Dallas philanthropist, Cox executive board member dies

Dallas leader and philanthropist Charles Wyly died Aug.7 in a car accident in Colorado.

At SMU, Wyly served on the Executive Board of the Cox School of Business since 1998.

He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

His gifts to SMU exceeded $3 million, including $1 million to establish the Charles Wyly Professor of Management Information Sciences Endowment at the Cox School.

Wyly was also a member of the Cox School's campaign committee from 1996 to 2002.

He provided the Cox School with software and services totaling $1 million for information technology and operations management.

As a member of the Tower Center Board since 1992, he supported the Center through gifts to The John Goodwin Tower Distinguished Chair in International Politics and National Security, as well as the Tower Center Medal of Freedom.

Wyly also supported the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award, presented by the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, as well as the Meadows School of the Arts' annual benefit concert and the SMU Mustang Club.

"Charles Wyly was a generous donor and leader whose entrepreneurial skills and civic-mindedness inspired students to think creatively in business and use their success to serve their communities," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner in an official statement. "We know that his influence continues through the quality of education he supported, guiding generations to come."