Thomas D. Dee II. Photo courtesy website for The Council of Dee Fellows

(Back) Students perform with the Utah Philharmonia

WRITTEN BY EMERI FETZER

While it may seem at first glance that the driving pace of the academic setting leaves little room for dreaming beyond the syllabus, faculty in the College of Fine Arts are not just surviving — they’re inspired to do more.   

This is evidenced each year when the Council of Dee Fellows receives proposals for funding from the Dee Endowment for the Enhancement of Teaching. Proposals introduce trailblazing research, bold curriculum upgrades, masterclasses with acclaimed international guests, and opportunities for professional development. The ideas are as diverse as the disciplines they serve, but with a common aim: better education, for all.   

(Top to bottom) Janet T. Dee, Lawrence T. Dee, Thomas D. Dee II and his father, photographed with a portrait of Thomas’s grandfather, Thomas Duncombe Dee

It was 1989 when Thomas D. Dee II received a letter from then President Chase Peterson making a compelling case for supporting faculty to continue to grow their skills, which would in turn impact their students and their fields. This commitment to nurturing excellence at the U directly aligned with Dee’s values. Earlier, in 1982, the Thomas D. Dee II Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Genetics had laid the foundation for the Department of Human Genetics to lead the nation’s research. Now he had the opportunity to impact the arts and humanities, and in perpetuity. 

Today, this vital endowment has awarded nearly 400 grants totaling more than $2M. In the School of Music, a Dee Grant initiated a certificate program in music entrepreneurship. A feature length film, crewed entirely by Department of Film & Media Arts students, is now in production because of the funding. The School of Dance re-staged iconic works by George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham. A national printmaking symposium has filled the galleries in the Art building twice. Large-scale puppets built by students in masterclasses with professional puppet artists have enlivened theatre productions. 

Chances are, the more innovative things happening in any given year can be traced back to the support provided by Dee Grants. 

David and Tim Dee with their father, Thomas D. Dee II. Photo courtesy Dee family.

David and Tim Dee, sons of Thomas D. Dee II and his wife Elizabeth, have continued a long lineage of philanthropy, service, and art appreciation instilled in their childhood. The two co-chair the Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation which continues to support many areas of campus today.

“My brother and I were taught from the time we were very young that we had a responsibility to give back to the community in areas that we were passionate about,” David Dee reflected. “It was a very broad kind of mandate, but it's one that we've always carried forward.” 

David is the owner and president of David Dee Fine Arts, former director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the U, and earned his master’s degree in the U Department of Art & Art History. Under his leadership of the UMFA from 2002 to 2009, funds were raised to move the permanent collection into the new Marcia and John Price Museum Building. The collection was also expanded to include important American, European, Asian, and Egyptian works. 

He also led in establishing the Elizabeth Brown Dee Research Center at the museum, which has drawn the attention of international researchers. Education was a continued focus. David and his team successfully lobbied to join the statewide POPS art outreach program, a triumph that secured the UMFA’s place as one of the state’s most important and influential arts and culture organizations. 

David and his wife Karen have been deeply involved at the U not only as staff, donors, and patrons, but also as parents helping their own children discover the value of the arts. With three dancing daughters, they have been witnesses to, and stewards of, the extraordinary impact of Tanner Dance. Longtime supporters of Pioneer Theatre Company productions, they have also helped bring the newly completed Meldrum Theatre to fruition. Tim and his wife Candace continually support a myriad programs across campus, including the arts. Sustaining the university truly is a family affair. As the foundation reviews proposals each year, the next generation of Dee grandchildren are all active participants in the grantmaking process. 

U Dance students perform George Balanchine’s “Serenade” made possible by a Dee Grant.

Photo: Todd Collins

“There are many angles through which to participate in the arts,” Dee emphasized. “Sometimes it's professional, sometimes through volunteer work, sometimes philanthropy — and all of them are fulfilling in terms of the impact you can have on the community.”

In the School of Music, support from the Dee Foundation ensured the preservation of the custom-built Lively-Fulcher organ, and the flourishing of the organ program. Additionally, a Student Success Initiative made possible by the foundation funds proposals that promote student wellness. The program allows for panels and workshops that provide tools for stress reduction and self-care, heightening student performance and encouraging a strong community within the school, and has been tied to increased graduation rates. 

Authentic pride for the University is a contagious force behind the Dee family’s long legacy of support. 

“Philanthropy is one piece of a much bigger puzzle,” Dee said. “But as you begin partnerships with the University, you learn that catalytic change can happen. It is in these partnerships that the community is enriched, and lives are impacted.” ▪