​​​​​​​The University of North Texas (UNT) is celebrating a $1 million gift that will attract and retain distinguished faculty at the G. Brint Ryan College of Business.

Joseph (Joe) and Lillian Ethridge, graduates and ardent supporters of UNT, established the Lillian and Joseph A. Ethridge Professorship in Accounting—a transformative legacy to support prominent faculty and their work.

Joe Ethridge, who graduated from the Ryan College of Business in 1963 with a BBA in Accounting and in 1967 with an MBA in Finance, and Lillian Ethridge, who graduated from the College of Education in 1972, have illustrated their dedication and passion toward the university for decades. From volunteering their time and expertise as board members, to establishing the Teach North Texas Scholarship—The Lillian and Joseph A. Ethridge Professorship in Accounting is one further example of their generous commitment to their alma mater.

“The Ethridge Professorship demonstrates the strongest commitment on the part of Joe and Lillian Ethridge to UNT and its Department of Accounting,” said Dr. Ananth Seetharaman, Don and Donna Millican Chair in Accounting. “It allows us to reward a faculty member who has a sustained record of research excellence and incentivizes them to continue in that trajectory.”

Dr. Jesse Robertson was selected as the inaugural Ethridge Professor of Accounting because of his vast experience in research and teaching excellence. Robertson is a recipient of the Ryan College of Business Teaching Innovation Award and has contributed several publications to Premier journals in the accounting field over the course of his tenure.

“It is a tremendous honor to be the inaugural holder of the Ethridge Professorship and be associated with the names of Joe and Lillian Ethridge, UNT alumni who have been extremely generous in their support of UNT and the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. I sincerely appreciate their generosity in creating this endowed position,” said Robertson.

The endowment will ultimately provide support in perpetuity for research and scholarly activities, administrative support and travel, as well as graduate and undergraduate research stipends—bringing national recognition to not just the accounting program, but the entire university.

“The Ethridge Professorship allows me to pursue additional opportunities that will improve the research reputation of UNT. These activities include submitting a paper for presentation at a prestigious, international conference and funding research as part of the Department of Accounting’s strategic objective of joint faculty/PhD student publications,” said Robertson.