Who owns SMU?

Southern Methodist University was originally founded in 1911 as a Texas nonprofit corporation.  Its organizing documents provided that it was to be “owned, controlled, and managed by the Texas Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.”  The charter named the initial trustees of the University and provided that their successors would be selected in the manner determined by the Conferences.  The articles of incorporation were amended in 1916 to provide that no further amendments would be valid without the approval of the Conferences.