$10 Million Grant Supports New Academic Building at Walton College

The Sam M. Walton College of Business has received a $10 million grant to support construction of Mandy and Bill Dillard II Hall. The grant from the Walton Family Foundation will advance the new academic building designed to expand classroom capacity, strengthen student collaboration and support the college’s continued growth.

Planned for the corner of North Harmon Avenue and West Fairview Street, Dillard Hall will add approximately 100,000 square feet of academic space to the campus. The building will include classrooms, study areas, collaboration spaces and the McMillon Innovation Studio.

“This grant will help ensure that generations of University of Arkansas business students learn, collaborate and prepare for meaningful careers in spaces that match the world-class education and opportunities Walton College provides,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson.

Brent Williams, dean of the Walton College, noted, "This academic facility will help us meet the needs of a rapidly growing student population while creating new opportunities for learning, collaboration and engagement. Most importantly, it will help us prepare the next generation of business leaders for Arkansas and beyond."

The project comes as Walton College has experienced a period of extraordinary growth. More than 10,300 students enrolled this past academic year, positioning the Walton College among the fastest-growing major business schools in the United States and reinforcing its role as a leading destination for business education in the heartland, one of the most dynamic regions in the middle of the country.

"At its core, this gift is also an investment in students who will shape and lead businesses for years to come,” said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “This grant will ensure that Walton College remains a driving force for academic excellence, innovation and economic vitality while strengthening the university's ability to serve Arkansas and the world."

The new facility will bring most Walton College classes together alongside its business building, Willard J. Walker Hall and the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, creating a more connected academic environment for students while freeing classroom space elsewhere on campus. The building will also add hundreds of seats dedicated to studying, teamwork and informal collaboration.

The university will announce construction timelines and dedication ceremony details later.

About the Walton Family Foundation: The Walton Family Foundation is at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is one of the nation's leading public business schools, serving more than 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. Through applied learning, impactful research, and deep industry partnerships, Walton prepares leaders to compete and innovate in a global economy.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.