Davis $1 million gift doubled by Mays program match

Sallie O. and Don H. Davis Jr. ’61

Don Davis’ sense of Aggie pride and appreciation for the core values of Texas A&M have driven him to give back multiple times to his alma mater. Already a supporter of the Dwight Look College of Engineering and the Olsen Field renovation, Davis decided he would like to make another gift to Texas A&M — this time to Mays Business School.

Now, with the help of matching funds, Sallie and Don H. Davis Jr. ’61 are supporting undergraduate and graduate business students at Texas A&M. A $1 million endowment from Sallie and Don H. Davis Jr. ’61 will have double the impact, thanks to a matching gift of $1 million from the Center for Executive Development at Mays Business School.

The resulting $2 million Sallie O. and Don H. Davis Jr. ’61 Endowed Scholars Fund will provide scholarships and fellowships to Aggies enrolled in the undergraduate business honors program or full-time MBA program at Mays Business School.

Davis, who served as president, CEO and chairman of Rockwell Automation until his retirement in 2005, received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M. He currently serves on the board of directors for Illinois Tool Works, Inc. in Chicago.

“I think it’s a real honor to be a graduate of Texas A&M, and this was an appealing way for us to help other Aggies along with their education and careers,” said Davis. “The fact that I could double my gift and its potential with the help of Mays was a sound deal.”

“Don and Sallie’s most generous commitment to our School will allow us to recruit top students to our two signature programs,” said Mays Dean Jerry Strawser. “They understand the competition for top students and their endowed Scholars Fund will allow us to attract the next generation of business leaders to our programs.”

Davis said he is lucky to have spent his life doing what he loved and to have found success with it. His appreciation for the business degree he received at Texas A&M is what inspired him to choose Mays for this endowment.

“I want to afford other students the open-door opportunities that come with a business degree, so they too can appreciate what it can do for them,” said Davis. He also credits Dean Strawser and the other administrators for making Mays into the “well-recognized and reputable school of business” that it is today.

About Mays Business School

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,000 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.