FAU’s College of Business to Celebrate the Dedication of Phil Smith Hall and Center for Free Enterprise

Florida Atlantic University will celebrate the dedication of Phil Smith Hall and the Center for Free Enterprise at FAU’s College of Business with a special unveiling ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m., at the Sean Stein Pavilion in the College of Business, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.

FAU President John Kelly and Daniel Gropper, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business, will speak at the event.

The $5 million gift from Phil and Susan Smith to establish the Center for Free Enterprise and name Phil Smith Hall is the largest gift to the College of Business in FAU’s history. The main tower at the College will be named Phil Smith Hall in honor of the FAU alumnus. The Hall and Center will be dedicated to Smith’s legacy and the many positive contributions he made to business and society. 

Smith, a leading Broward County businessman and philanthropist, died in December 2016 after suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise will support the vision and strategic plan of the College of Business to advance thought leadership in business, adding chaired professorships and supporting research and educational programs for faculty members and students. The Center will also support distinguished visiting faculty along with a lecture series and other educational programs focused on the principles of free enterprise and how those principles affect growth and prosperity. Faculty will conduct research and develop programs based on the business philosophy and principles that guided Smith over his career.

A native of South Florida, Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 1969 from FAU’s College of Business. He was president and CEO of Phil Smith Management, Inc., operating 11 automobile dealership locations representing 25 franchises in Florida and North Carolina; as well as the Coral Ridge Country Club. For more than 30 years, Smith managed auto dealerships and built his organization from the ground up, starting from his first equity venture in a Toyota dealership in Homestead in 1980.

Smith was a member of the FAU Foundation Board and was named a distinguished alumnus of the College of Business in 2015.

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