OXFORD, Ohio — Miami University has announced the largest philanthropic commitment in its 217-year history, with the Farmer Family Foundation pledging up to $100 million to the Farmer School of Business over the next decade. University President Gregory Crawford announced the commitment Thursday, saying the foundation plans to contribute $55 million during the next three years. The gift is also among the three largest donations to a public undergraduate business school in the United States, according to Miami. The announcement comes as the university reaches the $1 billion fundraising goal of its *For love. For honor. For those who will.* campaign. “We are incredibly grateful to the Farmer family and the foundation for their unwavering dedication to our university,” Crawford said. The investment will support student success, career preparation, emerging technologies and experiential learning. It also includes a $25 million matching gift intended to encourage additional contributions to the business school. Farmer School of Business Dean Jenny Darroch said the funding will help students develop skills that meet changing workplace demands, including artificial intelligence and data technology. The school plans to expand opportunities for professional certifications, mentorship, global learning experiences and individualized career preparation. The Farmer family's relationship with Miami dates back decades. Richard T. “Dick” Farmer, a 1956 Miami graduate who founded what became Cintas Corporation, and his wife Joyce, a 1957 graduate, made a cornerstone gift to the business school in 1992.
The foundation later helped finance construction of the Farmer School of Business building in 2005. A subsequent $40 million gift was, at the time, the largest in Miami's history.
Scott Farmer, executive chairman of Cintas and the son of Dick and Joyce Farmer, said the latest investment continues his family's commitment to the university. “Our parents were shaped by their time at Miami, and a love of the university was passed down to their three children,” Farmer said. The Farmer School of Business serves more than 5,000 students and ranked 14th among public institutions in the 2026 *Poets&Quants* undergraduate business school rankings. Miami says the new commitment will help prepare future business leaders while expanding opportunities for generations of students.
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