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Dwyane Wade Makes $3 Million Gift to Grow Literacy

Marquette alumnus, NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade makes $3 million gift to grow literacy, add scholarships and enhance men’s basketball.

Earlier this year, Marquette University alumnus and NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade committed to a $3 million gift that will make a major impact on three areas at the university.

The gift will extend the Tragil Wade-Johnson Summer Reading Program, establish the Wade Scholars, and support a new men’s basketball practice facility in a future expansion of the university’s Athletic and Human Performance Research Center.

“Marquette shaped me into the person I am today. It means a great deal to me and my family to be able to give back to take the university to the next level,” Wade said. “My hope is to continue to transform lives through higher education.”

The three-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist and entrepreneur served as Marquette’s 2022 undergraduate Commencement speaker, receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

A portion of Wade’s gift will establish the Wade Scholars, benefiting low-income, high-achieving students. Two students per year will receive full room and board scholarships for their first two years on campus.

The university’s Student Success Initiative has highlighted the importance of living on campus, which allows students to live the full Marquette experience without the educational, psychological, and social ramifications of struggling with housing or commuting.

Wade, who in 2003 led Marquette to the Final Four, is also committing a portion of his gift to a future project to expand the university’s Athletic and Human Performance Research Center, which will include a new practice facility for the men’s basketball program. In recognition of this leadership gift, Marquette will name the men’s basketball practice facility court the Dwyane Wade Court.