The University of Notre Dame's School of Architecture has received a transformative $150 million donation from alumni Matthew and Joyce Walsh, marking the largest gift in the 160-year history of American architectural education. This unprecedented investment will significantly expand the school's global reach, research capacity, and long-term vision while positioning it to influence architectural education and practice for generations to come.
In recognition of this landmark contribution, the school will be renamed the Matthew and Joyce Walsh School of Architecture at Notre Dame. University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. expressed deep gratitude for the gift, stating, "We could not be more grateful for the tremendous generosity and extraordinary vision of Matt and Joyce, who through their leadership and support have ensured that the School of Architecture at Notre Dame will be among the very best in the world for generations to come."
The donation builds upon the Walsh family's longstanding commitment to the university and the architecture program. In 2013, they provided a $33 million gift to construct the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture, a 100,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2018. The building emphasizes architectural character, long-term sustainability, and energy conservation, and is located in the University's Arts Gateway alongside O'Neill Hall, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, the Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park, and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.
John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University, emphasized the gift's significance in advancing Notre Dame as a leading global Catholic research university. "Through the support of the Walsh family, our School of Architecture – widely renowned for its classical and new urbanist approach to the discipline – has an opportunity to build its already prestigious program in ways that will influence the teaching and practice of architecture in our country and around the world," McGreevy said.
Stefanos Polyzoides, the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of the School of Architecture, described the gift as an endorsement of the school's unique pedagogical approach. He noted that the donation affirms the school's commitment to "designing beautiful, durable and resilient buildings that improve the way we live together in flourishing cities and in balance with nature." Polyzoides added that the gift ensures the school will be "the only school of its kind in the world with the resources to match its ambitions of academic and professional excellence."
Matthew Walsh, who earned a bachelor's degree in English from Notre Dame in 1968 and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1972, served as chair of the School of Architecture Advisory Council from 2004 to 2021. Joyce Walsh completed a bachelor's degree in French from Barat College and has dedicated her time to raising their family while serving as a volunteer leader with Saint Ignatius College Prep. The couple has three grown children: Matthew IV, Sean, and Erin, with strong family ties to Notre Dame continuing through their daughter Erin and son-in-law Mike Gibbons, both 1998 Notre Dame graduates.
Reflecting on their three-decade relationship with the school, Matthew Walsh explained their motivation for the historic gift. "Joyce and I were introduced to the School of Architecture in 1996 by Andy McKenna Sr., then chairman of Notre Dame's Board of Trustees," he said. "Our goal in making this gift is to ensure that the Notre Dame School of Architecture continues to lead architecture across the world and the creation of world-class environments."
After law school, Matt Walsh joined Walsh Construction, the Chicago-based family business founded by his Irish immigrant grandfather, Matthew Myles Walsh, in 1898. He and his brother Dan co-chair the firm alongside all of their adult children. Walsh Construction has grown into a national leader in the construction industry, undertaking major transformational projects in most leading U.S. cities and ranking among the largest builders of major infrastructure in North America.
The School of Architecture at Notre Dame was also established in 1898, the same year as Walsh Construction, making it the first such program at an American Catholic college or university. The school offers a distinctive five-year bachelor's degree program where students spend their entire third year at the University's facility in Rome. Additionally, the program provides master's degrees in architecture, urbanism, and historic preservation, with the school already recognized as a national leader in classical and new urbanist design approaches.
