Dean Dayle Smith Establishes 7-Figure Planned Gift for LMU College of Business Administration

For Dayle Smith, Ph.D., dean of LMU College of Business Administration (CBA), making a planned gift is ultimately an expression of hope — a statement of confidence in the younger generations who will carry a legacy far into the future.

Now, in the year of CBA's centennial, she has established a seven-figure planned gift to the College — the academic home where she has spent the most rewarding years of her career. “LMU's mission aligns with my deepest values,” she reflected. “The university’s commitment to social justice, human dignity, and societal impact reflects the world I hope future generations will build.”

Strategy and spontaneity

When she and her husband were identifying their philanthropic priorities as part of their estate planning, they acknowledged that access to higher education had fundamentally changed the trajectory of their personal and professional lives; it was clear that support for education would be central to their giving. The question was — where could their investment make the greatest difference?

"Although we both remain deeply grateful to our alma maters, Harvard and USC, we ultimately realized that a gift to LMU could have a more profound and lasting impact,” said Dean Smith. “LMU is where we felt we could truly help shape the future. Once we recognized the difference our gift could make in advancing the university's mission, the decision was easy."

The idea for the gift evolved from a chance comment during one of the couple's estate-planning conversations. They were discussing inheritance, family values, and the role education had played in their lives when Dean Smith suddenly found herself exclaiming, "Let's just make LMU our fourth child!" The remark was lighthearted, but it also captured something deeper. "Just as we wanted opportunities for our own children and grandchildren, we wanted to create opportunities for students we would never meet," she explained.

From there, the couple worked with the LMU Advancement team to develop a giving strategy that could maximize the impact of their philanthropy and ensure ongoing stewardship of their estate. "The process was thoughtful, creative, and empowering," said Dean Smith. "We realized that, with careful planning, we could accomplish far more than we had originally imagined — for our family and for the university we care so deeply about."

A century of giving

Throughout her tenure, Dean Smith has witnessed how philanthropy has expanded what CBA is able to offer. "I often say that operating budgets keep the trains running on time, but transformational change requires transformational investment," she commented.

Significant philanthropic gifts have enabled the Dean to launch innovative academic programs, expand access through scholarships, and make strategic investments in facilities, technology, and programs that would not be possible through tuition revenue alone.

The impact is visible across the College. Donor support has led to the founding of centers and facilities such as the Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability, the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Bloomberg Finance Learning Lab, in addition to strengthening global immersion programs, increasing access to paid internships, funding mission-driven and societal impact initiatives, and supporting faculty to pursue cutting-edge research that directly influences business practice and government policy.

The success of these investments has informed the structure of the Dean’s own gift. “My priorities mirror the values that have guided my work as dean,” she explained. Her overarching goal is to enhance the student experience, preparing them for meaningful careers and lives. This is to be achieved in tandem with support for mission-driven strategies that align with LMU's Jesuit commitment to justice, human dignity, and service – operationalized through the role business disciplines can play in shaping a flourishing global community.

A portion of the gift will remain flexible, set aside as discretionary funding for future deans. “Higher education is constantly evolving. Our leaders need the ability to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges,” she noted. “Whether those needs involve scholarships, innovation, academic programs, faculty support, or strategic initiatives, discretionary resources often enable the most timely and impactful investments.”

Impact and resilience

The gift serves as a celebration of CBA’s centennial and an affirmation that the most consequential and transformative years are still to come.

Dean Smith recognizes that challenges facing future generations will be complex and unprecedented. “Artificial intelligence, climate change, economic inequality, workforce transformation, and geopolitical uncertainty will require individuals who can think critically, act ethically, and collaborate across cultures and disciplines,” she says. "My hope is that future generations of students will continue to find at LMU not only the knowledge and skills to succeed, but also the moral courage and creative confidence to improve the world around them.”

Ultimately, Dean Smith trusts future leadership to direct resources where they can make the greatest difference, staying true to the mission that distinguishes CBA as an ethical leader among the nation’s business schools. “If our planned gift helps inspire opportunity, fuel innovation, and extend the impact of the College's mission for even a few of those future generations, then it will have achieved exactly what we envisioned."