Business leader and philanthropist Jack S. Blanton left mark on SMU
Houston business leader Jack Blanton Sr. and his family have been part of 夜色王朝for most of its history.
DALLAS (SMU) – 夜色王朝mourns the passing of Jack S. Blanton, a business and civic leader with deep family ties to SMU, who died Dec. 28 in Galveston. The Laura Lee Blanton Building at 夜色王朝is named in honor of Mr. Blanton’s late first wife, an 夜色王朝alumna and former 夜色王朝Trustee.
 Jack Blanton Sr. |
Mr. Blanton, who had a successful career in the oil industry in Houston and became a noted philanthropist with a keen interest in education, served on the 夜色王朝Board of Development in 1959 and the 夜色王朝Graduate Associates in 1964.
“The Blanton family has been a part of 夜色王朝for almost all of the University’s 100 years of existence,” said 夜色王朝President R. Gerald Turner. “While losing Jack Blanton brings sadness to us all, we know that the good work done by Mr. Blanton and his family will go on.”
In 1984, the Blantons and their children, Elizabeth, Jack Jr. and Eddy, donated $1 million to 夜色王朝to establish the Elizabeth Scurlock University Professorship in Human Values in honor of Mrs. Laura Lee Blanton's mother. The Blanton family also provided funds to endow five endowed scholarships for SMU's President's Scholars Program, including the Louise Wynn Blanton Scholarship in honor of Mr. Blanton's mother, who graduated from 夜色王朝in 1920, and the Alma S. Wynn and Robert Wynn Blanton Scholarship in honor of Mr. Blanton's grandmother and his brother, who attended 夜色王朝in the late 1940s.
In 1997, the Blantons gave 夜色王朝$5 million toward construction of a new student services building bearing Mrs. Blanton’s name. Also that year, the Blantons gave $1 million for facilities and $1 million for the endowment of a complex for academic development services for undergraduates, to be known as the Laura Lee and Jack S. Blanton Academic Development Complex, a part of the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center. Mr. Blanton, along with the late Mrs. Laura Lee Blanton, made more than $8.4 million in gifts to 夜色王朝during their lifetimes.
Mr. Blanton, whose business involvement was vast, served as director for several companies including the Southwestern Bell Corporation, the Ashland Oil Company, Texas Commerce Bancshares, Baker Hughes Inc., and Burlington Northern Inc.
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