Major New Gift from Jennifer and Martin Flanagan Brings Contribution to $1 Mil for Endowed MA/MBA Scholarship

M.A./M.B.A. Adjunct Lecturer Trey Bowles

Jennifer and Martin “Marty” Flanagan of Atlanta have made an $800,000 contribution to Southern Methodist University, raising the total of their recent gifts to the University’s arts management graduate program to $1 million. Building on a founding gift of $200,000 in 2010, this new contribution increases the resources of The Jennifer and Marty Flanagan Endowed Master of Arts/Master of Business Administration (MA/MBA) Scholarship, which supports graduate students pursuing careers in arts management through SMU’s dual-degree program. Offered jointly by the Meadows School of the Arts and the Cox School of Business, the innovative MA/MBA program – one of the first of its kind in the nation – addresses the pressing need for skilled arts managers of the highest caliber to meet the challenges facing today’s arts organizations.

“Successful stewardship of today’s arts organizations demands a rigorous knowledge of contemporary business practices and a deep understanding of the arts, which our MA/MBA uniquely provides,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “The generosity of the Flanagans in providing significant scholarship support will help SMU continue to attract top students for our program.”

Both Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan are SMU alumni – Jennifer Flanagan ’82 studied art history at the Meadows School and Martin Flanagan ’82 studied business at the Cox School. Their ongoing commitment to SMU helps ensure the school continues to strengthen its student resources and ensure academic excellence.

The couple’s newest contribution to the Jennifer and Marty Flanagan Endowed MA/MBA Scholarship will help the Cox and Meadows schools increase recruitment for outstanding candidates and will address the critical need to provide arts managers with the highly specialized training necessary to hold leadership positions in arts, entertainment and nonprofit organizations around the world. Since the program’s inception in 1982, 224 SMU students have graduated with the MA/MBA degree. Alumni have gone on to serve in leadership positions in major arts organizations, such as the Chicago Symphony, the Seattle Opera, the Dallas Museum of Art, Geva Theatre, the American Film Institute and the New York Pops, among many others.

“Our experiences at the Meadows and Cox schools have had a lasting impact on our professional and personal lives, and we’re honored to be able to support the schools’ unique MA/MBA program and provide resources for SMU to continue to attract the nation’s top students,” said Jennifer Flanagan.

Marty Flanagan '82 is president & CEO of Invesco, an Atlanta-headquartered global investment management organization. He is also a trustee and vice-chairman of the Invesco Family of Funds. Mr. Flanagan began his career with Arthur Andersen & Co. He currently serves on the board of governors and as a member of the executive committee for the Investment Company Institute, and is a former chairman. Mr. Flanagan graduated from SMU in 1982 with a B.B.A. and a B.A. in Ibero-American civilization. He currently serves on the executive board and the campaign steering committee of the Cox School of Business. Mr. Flanagan is the recipient of the Cox School’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award (1998 to 1999) and the Distinguished Alumni Award (2004 to 2005).

Jennifer Flanagan ’82 graduated from SMU with a B.A. in art history and is a community volunteer involved in several charitable organizations in Atlanta, serving on the boards of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Chastain Therapeutic Horse Park. Mrs. Flanagan has served as a member of her SMU class reunion committee and is currently on the Meadows School of the Arts executive board. She previously worked at Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger Ltd.

The Flanagans are co-chairs of SMU’s Second Century Campaign Steering Committee for Atlanta. They are supporters of numerous nonprofits, including St. Pius X Catholic High School, The Nature Conservancy and Greater Yellowstone Coalition. In addition to the $1 million gift to endow the MA/MBA Scholarship, the Flanagans have previously supported the Meadows School of the Arts, the Cox School of Business, the Mustang Club – SMU Athletics, and the SMU Parent Fund, among other SMU initiatives.

About the Meadows School of the Arts

The Meadows School of the Arts, formally established in 1969 and named in honor of benefactor Algur H. Meadows, is one of the foremost arts education institutions in the United States. The Meadows School offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in advertising, art, art history, arts management and arts entrepreneurship, communication studies, creative computation, dance, film and media arts, journalism, music and theatre. The goal of the Meadows School of the Arts, as a comprehensive educational institution, is to prepare students to meet the demands of professional careers. The Meadows School is a leader in developing innovative outreach and community engagement programs, challenging its students to make a difference locally and globally by developing connections between art, entrepreneurship and change. It is home to the National Center for Arts Research, in conjunction with the Cox School of Business.

The Meadows School of the Arts is also a convener for the arts in North Texas, serving as a catalyst for new collaborations and providing critical industry research. For more information, visit www.smu.edu/meadows.

About the Cox School of Business

SMU’s Cox School of Business, originally established in 1920 and named in honor of benefactor Edwin L. Cox in 1978, offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate business education programs. Among them: BBA, Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Management, Master of Science in Sport Management and Executive Education. The school also offers a number of unique resources and activities for students, ranging from its Business Leadership Center, Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, Folsom Institute for Real Estate, Latino Leadership Initiative, Maguire Energy Institute and Global Leadership Program to its Associate Board Executive Mentoring Program and an international alumni network with chapters in more than 20 countries.

SMUis a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls approximately11,000 students, who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.