Grateful Mustang Makes a Difference

As a senior in high school, John Trahan was set to attend one of several excellent universities. After a friend invited him to spend a cold and snowy weekend at SMU, he changed his mind and his life's direction. John fell in love with the SMU campus and the way it made him feel. That weekend he knew he had finally found the place he was supposed to be.

Once he arrived at SMU, John immersed himself in life on campus. He managed to balance a heavy load of accounting classes with leadership roles in his fraternity, the Student Foundation, the Student Judiciary Committee and as a resident assistant in Boaz Hall.

John's 30-year career in banking took him from Dallas to Houston and Los Angeles. Eventually, opportunity led him to Wall Street. While in New York, he found his alma mater was highly respected, and John always felt that his bachelor's degree from SMU "stood up very well" against the East Coast degrees found on "The Street."

Upon retiring from banking, John returned to Houston to serve as the chief financial officer for the Menil Collection and the Houston Zoo. He has recently been appointed as CFO for the Dallas Museum of Art.

Through these moves, John's affinity for SMU has never wavered. He remains a faithful Mustang football fan, served on the Alumni Board while living in California, was involved in the New York Alumni Chapter and served on the Campaign Steering Committee for the Second Century Campaign. John still has a deep passion for SMU and a desire to give back to the school that has given him so much. John didn't just want to give, he wanted to "give enough to make a difference" and to leave a legacy. Exploring various options, John determined that establishing an estate gift meant he could not only help one student, or a couple of students, but many students because his gift will continue to grow in perpetuity.

"I would encourage people to give thought to the fact that the gift lives on…It is a wonderful way to make sure your legacy is bold-faced for many years to come."

While John is looking forward to continuing his SMU commitment, he knows that, through his estate gift, someday SMU students will benefit from his hard work and experiences in their own pursuit of an excellent education.

You too can provide opportunities for future Mustangs. To learn more about ways to leave a planned gift to support your passion at SMU, please contact SMU's Office of Gift Planning at 214-768-1911 or giftplanning@smu.edu.