Butler University announced today that Trustee Rebecca Graham Paul ʼ70, MS ʼ75 has committed $12 million to the University through a future estate gift to support Butler Athletics. The gift, announced on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, is the largest documented estate commitment in University history and the largest gift ever to Butler Athletics. Inspired by her own Butler experience and a desire to create opportunities for future Butler student-athletes, Paul has designated the majority of her gift to create the Rebecca Graham Paul ’70, MS ’75 Endowed Fund for Women’s Athletics Excellence, which will provide support for priority initiatives within the University’s 12 Women’s Athletics programs, including the cheer and dance teams.
“I was a gymnast and physical education major at Butler in an era when women had limited career opportunities,” Paul said. “Butler taught me to think strategically, to have confidence, and to pursue any opportunity I wanted.”
Paul is the President and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation and Immediate Past President of the World Lottery Association. She has served on the Butler Board of Trustees since 2019. Along with the fund to provide specific support for Women’s Athletics initiatives, another significant portion of Paul’s gift will be used to establish the Rebecca Graham Paul ’70, MS ’75 Athletics Leadership Academy Endowed Fund. The newly established Academy will provide leadership programming for all Butler student-athletes. Though the commitment will be funded largely through her estate, Paul is launching the Fund for Women’s Athletics Excellence and Athletics Leadership Academy activities through a current-use gift that will allow today’s student-athletes to also benefit from the support.
“Rebecca’s incredible generosity and leadership will benefit Butler student-athletes for decades to come,” Grant Leiendecker, Vice President and Director of Athletics, said. “Her passion for developing women leaders through sport is inspiring, and we could not be more grateful for her support. This commitment comes at a time when the funding model of intercollegiate athletics is under immense pressure. Rebecca’s support will make a transformational impact on Butler Athletics and the development of future Bulldog leaders.”
Paul’s gift will elevate the support and opportunities available to all Butler student-athletes. With more than 500 student-athletes participating in the University’s 20 NCAA Division I intercollegiate Athletics programs, Butler Athletics represents 12 percent of the Butler undergraduate student population. In addition to their success in competition, Butler student-athletes registered a department-wide GPA of 3.3 or higher in 12 consecutive semesters. Eighty-nine (89) student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA during the Fall 2024 semester.
The gift will be publicly celebrated during an on-court recognition with Paul in attendance at Hinkle Fieldhouse during both the Men’s Basketball game on Saturday, February 8, against Providence and during the Women’s Basketball game on Sunday, February 9, against Marquette.
A portion of Paul’s gift will also establish the Terry Paul ’68 Memorial College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Endowed Scholarship in memory of Paul’s late husband, who earned his Master of Arts in History and Political Science from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1968. The scholarship will support a political science major.
Along with her service on Butler’s Board of Trustees, Paul has also previously served on the Alumni Board and the Jordan College of the Arts Dean’s Advisory Council. She is a 1998 recipient of the Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award. Prior to her work with the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, Paul led the Illinois, Florida, and Georgia lotteries, successfully launching the lotteries in three of the four states.
“We are deeply grateful to Rebecca Graham Paul for her extraordinary generosity and steadfast commitment to Butler University,” Butler President James Danko said. “Her transformational gift will not only elevate our women’s athletics programs but also inspire future generations of female student-athletes to excel both on and off the field of play. As a proud alumna, Rebecca’s leadership reflects the very best of Butler’s engaged and successful alumni base, and her dedication will leave a lasting legacy of opportunity and excellence.”
Philanthropic gifts fuel our mission. The Office of University Advancement exists to match the Butler community’s philanthropic interests with University needs in support of our strategic direction. Make a gift today or learn more about Butler’s current giving priorities.