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Michael Conway establishes legacy gift for the College of the Arts

UL Lafayette can take great pride in an alum like Michael Conway ('85). For Conway, the feeling is mutual. "I would not be where I am today, were it not for my education at USL," he said. Inspired by that feeling, he bequeathed funds in his will to create The Michael P. Conway Endowed Dean's Fund for the College of the Arts.

In the 1980s, Conway traveled to Lafayette from Mississippi as a transfer student – a transfer student with no resources. He recalls that Lafayette was in the midst of an oil "bust." He needed to borrow money for tuition and most local banks were not taking chances on anyone at that time, much less a college student! Conway was persistent and finally convinced a banker to loan him the money to finish a degree.

Once enrolled at USL, he never looked back. USL was a welcoming place to land. Faculty, to him, were more than instructors. They were his mentors. Wayne Moeller in the College of Business took Conway under his wing and convinced him to take a few art classes. Classes with Fred Daspit, Dutch Kepler, and Herman Mhire were exactly what he needed; they ignited a lifelong passion that enriches Conway's life today.

Conway led a successful career in Los Angeles, retiring at 58 as chief administrative officer for United Talent Agency. There, he spent 25 years building one of the world's largest talent agencies, representing artists in film, theater, television, gaming, books, broadcast news, digital media, fine arts, and music.

He is an avid art collector with an extensive collection that focuses on emerging and midcareer contemporary artists. Another great joy for Conway is serving as a mentor to students. Like so many of his professors at the University who inspired him, he now looks to inspire others as a way to pay it forward. He also now serves on the UL Lafayette Foundation Board of Trustees and College of the Arts Dean's Council.

He has been an invited speaker and lecturer at UL Lafayette and at universities around the country including USC, Stanford Law, University of Notre Dame, Harvard, Tufts, Brown, NYU and the University of Pennsylvania.

Conway's gratitude and spirit of mentorship have inspired him to make this lasting gift. These legacy funds will be invested, and the interest from that investment will be used to meet the most pressing needs of the College of the Arts each year, potentially including student scholarships and travel, faculty travel, equipment and software upgrades, visiting speakers and artists, program enhancements and departmental needs.

Conway's gift shows that talent can be recognized at any level - and investment can fulfill its potential.