$150 million latest gift to school of architecture from Matthew and Joyce Walsh raises their giving over $210 million

The University of Notre Dame has announced that its School of Architecture will be renamed the Matthew and Joyce Walsh School of Architecture in recognition of a landmark $150 million donation from the couple.

Matthew Walsh, a 1968 graduate of the university who chaired the School of Architecture Advisory Council from 2004 to 2021, and his wife Joyce have been central supporters of the program for nearly three decades.

Their philanthropy to Notre Dame now totals at least $210 million, including a $33 million gift for the construction of Walsh Family Hall, which opened in 2018, a $27 million commitment in 1997 to support academic expansion, and contributions to the renovation of the school’s Rome facility in 2014.

Reflecting on their decades-long involvement, Matthew Walsh said he and Joyce were introduced to the school in 1996 and described the experience as “transformational.”

He expressed hope that their gift would secure Notre Dame’s place as a global leader in architectural education and inspire future generations of architects.

Stefanos Polyzoides, dean of the School of Architecture, praised the Walshes for their vision and commitment, calling them “extraordinary human beings” and “profoundly important Catholics in the life of the University and the community.”

He noted that Notre Dame’s architecture program, distinct in its classical approach and emphasis on enduring values, will not alter its curriculum but rather strengthen and expand its initiatives through this gift.

Among the school’s priorities are programs in preservation, resilience, sustainability, housing and community regeneration, adaptive design, and the Mediterranean Studies Initiative, all of which may benefit from the Walsh donation.

The Walsh Foundation, which holds assets of about $182.8 million and distributes over $10 million annually to educational, religious, and civic causes, has long emphasized education as a central focus.

Founded as a department in 1889 and established as an independent school in 1994, Notre Dame’s architecture program has distinguished itself by holding firm to a unique pedagogy for nearly four decades.

Polyzoides described the Walsh gift as a reinforcement of that mission: to train architects who not only build but also shape a more just and beautiful world.