The cost of putting a name on a law school has been under debate for some, but for the Southern Illinois University School of Law, it was sealed at a multi-million-dollar amount. John Simmons, founder of Simmons Hanly Conroy law firm and a member of the SIU board of trustees, together with his wife, Jayne Simmons, recently donated an astonishing $10 million to the law school, laying the groundwork for a potential renaming. With the university board’s approval due this April, the school is on its way to being rechristened as the Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School. Above The Law offers further insight into this significant donation.
In a statement cited by Law.com, John Simmons expressed that as a beneficiary of the university system, he sees this donation as an opportunity to reciprocate and contribute towards creating opportunities for others in southern Illinois. He further added, “We would really like people to look at Simmons Law School as an attainable place where they are welcome, they belong and they can thrive.”
According to Dean Camille Davidson of SIU Law, the “transformational gift” was a timely addition to the school’s 50th birthday celebrations. By advancing its mission on a larger scale, the law school hopes to make an even greater impact.
Together, this donation and anticipated name change represent an exciting chapter for the school’s future. Congratulations to everyone at what may soon be known as the SIU Simmons Law School.