A Joyful Reunion
SMU Couple Marries After Years Apart
On their wedding day, Boyd Lyles and Melanie Wright visited Dallas Hall where he had proposed.
After meeting at a mixer at the SMU Baptist Student Union in the fall of 1968, sophomore Boyd Lyles and freshman Melanie Wright spent many dates cruising in Boyd's 1964 Ford Falcon and listening to popular rock bands on cassette tape. They enjoyed their time at SMU, and after graduation, they went their separate ways and married others.
Melanie, a teacher who went on to become a lawyer, had a daughter who graduated from SMU. Boyd, an engineer turned doctor, had two children and busy medical practices in Texas and Colorado before moving back to Dallas to care for his aging mother.
When Boyd returned to Dallas, he and Melanie were single again and renewed their relationship. During one of their dates, Boyd took Melanie to the SMU campus, where he proposed to her on the steps of Dallas Hall.
The SMU influence on their union didn't stop there. At their March 2012 wedding at Perkins Chapel, 20 members of the Mustang Band serenaded them. They held their reception across Bishop Boulevard at the Meadows Museum, where guests were treated to a groom's cake adorned with a picture of Peruna.
With those shared memories and experiences, Melanie and Boyd continue to support SMU enthusiastically. Melanie has been a backer of the Mustang Club for many years and contributed to the new Chi Omega house in honor of her daughter. To express his appreciation for the quality of his education, Boyd added a gift to the University in his will, honoring his lifelong mentor, with a gift to the Harold Jeskey Scholarship Fund. This endowment provides tuition assistance primarily to chemistry undergraduates.
"I owe my professional success to him," Boyd says of the late professor, who was a beloved organic chemistry professor and department chair for more than 60 years. He also mentored many SMU students who went on to distinguished medical and dental careers.
Boyd and Melanie continue to be active in SMU activities. They enjoy the longstanding traditions of the University, like Pigskin Revue, as well as the newer pastimes, such as pregame "Boulevarding" in their designated space across from Cox School of Business.
SMU is grateful for this dedicated and loyal couple whose generosity benefits students today and will touch lives in the years to come. If you are interested in investing in future Mustangs through a planned gift, please reach out to SMU's Office of Gift Planning by phone at 214-768-1911 or by email at giftplanning@smu.edu.