In The News
Mark and Dawn Malveaux donates $1MM to their HBCU alma mater, Southern University
Southern University to name graduate business administration program the Mark and Dawn Malveaux Master of Business Administration Program
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, May 19, 2021 — On May 21st, Mark A. Malveaux and his wife, Dawn, will be gifting $1,000,000 to Southern University, their undergraduate alma mater. The gift will support academic scholarships to talented business students and general programming in the College of Business, which is located on its Baton Rouge Campus. The gift is one of the largest donations ever given to the University by an alum. In recognition of the gift, Southern University will name its graduate program in business administration the Mark and Dawn Malveaux Master of Business Administration Program.
“Dawn and I owe so much not only to Southern University, but also to the communities that nurtured us. This gift is a tribute to a great university and the people who have committed themselves to uplifting students, including my amazing economics professor, the late Dr. Fred Temple. The gift is also a recognition of our parents and, for me, those aunts and uncles, many of whom did not have the opportunity to complete high school, who sacrificed for my generation and set an example of humble dignity.”
According to U.S. News & World Report, the results of a survey of HBCU alumni giving, the average giving rate of participating schools was only 11.2%. That means barely one out of every 10 alumni bothers to make an annual contribution to their alma mater, or any HBCU.
Mr. Malveaux graduated magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. While there, Mr. Malveaux was the first student in the University’s history to be awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He was also named the “Outstanding Student in the College of Business.” Mr. Mark and Dawn Malveaux Donation
Malveaux matriculated to the University of Virginia School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor in 1992. While in law school, Mr. Malveaux was awarded the Bracewell & Patterson Oral Advocacy Award. Upon graduation, Mr. Malveaux began his law practice at an international law firm. At the public finance firm of McCall, Parkhurst & Horton, he became the first African American partner at a nationally recognized public finance firm in the State of Texas. Mr. Malveaux has been an active angel investor. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the technology firm, Filtari, and a member of the Board of Directors of the $2 billion Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund.
Dawn Dillon Malveaux graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Mrs. Malveaux is a third-generation Southern University alum with her late grandfather graduating in 1935. Upon graduation, she then enjoyed a nearly 20-year career in the field of computer science before devoting her time and energy to her two children, Jordan and Dillon. She is an active member of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Incorporated, and enjoys her time as an active member of Jack and Jill of America.
“The gift is not only a tribute to the past, but a challenge for the future that we are sure the University will meet and exceed. Dawn and I are excited to help build a stronger Southern University. We look forward to seeing Southern University compete for talented students and perfect its programming in the College of Business. We are also sincerely gratified that the University will name its graduate business program the Mark and Dawn Malveaux Master of Business Program, which we believe is a first for an HBCU. Our hope is that others will follow.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Malveaux family for this sizable gift to our College of Business and the students it continues to serve,” said Ray L. Belton, president-chancellor of the Southern University System. “This intentional gift is a shining example of how our alumni have a consistent appreciation and love for the university that shaped them. It is also a deep commitment to seeing that Southern is able to offer boundless opportunities to students for years to come.”
Alfred Harrell, Southern University System Foundation CEO, echoed Belton’s sentiments. “Mark and Dawn's gift to their alma mater provides strategic investment in an area of great need, directing sizable resources to talented students in our College of Business in perpetuity,” Harrell said.
Since its inception in 1937, the College of Business has evolved into one of the largest colleges at Southern University. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business, the college maintains high standards of teaching, research and services. More than 70 percent of the faculty members have terminal degrees; faculty members regularly publish in national journals and present papers at conferences.
The gift from the Malveaux family will be officially presented at the monthly meeting of the Southern University System Board of Supervisors on Friday, May 21, 2021.
Media Contact: LaToshia Norwood, She Said. The Agency. | LNorwood@SheSaidSheLed.com
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