Alumnus provides $10 million gift to College of Human Sciences

For Auburn University alumnus Dan Arnold ‘87, choosing to give back to Auburn isn’t seen as an obligation, but rather, an opportunity to invest in a place that’s willing to transform young people’s lives and give them a bright future.

Arnold’s recent transformational gift to the College of Human Sciences is among the largest single gifts in the history of the college. While Arnold has chosen to give back to Auburn in several different ways in the past — providing support for general academic scholarships, Tigers Unlimited and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering — the College of Human Sciences stood out because of its grand vision for the future and the pursuit of excellence for current and prospective students.

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“I grew up in a family that was multiple generations of University of Alabama graduates, and I was actually a huge Alabama fan growing up,” said Arnold. “I didn't miss a football game at Legion Field from 1971 to 1982.”

However, Arnold’s stepdad was an Auburn alumnus, and he remembers getting his first taste of Auburn while visiting with his stepdad and thinking the campus was quaint and appealing.

When it came time to choose where he would attend college, Arnold chose Auburn to pursue an engineering degree and joined his older sister who started school at Auburn two years prior.

“When I was a freshman, my stepsister transferred to Auburn so all three of us in that generation were at Auburn,” Arnold said. “After that, my sister had a son that went to Auburn, and my stepsister had a daughter that graduated from Auburn and has a current junior at Auburn. And finally, two out of my three kids ended up going to Auburn. So, we've transferred the power from Alabama to Auburn in the family, and that's been a really cool transformation that's occurred.”

Present day, Arnold is the former president and chief executive officer of LPL Financial, a leading retail investment advisory firm that serves and supports independent financial advisors and institutions. He served as CEO from January 2017 until October 2024 and in all, has more than 30 years of industry experience.

As Arnold reflects on his incredibly successful career, he can’t help but link the success back to Auburn where he was given an incredible education and a foundation that he hopes future students in the College of Human Sciences can reach similar goals and dreams after attending Auburn.

“Looking back, I could not have envisioned that an entrepreneurial opportunity to transform and grow a small firm would create a pathway to eventually becoming the CEO of a publicly traded $25 billion market cap company,” said Arnold. “Who would have ever thought that? That pathway wasn’t even on my radar when I left Auburn. But I think the foundation that Auburn gave me and the willingness to continue to learn, grow and transform myself multiple times over a professional career led to those wonderful, unique opportunities. Going forward, I feel very responsible for taking that wonderful privilege and investing in others to help them along that type of journey.”

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Human Sciences' new home to honor Barbara Drummond Thorne

A generous lead gift to the College of Human Sciences will etch the name of a beloved, lifelong civic volunteer on the college’s new home.

One of the most exciting future developments will be the construction of the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility, the future home of the College of Human Sciences. The new four-story, 138,000-square-foot facility will bring together the college’s academic programming, classes, labs and offices under one roof and is scheduled to open its doors prior to the 2027 fall semester.

Arnold’s gift to the College of Human Sciences supports that new facility, as well as providing an endowed professorship, scholarship opportunities and programmatic support within the college.

“Part of my learning over these last five years is how the College of Human Sciences is really preparing kids with a foundation of how we live. Their work can fundamentally improve and enhance the quality of life,” said Arnold. “It seems to me if they can make that kind of impact, then it will unlock an unlimited number of benefits for all. That was a big aha moment for me in my learning about the college and its curriculum.”

In the end, Arnold made it clear that this gift is in no way about him and he wholeheartedly believes his investment is a sustainable commitment that will truly make a difference in the college now and well into the future.

“I don't think I've ever found another university that's so clear in what it stands for and its commitment to living by the Auburn Creed and preparing kids for their life journeys,” said Arnold. “It's a really special place that has had a significant impact on our family. It's easy to prioritize when considering the question, ‘how can we be in service to others?’ and it’s easy to prioritize giving back to the university because of the impact it makes on so many.”