Former Walmart chairman creates new school at ASU with record $115 million donation

PHOENIX — A new school aimed at protecting the future of our planet will be created at Arizona State University thanks to a record-setting donation made by former Walmart chairman Rob Walton, the university announced Monday.

Walton is donating $115 million to ASU, which is the largest donation in school history. It will be used in part to create the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures, which will be housed within the College of Global Futures.

“Nature doesn’t recognize borders,” Walton said in a press release. “To protect ecosystems, we need international cooperation, innovative leadership and a skilled workforce.”

Walton’s donation was announced Monday during a “Climate Week” event at the Concordia annual summit in New York City.

The donation was made as part of the university’s Changing Futures campaign, which was launched in April and runs until June 30, 2029. The goal of the campaign is to “prepare future leaders to solve the complex challenges facing society every day,” according to ASU.

Along with creating the new school, Walton’s donation will also be used to:

• Rename the College of Global Futures to the Rob Walton College of Global Futures.
• Create the Rob Walton Chair, which will lead the Walton School of Conservation Futures.
• Create three professor positions that will support research, education activities and professional development.
• Create the Rob Walton Scholars scholarship fund, which will provide full and partial scholarships to students.

“It is a worthy honor for all that Rob has done,” Crow said. “His long-standing support has been critically important to ASU’s leadership and growth in sustainability.”

Walton and his wife, Melani, have been supporting ASU since 2006, when they joined the board of directors for sustainability at ASU.

Since then, the couple has made several donations to the university, including a $27.5 million donation in 2012 to help accelerate sustainability efforts. ASU’s Center for Planetary Health was named after the Waltons in 2019 due to their commitment to the university.

 

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The couple also donated $5 million to the Arizona Humane Society in 2022. The society’s Papago Park campus is named in their honor.

What programs will be offered at the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures?

The School of Conservation Futures will offer graduate and undergraduate degrees and will work with employers in the conservation industry to create pathways into the workforce, according to ASU.

The university also plans for the school to offer certificates and credentials that will be tailored for jobs in conservation organizations, government agencies and other related companies and industries.

ASU will also launch the Conservation Futures Academy later this year, which will offer training programs and certificates for high school students, working students and corporate executives. The program will aim to help all of those people learn how to lead conservation efforts in their communities and around the world.

Walton wants his new school at ASU to allow students to gain tools, knowledge and networks that will help them take conservation efforts to new levels.

“Students bring fresh ideas, energy and innovation. They’re the next generation of leaders, researchers and advocates,” Walton said in a media release. “By getting involved now — through research, advocacy or fieldwork — they gain the skills to drive real change. We need their voices and commitment to sustain a healthy planet.”

Who is Rob Walton?

Walton is the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton and ran the retail giant from 1992, when his father died, until his retirement in 2015.

He remained on Walmart’s Board of Directors until 2024. The company is now run by his son-in-law, Greg Penner.

In 2022, Walton led a group that purchased the NFL’s Denver Broncos for $4.7 billion. He transferred controlling ownership of the franchise to Penner in 2023.

According to Forbes, Walton and his family have a net worth of more than $120 billion, which ranks as the 13th highest in the world, as of Tuesday.

Walton is the Chair of the Board for African Parks Foundation, USA, a conservation nonprofit that works to protect 23 parks in 13 countries in Africa.

He is also a member of the board of directors for Conservation International, which works to protect natural areas around the world.

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