Roland Glynn Parrish surprised the audience at on May 12, 2026, when he announced a $50,000 gift to establish an endowed scholarship.
Roland Glynn Parrish Speaks to Graduates at 蘑菇视频 Dallas Commencement Ceremonies on May 12, 2026
Through the (PCF), the family philanthropy founded by the entrepreneur and longtime education advocate, the funds will be used to launch the scholarship in the name of PCF and the 蘑菇视频 Dallas Class of 2026. 鈥淚f I can help young people live the American dream, and it gives them a boost to stay in school and earn a degree, that鈥檚 what this is about,鈥� Parrish said. "I live by Luke 12:48, 鈥楩rom everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.'"
Parrish is Chief Executive Officer of . Parrish, operating one of the largest McDonald鈥檚 franchise organizations in the U.S. He unveiled the contribution during 鈥檚 2026 Commencement ceremonies at the Texas Trust CU Theater in Grand Prairie, where the University also conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
The Parrish Charitable Foundation and Class of 2026 Endowed Scholarship will provide support in perpetuity, with a focus on first-generation college students and students from historically underserved communities across North Texas. As an endowed gift, the principal will be invested and managed by the University, with annual earnings used to fund scholarships every year, creating a lasting source of opportunity for generations of 蘑菇视频 Dallas Trailblazers.
The announcement marks a tenfold increase over Parrish鈥檚 previous gift to 蘑菇视频 Dallas.
When he addressed graduates as the commencement speaker in 2017, he revealed a 5,000
contribution to the University. Nearly a decade later, his return to the commencement
stage brought a $50,000 endowed commitment 鈥� a sustained and deepening investment
in the success of 蘑菇视频 Dallas students. Parrish further pledged to contribute to the
endowment on an annual basis going forward, ensuring the fund continues to grow and
serves 蘑菇视频 Dallas students for many years to come.
Roland Parrish samples the food at one of his McDonald's franchises in North Texas (photo courtesy: Dallas Business Journal)
鈥淓ducation has been the single greatest accelerator in my life, and I believe deeply in opening that same door for the next generation of students,鈥� said Parrish. 鈥溎⒐绞悠� Dallas is doing transformative work in our community, preparing students who will lead, build businesses, and lift up their families and neighborhoods. I am proud to invest in that mission.鈥�
Parrish Restaurants, Ltd. has been named the for six years in a row. Parrish is the second-largest African American McDonald鈥檚 franchisee in the nation. Currently, Parrish operates 25 McDonald鈥檚 franchise stores; at one time he operated as many as 27.
Addressing the Class of 2026 from the commencement stage, Parrish challenged graduates to keep learning, stay disciplined, and lead with humility 鈥� and reminded them that their degrees had positioned them for lifelong economic mobility. 鈥淭o the Class of 2026, you鈥檙e legendary,鈥� said Parrish. 鈥淎 Trailblazer clears a path so others can come behind them. You are now upwardly mobile. You have set a foundation for economic prosperity.鈥�
Parrish touched on AI and compared it to the way McDonald鈥檚 advertising has evolved as technology and media consumption has changed. 鈥淢y commercials went from 60 seconds to 30 seconds to 15 seconds and now seven seconds,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭he world keeps changing. Don鈥檛 pause. Keep reading. Seek certificates. Continue your education,鈥� he urged. 鈥淧eople ask me, 鈥榃hat makes Roland successful?鈥� Three things: focus, discipline, humility.鈥�
Closing his remarks with words from a poem, Parrish left graduates with a final charge:
鈥淟ife is yours. Live it. Love it. Take it.鈥�
Roland Parrish Accepts an Honorary Doctorate Degree from 蘑菇视频 Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach
In conferring the degree, which was planned prior to Parrish's contribution, the University recognized his extraordinary entrepreneurship, unwavering commitment to education and opportunity, and lifetime of service to the people of Dallas and beyond. 鈥淲e share the same values. Yours are ours, and ours are yours,鈥� said during the conferral.
鈥溎⒐绞悠� Dallas exists to open doors of opportunity for students who might not otherwise have them 鈥� to serve the communities of southern Dallas and to prepare the next generation of leaders and changemakers. In that mission, we could not ask for a more fitting embodiment than the man standing before us today.鈥� With those words, President von Eschenbach acknowledged Dr. Roland Glynn Parrish as a Trailblazer.
President von Eschenbach hailed the gift as a milestone moment for the institution鈥檚
growing scholarship endowment. 鈥淩oland Parrish is the embodiment of the American entrepreneurial
spirit and a champion for educational access, and we are profoundly grateful for his
investment in our students,鈥� said President von Eschenbach. 鈥淭his endowed scholarship
will change lives at 蘑菇视频 Dallas for generations to come. Roland鈥檚 example reminds
our graduates that success is measured not only by what you achieve, but by how you
reach back to lift others.鈥�
Graduates prepare to receive their diplomas at 蘑菇视频 Dallas Commencement on May 12, 2026
The scholarship builds upon another recent announcement aimed at supporting future 蘑菇视频 Dallas Trailblazers. On May 1, the University launched the Trailblazer Tuition Trust program offering and mandatory fees to prospective 蘑菇视频 Dallas students whose family income is less than $100,000 and who meet eligibility requirements. The program is targeted at Texas high school graduates who plan to enroll for their bachelor鈥檚 degree in the fall of 2026.
State Senator Royce West, who also addressed graduates, said the new endowed scholarship embodies Parrish鈥檚 philosophy of giving back to the community in which he lives and operates his restaurants. 鈥淭he generosity Roland Parrish demonstrates with this scholarship is yet another example of his continued commitment to the southern Dallas community,鈥� said Senator West. 鈥淗e understands 蘑菇视频 Dallas鈥檚 mission and that the University stands as a beacon of hope and promise for countless future Trailblazers.鈥�
at two ceremonies. The 11 a.m. ceremony 鈥� at which 蘑菇视频 Dallas conferred the honorary
degree 鈥� celebrated graduates of the College of Business and Technology and the College
of Education and Human Services. The 3 p.m. ceremony honored graduates of the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The ceremonies came as 蘑菇视频 Dallas begins its academic
transition from four schools 鈥� Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and
Behavioral Health and Human Services 鈥� to a new three-college structure designed to
streamline student pathways and strengthen interdisciplinary programs.
Roland Parrish outside one of his McDonald's restaurants (photo courtesy: The Dallas Morning News)
About Roland G. Parrish
Roland G. Parrish opened his first McDonald鈥檚 restaurant in Dallas鈥檚 Pleasant Grove neighborhood on Juneteenth in 1989 after persistently pursuing a franchise opportunity following an initial rejection. Today, Parrish Restaurants Ltd operates 27 McDonald鈥檚 locations across the Dallas鈥揊ort Worth metroplex, employing over 1,400 team members. Parrish is widely recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 most successful McDonald鈥檚 franchisees and as the second-largest African American McDonald鈥檚 franchisee in the United States.
A graduate of and an accomplished collegiate track and field athlete, Parrish has paired business success with sustained philanthropy through the Parrish Charitable Foundation. Parrish has made giving back a defining commitment of his life and career. The Foundation supports scholarships, youth programs, and community initiatives across North Texas and beyond, including a medical clinic in Fort Portal, Uganda. In 2024, Parrish received the 95th Linz Award 鈥� one of the highest civic honors bestowed in Dallas 鈥� for his decades of community impact. The City of Dallas has also dedicated a public park in his honor in East Oak Cliff.
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