SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business announced a $7.5 million commitment from the Cumming Foundation to establish the Ian M. Cumming Endowed Dean at the Eccles School. This transformational gift is a cornerstone of the recently launched Climb to Excellence, a five-year, $37 million fundraising campaign.

The Endowed Dean will function as a catalyst fund, providing the Dean with the flexibility to allocate capital to innovate at the pace of the school’s ambition. This commitment also unlocks $2.5 million in matching funds from the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation, to establish the Emma Eccles Jones Presidential Endowed Chair, which will be held by the Dean of the Eccles School. Together, these gifts total a $10 million deanship package, among the largest in the country for a business school.

“My family is proud to make this commitment alongside the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation and the Eccles family, whose leadership at this university and across Utah spans generations,” said David Cumming, chair of the Cumming Foundation. “Together, this $10 million partnership ensures the David Eccles School of Business has the resources to match its ambition.”

The Eccles School has experienced unprecedented growth over the past several years. This has accelerated the need for flexible capital that empowers the Dean to pilot bold ideas, seize emerging opportunities, and act with speed.

“The Ian M. Cumming Endowed Dean pays tribute to a legendary business leader in our community,” said Kurt Dirks, Dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, the ability to innovative and to be agile is a competitive advantage. This contribution will create catalytic capital for the Eccles School, providing the flexibility to invest in high-impact initiatives, move with speed, and launch programs that drive innovation.”

Examples of recent initiatives at the Eccles School that have required this type of catalytic capital include:

  • Accelerating AI initiatives across teaching, research, and applied learning 
  • Seeding a Business of Sports program, leveraging Utah’s tremendous sports and outdoor recreation ecosystem and the 2034 Olympics
  • Scaling a premier first-year student program to attract and retain top business students from Utah and around the country

In the longer-term, the endowed deanship will position the Eccles School to recruit bold and innovative leaders in the future. The endowed deanship also represents growth in permanent capital at the Eccles School, creating strategic security, supporting institutional ambition, and signaling that the Eccles School is strong, future-focused, and committed to excellence.

About the David Eccles School of Business

Founded in 1917, the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah is dedicated to driving student success through academic rigor, immersive real-world learning, and strong career outcomes. Located in one of the nation’s most dynamic regions for business and entrepreneurship, the school is shaped by a distinctive Mountain West ethos of growth, grit, and integrity.At the Eccles School, students don’t just earn a degree or learn business — they live it. Through a rigorous, integrated curriculum led by renowned faculty and hands-on experiences that translate knowledge into practice, graduates develop strong business fundamentals, durable skills, the mindset and confidence to lead with integrity creating impact across industries and communities. The school’s centers and institutes serve as a bridge between academics and the business community, connecting students to real-world opportunities while advancing applied research and partnerships that contribute to business and society.

Learn more at Eccles.Utah.edu.

About the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation

Emma Eccles Jones Foundation was established in 1971 to continue her generous support of Utah and its people. Since then, it has provided over $100 million dollars in support for organizations throughout the state of Utah including Utah State University’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education, Health & Human Services and the Edith Bowen Laboratory School, the Nature Conservatory, Madeleine Choir School Emma Eccles Jones Early Childhood Education Center, Ballet West Academy and Southern Utah University’s Emma Eccles Jones Preschool and Education Building. The Foundation, under the stewardship of board members Spencer F. Eccles, Fredrick Q. Lawson, Robert Hatch, Katie Eccles Burnett, Ellen Rossi, and James S. Jardine, has long been a supporter of the University of Utah. Emma’s impact can be felt across the University including creating the Emma Eccles Jones Endowment at the David Eccles School of Business.

Emma’s impact can be felt across the University of Utah’s campus including in the Emma Eccles Jones Medical Research Building, Emma Eccles Jones Nursing Research Center, Emma Eccles Jones Fine Arts House, Emma Eccles Jones Acme Lab at Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and establishing the Emma Eccles Jones “Teach for Utah” program at the College of Education to develop STEM teachers for the future.

About David Eccles

David Eccles (1849 – 1912) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential entrepreneurs and industrialists in the history of the American West. In 1863, when he was just 14 years old, David and his family immigrated to the US, leaving behind the abject poverty of Paisley, Scotland in search of a better life in the mountains of Utah. From an early age, David learned the value of hard work, helping to support his family by selling his blind father’s hand-carved kitchenwares up and down Ogden Canyon.

Those early years helped to shape David’s entrepreneurial future. As he grew into a young man, David sought opportunities to create something better for communities across the western states. Starting with a lumber business in Ogden Canyon, he went on to found more than 50 businesses in lumber, railroads, construction, banking, and mining, among others. His companies created thousands of jobs and played a significant role in the economic development of the region.

Known for his integrity and work ethic, David made deals on a handshake, and his word was his bond. He knew from experience that success comes from integrity, hard work and perseverance. Over his lifetime, David’s tenacity laid the foundation for tremendous prosperity for his family and his community. He was at the peak of his business success when he died of a heart attack in December of 1912 while running to catch a train to Ogden. He was recognized as one of the West’s most respected business leaders. David’s legacy lives on through his family and the businesses, institutions, and philanthropic foundations inspired by his example, including the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.