Oakland University Board Member Dennis Pawley and his wife, Carlotta, donated $4 million to the university to name the School of Education and Human Services building Carlotta and Dennis Pawley Hall. The naming will be made official, pending board approval, at the board’s Feb. 4 meeting.

“Dennis and Carlotta Pawley are lifelong friends of Oakland University, and this tremendous gift is further testament to their love of and commitment to Oakland and to allowing our students to pursue their dreams,” said OU President Gary Russi. “Pawley Hall certainly will be among the many lasting legacies the Pawleys have bestowed upon Oakland University.”

In February 2002, the Pawleys funded a $1 million endowment to establish the Pawley Lean Learning Institute on Oakland’s campus. The Pawleys also are members of the Varner Society, an organization that recognizes donors to the university who have contributed between $5 million and $10 million.

“I hope this bequest not only will inspire others to support the university but also help take some of the mystery out of planned giving. I encourage others to engage in a planning and prioritizing process with a financial planner who can help with estate planning and directing funds to specific charities and organizations that have personal meaning,” Pawley said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to let one’s legacy live on. For me, my number one estate planning priority is the future well being of my family. With that secured, the number one organization on my list is the number two love of my life and that’s this university.”

Pawley is a graduate of Oakland’s School of Education and Human Services (SEHS) and a former executive vice president of Chrysler Corporation. He served on the Oakland University Foundation Board of Directors from 1993-96 and 1999-2002, and he served on the Board of Trustees from August 1996-December 1998 and from 2002-present.

“Dennis and Carlotta Pawley care deeply about Oakland University and have consistently demonstrated their support, not only through gifts and endowments, but by being actively involved in organizations and endeavors that enhance the Oakland University environment and experience,” said Mary Otto, dean of the SEHS. “The Pawleys’ commitment to the university will benefit generations of students to come.”