Auction Request Guidelines

Lecture schedule

All lectures begin at 8 p.m.

ANNE APPLEBAUM and GEORGE WILL with FAREED ZAKARIA
The Linda and Mitch Hart Lecture
Tuesday, October 6, 2026

LISA DAMOUR
The Goldman Sachs Lecture
Tuesday, October 20, 2026

JOSÉ ANDRÉS
The Gaedeke Group Lecture
Tuesday, November 10, 2026

ERIK WEIHENMYER
The Oncor Lecture
Tuesday, December 8, 2026

ZACK KASS
The Associa Lecture
Tuesday, February 2, 2027

ARTHUR BROOKS
Fifth Third Bank Lecture
Tuesday, March 2, 2027

SANNA MARIN
The Clements Foundation Lecture
Tuesday, April 6, 2027

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA
The Anita and Truman Arnold Lecture
Tuesday, May 11, 2027

The Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series receives numerous requests each year for donations to area schools, organizations and other non-profit associations and causes. Whenever possible, SMU is pleased to donate tickets to a Tate lecture to demonstrate our continuing support of local communities. There are certain guidelines set by the SMU Board of Trustees regarding requests for donations. Please familiarize yourself with these guidelines prior to submitting donation requests.

By resolution on the SMU Board of Trustees, we are restricted in the types of non-profit organizations we support. We support educational institutions and programs, including the parent associations of preschools and elementary, middle and high schools.

In addition, we process Auction requests twice annually, and the timing of your request and/or event may fall outside of our calendar. For your information, requests for tickets for fall events must be received by September 14, and for spring events by January 11.

Should your Auction Donation Request be approved, the Tate Staff will notify your organization in writing. A certificate will be provided to the Auction Chair for display at the event. It is then the responsibility of the purchaser of the auction item to contact the Tate Staff at SMU by the deadline specified on the certificate to claim their item. The item outlined on the certificate is very specific and only valid for the event stated.

Should you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please contact the Tate Office at 214-768-8283. We appreciate your interest in The SMU Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series, and wish you every success in your upcoming events.