Marshall University has announced a historic $50 million gift from President Brad D. Smith and First Lady Alys Smith to advance Marshall For All, a groundbreaking program designed to eliminate student debt.
The milestone gift is the largest bestowed to the university, and is the largest personal contribution made by a sitting university president to their own institution.
“We are honored to support Marshall University and the Marshall For All program with this gift,” the Smiths said. “Our ‘why’ is simple: to level the playing field in West Virginia and Appalachia. We hope this gift ensures that every student with the dream of an advanced degree has the opportunity and support to achieve it — while also showing what’s possible for the future of higher education in our region and beyond.”
President Smith, a 1986 graduate of Marshall’s Lewis College of Business, began his tenure in January 2022. He was installed as the university’s 38th president during his investiture on Sept. 16, 2022 — a date chosen to honor the birthday of his late father. It was at his investiture that he first announced the Marshall For All program.
“Three years ago, on my father’s birthday, I stood in front of James E. Morrow Library and made a commitment to this university and the people of West Virginia that one day all Marshall students will be able to graduate debt-free,” President Smith said. “My father and mother have always been and remain my moral compass. They committed to providing an opportunity for their children to attend college and sacrificed to ensure my brothers and I could do so. It was a promise made and kept. Alys and I are blessed to transform that promise into the privilege to pay it forward. This gift is our promise to make that dream a reality for others who possess the aspiration and the grit to try.”
About the Marshall For All program
Launched in 2023, Marshall For All allows students to combine scholarships, grants, work opportunities and family contributions to earn their bachelor’s degree without the need for student loans, making it possible for students to graduate with little to no debt.
Marshall aims to expand the program over the next decade with the goal of ensuring all students can graduate debt-free by the university’s bicentennial in 2037.
The program offers two distinct pathways:
- Marshall For All: Debt-Free – A debt-free bachelor’s degree plus real-world experience for randomly selected West Virginia and Metro-Area Students.
- Marshall For All: Tuition-Free WV – Covers full tuition and fees for West Virginia students with a family income below $65,000
There are nearly 400 Marshall For All: Debt-Free students, with many more enrolled in the Tuition Free-WV program. Since its launch, Marshall For All students have achieved higher GPAs (+8%) and retention rates (+9%) compared to their peers. Of those in the program, 69% are the first in their families to attend college (first generation students), just as President Smith and his brothers were.
“It is with tremendous gratitude that we share Brad and Alys’ transformative gift in support of Marshall For All,” said Nico Karagosian, president and CEO of the Marshall University Foundation. “The Smiths are visionary partners who believe deeply in the power of accessible and affordable education for students across West Virginia and Appalachia. Their generosity propels us closer to our goal of eradicating student debt by 2037, Marshall’s 200th anniversary, while setting a new standard in higher education.”
About the Smiths
President Smith grew up in Kenova, West Virginia, nearly 10 miles from Marshall’s main campus in Huntington. In addition to his bachelor’s degree, President Smith earned a master’s degree in management from Aquinas College.
Before returning to the Mountain State to lead his alma mater, President Smith served as CEO of Intuit, the Silicon Valley-based software company, from 2008-2019. In October 2021, President Smith was elected to his current role in a unanimous vote by Marshall’s Board of Governors.
In addition to his role at Marshall, President Smith currently serves on the boards of Amazon and JPMorgan Chase and co-chairs the Southern Regional Education Board’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence in Education.
First Lady Smith is a native of Akron, Ohio. She received her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and a juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law. She previously worked for the Ohio Attorney General and several private firms. She later founded Better2Mediate, offering mediation as an alternative to litigation. She currently works as a Guardian ad Litem representing foster kids in abuse and neglect cases.
First Lady Smith has dedicated her career to advancing justice and equity, working with nonprofits focused on education, adolescent counseling and advocacy for women and children. She also serves on the boards of the Education Alliance, The Clay Center for the Arts, The Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) and the West Virginia First Foundation. She also founded the Marshall University BOLD Leadership Academy, designed to empower women with the tools and confidence to lead with purpose.
In 2023, First Lady Smith founded the Women Warriors Summit in Huntington. This one-day, annual event aims to inspire and celebrate the women of West Virginia. The event involves educational training, panel discussions and keynote speakers, including Nicole Kidman and Trisha Yearwood, who spoke at the first two summits. This year’s Women Warriors Summit is Oct. 24 at the Marshall Health Network Arena with Hoda Kotb serving as the keynote speaker.
Advancing economic impact in West Virginia
The Smiths have a history of philanthropy. Previous gifts to Marshall include a $10 million gift in 2015 to fund the Brad and Alys Family Scholarship Endowment, and $25 million in 2018 for the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation, which opened its doors in January 2024. January 2024. They have also made gifts to restore the University President’s Home and opened the home to the public for its 100th anniversary, as well as supported various campus projects from new band uniforms to mark the 100th anniversary of the Marching Thunder, to returning the tradition of green helmets in Marshall’s historic football program.
The Smiths’ lifetime giving to Marshall now surpasses $90 million, making them the university’s largest donors.
In 2019, the Smiths co-founded the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, which supports educational, entrepreneurial and environmental opportunities in Appalachia.
In 2020, the Smiths gave $25 million to fund the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) at West Virginia University, which focuses on inspiring students through experiential learning in the arts and sciences.
In 2021, the OEDC launched the Ascend West Virginia program to support remote workers relocating to the state. In 2023, it expanded with First Ascent West Virginia, aimed at retaining recent graduates and young professionals in remote and hybrid careers.
About Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded as Marshall Academy in 1837 and achieved university status in 1961. It is named for John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States. Classified as an R2 doctoral university for high research activity, it enrolls approximately 12,300 students across undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
To help support this transformational gift, visit our annual giving page for Marshall For All.
