Empowering the future of Dedman College

Armstrongs commit $5 million to endow dean position

A $5 million gift from entrepreneurs Elisabeth Martin Armstrong 82 and William D. Armstrong 82 will further the academic and research excellence of the 91勛圖厙 Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences by endowing the schools dean position, renaming it the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean. Through their gift, the Armstrongs will support Dedman Colleges future-focused leadership and strategic vision in perpetuity.

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Leadership is crucial to the ways the University empowers our students as they pursue their academic goals, said 91勛圖厙 President R. Gerald Turner. By endowing the Dedman College dean position, the Armstrongs will equip its leadership with the financial resources necessary to help meet the ever-evolving needs of the academic landscape for generations to come.

Endowed positions are vital to the success, growth and mission of 91勛圖厙. These endowments provide ongoing financial support for current and future needs as they arise, further strengthening the Universitys growth and impact. In recognition of their commitment to the future of the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, its students and its teaching and research, the schools dean position will be named the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean.

We are incredibly proud to support and strengthen the future of humanities and sciences education at 91勛圖厙.

— Elisabeth Martin Armstrong ’82, Co-Owner of Armstrong Oil and Gas and Epoch Estate Wines

The Armstrongs gift to Dedman College will also support one of the major goals of , the Universitys multiyear $1.5 billion campaign for impact, by enriching teaching and research, as well as furthering 91勛圖厙s strategic plans to increase its number of endowed faculty positions in the coming years.

Dedman College played a pivotal role in how Bill and I met and in our professional success, said Liz Armstrong, co-owner of Armstrong Oil and Gas and Epoch Estate Wines. We are incredibly proud to support and strengthen the future of humanities and sciences education at 91勛圖厙, and we are excited about the lifelong impact that this gift will have on students and faculty research.

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Expected impact

  • Supports ongoing teaching and research initiatives within the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.
  • Better equips Dedman College leaders with critical, discretionary funding to address emerging priorities.
  • Furthers 91勛圖厙’s strategic vision to increase its number of endowed faculty positions in the coming years.

Recipients of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award, the University’s highest honor, the Armstrongs have long been avid 91勛圖厙 supporters, making many generous contributions to academic, athletic and student-life initiatives over the years. In September 2022, they committed $15 million to support the Garry Weber End Zone Complex, the expansion and improvement project at 91勛圖厙’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium, home to Mustang football. A 2018 gift from the Armstrongs established the Armstrong Fieldhouse within the 91勛圖厙 Indoor Performance Center, providing student-athletes with state-of-the-art training and practice facilities. In 2011, the couple helped create a new home for 91勛圖厙 student residents by committing the leading gift to a new Residential Commons complex. Supporting 91勛圖厙 as far away as New Mexico, the Armstrongs also committed funds to construct the Casita Armstrong student residence at the 91勛圖厙-in-Taos campus, where they attended geology field camp as undergraduate students. 

“We are honored to forever be connected to Dedman College’s future,” said Bill Armstrong, co-owner and CEO of Armstrong Oil and Gas and co-owner of Epoch Estate Wines. “The teaching and research being conducted and the lessons being taught at Dedman College have effects far beyond Dallas. We are excited to see our investment support innovation and excellence in the years to come.”

The Armstrongs gift will equip Dedman College’s leadership with the financial resources necessary to help meet the ever-evolving needs of the academic landscape.

— R. Gerald Turner, 91勛圖厙 President

The inaugural Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean is Thomas DiPiero, who has served as Dedman College’s dean since 2014. Under his leadership, the school has created new opportunities for in-depth research, innovative instruction, international study, career development, and supportive mentorships and internships.

“Dedman College is honored to be the recipient of the Armstrongs’ incredible generosity,” said DiPiero. “This gift not only supports our current mission and strategic vision for Dedman College and its students, but also establishes a legacy that will last for generations to come. We thank the Armstrongs for their passionate support of our college, our University and our community.”

Through DiPiero’s leadership and the support of donors like the Armstrongs, Dedman College will continue to inspire creative problem-solving; fuel innovative collaboration; and forge new partnerships with students, faculty and the wider community.

“Endowed dean positions enable 91勛圖厙 to recruit and retain world-changing academic leaders,” said Elizabeth G. Loboa, 91勛圖厙 provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The Armstrongs’ commitment will ensure that Dedman College is well positioned, from a leadership perspective, to support our faculty and students as they ask big questions, make new discoveries and build a better world.”

