The University of North Texas’ Kuehne Speaker Series has raised a record $332,000 as a result of its most recent event in October featuring Donald Trump Jr. at AT&T Stadium.

To date, the series, which was established in 2013 by UNT alumnus and benefactor Ernie Kuehne, has raised more than $1.6 million through its Lifetime Member Endowment Fund for student scholarships and grown into one of UNT’s signature events for the North Texas region. The fund supports scholarships to high-achieving students such as National Merit Scholars. This fall, the fund distributed $50,000 to offset the university’s investment in National Merit Scholar scholarships.

“We are honored to be the presenting sponsor for the Kuehne Speaker Series and thrilled to be part of such a successful event benefiting UNT’s National Merit Scholars,” said G. Brint Ryan, chairman and CEO of Ryan, LLC. A UNT alumnus, Ryan also is chairman of the UNT System Board of Regents. Ryan, LLC, a global tax services firm, has been the Kuehne Speaker Series presenting sponsor since the series’ inception.

A semi-annual luncheon, the Kuehne Speaker Series welcomes and engages Dallas-Fort Worth area business and philanthropic sponsors, encouraging continued partnerships with the university.

“The 2017-18 season of the Kuehne Speaker Series is the highest-grossing season to date, and we are proud of how the series has grown into such an impactful event for UNT scholarships,” said David Wolf, vice president for UNT advancement.

Melissa Francis, FOX Business Network anchor and host of MONEY with Melissa Francis, is slated to be the keynote speaker for the spring 2018 Kuehne Speaker Series March 29 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas.