering a deep understanding of the logistics and industry knowledge required to succeed in the fields of performance, communication and visual arts. Meadows faculty and students include some of the nation’s most talented creative minds, and many alumni maintain strong ties and serve the school in leadership positions long after graduation.
“Gayle Stoffel is a champion for SMU Meadows students and for artistic and academic excellence,” said Samuel S. Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts. “Gifts like this enable us to attract highly talented and ambitious students who receive competitive offers from the very best universities in the country – bringing them to Dallas to experience and enrich our vibrant arts community.”
Stoffel’s gift supports SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow – the University’s multiyear campaign for impact – and its goal to empower outstanding students. Donor support for scholarships expands access for high-achieving students to attend the University, regardless of their financial need.
“Endowed scholarships are critical to the success of SMU Ignited and one of the most vital ways to promote student advancement during college and after graduation,” said Brad E. Cheves, SMU senior vice president for Development and External Affairs. “Donors and volunteers like Gayle Stoffel and Peggy Higgins Sewell make a positive impact on the futures of both our University and our communities.”
Join Gayle Stoffel in empowering future generations of artists. To explore how your support can make a lasting impact on SMU Meadows and its students, contact director of development Nicholas Weege by email or calling 214-768-2610.
Gayle Stoffel’s unwavering generosity and commitment to helping SMU students through scholarships is a testament to her and her late husband’s love of SMU and the arts.
— R. Gerald Turner, SMU President
Gayle Stoffel ’66
A graduate of the SMU Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Gayle Stoffel received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. In the years since, she has become a renowned contemporary art collector and philanthropist. Since 2005, she has been named in the ARTNews Top 200 art collectors list – until 2019, alongside her late husband Paul Stoffel, III. Particularly interested in post-war pieces, Gayle Stoffel’s collection includes works by Ellsworth Kelly, Martin Kippenberger, Cy Twombly, Sigmar Polke, Andy Warhol, Luc Tuymans and John Chamberlain, among many others.
Her love of human expression has led to her enduring support for artistic and humanitarian causes across the region, including her service on the Dallas Museum of Arts and Aspen Art Museum boards of trustees, the UT Southwestern Medical Center President’s Advisory Board and the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. She is an at-large member of the Church Council for Highland Park United Methodist Church, where she also serves on the Pastoral Relations Committee. Gayle and Paul Stoffel have given generously to these and other causes.
At SMU, Gayle Stoffel served on the Meadows of the Arts Executive Board from 2008–2009 and 2014–2019. In 2013, the Stoffels established the Gayle and Paul Stoffel Centennial Graduate Fellowship in Art History. In 2015, they created the Gayle and Paul Stoffel Endowed Meadows Scholar Fund, followed by additional gifts to expand the fund.