Farmer Family Gives $100 Million to Miami U

The Farmer Family Foundation will contribute $100 million over the next decade to Miami University's Farmer School of Business.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Philanthropy

Red-brick academic hall with tall windows and a slate roof beyond an open green lawn, with a bare maple tree in the foreground under clear autumn light. — The Farmer Family Foundation will give Miami University $100 million over the next decade, the largest gift in the school's 217-year history, to support its Farmer School of Business. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Farmer Family Foundation will give $100 million to Miami University's Farmer School of Business over the next decade, with $55 million to be distributed over the next three years. The gift is the largest donation in Miami University's 217-year history and was announced by President Gregory Crawford at the State of the University address.

Why it matters

The donation is among the largest gifts in the university's history and is expected to expand opportunities for business students at the Farmer School, which serves more than 5,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. It builds on the Farmer family's prior support for the school's campus.

The Farmer Family Foundation's $100 million commitment includes $55 million scheduled for distribution over three years, with the remaining balance spread across the following seven years. The Farmer School of Business enrolls more than 5,000 students.

The players

Richard T. Farmer

Richard T. Farmer was a Miami University alumnus and the founder of Cintas, the uniform and business services company, whose family foundation is funding the gift.

Gregory Crawford

Gregory Crawford is the president of Miami University who announced the donation at the State of the University address.

The details

Miami University President Gregory Crawford announced the gift at the State of the University address on November 5. The foundation, established by late alum and Cintas founder Richard T. Farmer, is funding the gift, and the donation is projected to support industry certifications and global experiential learning for business students.

1956: Dick Farmer graduates from Miami University with a business degree.
1957: Joyce Farmer graduates from Miami University with an elementary education degree.
1968: Dick Farmer founds Cintas.
2005: Dick and Joyce Farmer fund construction of the Farmer School of Business building.
November 5, 2026: Gift announced at the State of the University address.

Philanthropy Track Record

The gift extends the Farmer family's prior support for the Farmer School of Business, which began with funding the school's building in 2005, into ongoing investment in academic programs. This continuity places the donation within a multi-decade pattern of alumni giving that has shaped the school's infrastructure.

The gift is designed to expand industry certifications and global experiential learning opportunities for current and future business students at Miami University. Students in the Farmer School's programs may see those new opportunities as the funds are disbursed over the coming years.

The takeaway

Sustained alumni philanthropy can shift a university's academic capacity over time, as the Farmer family's progression from building funding to program funding illustrates. The donation signals how targeted gifts can expand career-focused education for students.