In February 2005, the Tavis Smiley School of Communication officially opened at Texas Southern University in Houston, garnering national fanfare, especially because the ceremony and naming of the school came with a $1 million pledge from its namesake.

Four years later, there is talk of removing Tavis Smiley’s name from the institution. According to Wendy Adair, vice president of university development, such a drastic move is not likely, as negotiations are under way to re-establish a relationship with him.

Many press reports gave the impression that Smiley’s $1 million had already been donated. In actuality, the school has received only $50,000 from the television and radio personality, say school officials.

Sheryl Flowers, a spokeswoman for Smiley, said he met with the school’s new president, Dr. John Rudley. “As a result of the face-to-face meeting, Tavis agreed to resume the installments on his gift,” said Flowers, who added that Smiley requested the meeting.

Flowers said Smiley is optimistic about the future and was glad to have met with Dr. Rudley. She declined, however, to discuss the exact terms of the current agreement. 

Smiley, who has a Los Angeles-based foundation, originally committed $200,000 annually for five years. “In addition, he was going to help us raise funds through his corporate connections,” said Adair. To date, Smiley has donated only $50,000, while corporate donations totaling $200,000 have come from the Enterprise-Rent-a-Car Foundation, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, and Walmart.

So far, not much has filtered down to the students. The combined $250,000 went into an endowment, of which 4 percent annually is used for scholarships and internships for students enrolled in the school of communication.

The splashy 2005 opening of the Tavis Smiley School of Communication and its Tavis Smiley Center for Professional Media Studies was followed by years of turbulence at the university, including a two-year investigation involving former president Priscilla Slade.