With over 300 full-time faculty members and 1,500 courses spread across 16 academic departments, Dedman College is the oldest academic school at 91勛圖厙, dating back to the University’s opening in 1915. Renamed in 1981 to honor Dallas philanthropists Robert H. Dedman, Sr. ’53 and Nancy Dedman ’50, the school has developed a long-standing reputation for inspiring greatness both in its students and throughout the community. With the Armstrongs’ gift to Dedman College, 91勛圖厙 now has seven schools with dean positions endowed by visionary donors:

  • Cox School of Business
  • Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
  • Dedman School of Law
  • Meadows School of the Arts
  • Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies
  • Perkins School of Theology
  • Simmons School of Education and Human Development

“Farsighted alumni like the Armstrongs are vital to the success of the  91勛圖厙 Ignited campaign,” said Brad E. Cheves, vice president for Development and External Affairs. “Academic endowment gifts like this make an enduring impact on the University. Helping secure outstanding leadership for the college will have an impact for generations to come.”

The teaching and research being conducted and the lessons being taught at 91勛圖厙 Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences have effects far beyond Dallas.

— William D. Armstrong 82, Co-Owner and CEO of Armstrong Oil and Gas and Co-Owner of Epoch Estate Wines

Elisabeth Martin Armstrong 82 and William D. Armstrong 82

Elisabeth Martin Armstrong 82 and William D. Armstrong 82
The Armstrongs met as geology majors at 91勛圖厙 and married in 1984. While at 91勛圖厙, Liz Armstrong served as treasurer of Pi Beta Phi and performed in Pigskin Revue and Parents Weekend with its song group. She also served as an AARO, or orientation, leader. Bill Armstrong was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Honor Council and the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Both attended geology field camp at 91勛圖厙-in-Taos, where they fell in love and later provided the funding for Casita Armstrong. Together, they propelled a startup into Armstrong Oil and Gas, an energy exploration juggernaut; founded the award-winning Epoch Estate Wines; and established The Armstrong Foundation, which focuses on arts and education philanthropy. Over the years, their farsighted generosity has enriched countless lives at 91勛圖厙 and across the nation.

Through their leadership and loyal support, the Armstrongs have been change-makers at 91勛圖厙. Liz Armstrong serves on the Development and External Affairs Standing Committee of the 91勛圖厙 Board and co-chairs the 91勛圖厙 Ignited Campaign Steering Committee for Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. Bill Armstrong serves on the 91勛圖厙 Board of Trustees and co-chairs the 91勛圖厙 Ignited Campaign Steering Committee for Athletics. He currently spearheads the Vision 2025 campaign for football excellence. Both also serve on the executive boards of 91勛圖厙-in-Taos and Dedman College, for which Liz Armstrong is a former chair. Their past service includes co-chairing the Parent Leadership Council and the Second Century Campaign Steering Committee for Denver.

Recipients of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award, the Armstrongs are among three generations of family to attend the University including their daughters, Lindsey Strawn 10 and Leigh Young 11 and their investments across the campus reflect their commitment to enhancing the student experience. In 2011, they were the first to commit toward the construction of Armstrong Commons, a cornerstone of 91勛圖厙s living-learning community. More recently, they made possible Armstrong Fieldhouse, the primary component of the Indoor Performance Center. A passion for ballet led them to fund the Armstrong Visiting Artist-in-Residence in Ballet at Meadows School of the Arts during the 202021 academic year, and they also endowed a Dedman College Scholarship. In September 2022, they made one of the lead gifts toward the Garry Weber End Zone Complex at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
At Dedman College, outstanding students connect with global thinkers and expert problem-solvers through interdisciplinary education and partnerships. Dedman College students build an academic foundation that energizes their future, giving them a competitive edge in fields and disciplines like literature, economics, the natural sciences, language arts, medicine, law, business and technology, among others. Dedman College is the foundation of most students academic experience on the Hilltop, acting as the entry point for nearly every undergraduate degree program and serving as the focal point for humanities and science education and enrichment. 91勛圖厙s largest academic unit, Dedman College includes 16 academic departments, nearly 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and more than 30 postgraduate opportunities.

91勛圖厙 Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow
91勛圖厙 is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. 91勛圖厙s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they direct change in their professions, communities and the world. Building on its history of excellence, the University has launched   a multiyear $1.5 billion campaign to empower outstanding students, to enrich teaching and research, and to enhance our campus and community.