Linda P. Custard
Linda Custard is an accomplished businesswoman and benefactor for the arts, education and social services. Commitment and staying power are among her greatest strengths.
A Life Trustee of the Dallas Theater Center (DTC), she attended the opening night on December 28, 1959. Over six decades she has been involved in leadership roles and major fundraising events at the DTC. Active since 1965 in the Dallas Opera, she was a founding member of Opera Action, chair of the Women’s Board, and a trustee for which she received the Founders Award.
A member of the Founding Families of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts (Now AT&T Performing Arts Center), she was chair of the Board’s President’s Advisory Council and a Trustee for over twelve years.
As a member of the SMU Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board since 1992, she chaired the opening of the Greer Garson Theatre, and in 2001, the opening of the newly constructed Meadows Museum, which houses a renowned collection of Spanish art. Fifteen university and community events over twelve days were planned, culminating in a visit by the King and Queen of Spain. In 2016, she received La Encomienda de la Orden de Isabella Católica from King Felipe VI, the highest recognition granted to a non-citizen by the Spanish government for her support of Spanish culture.
Chair of the Meadows Museum Advisory Council for fifteen years, Linda and her husband, in partnership with the Meadows Foundation, endowed the position of Museum Director, and in 2021 they established the Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture at SMU.
Linda served as a Trustee of Southern Methodist University (SMU) for 12 years and was recognized as a Trustee Emerita, the highest honor bestowed. She has also been recognized with SMU’s Distinguished Alumni Award and the Outstanding Trustee Award, among countless others. Additionally, the Custard family received SMU’s highest philanthropic honor, The Mustang Award.
Involved in the fight against breast cancer for over 40 years, Linda joined the movement when her mother was diagnosed with the disease. In honor of her mother, she chaired the 1984 luncheon for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and was a board member and Life Trustee of the organization for 35 years. She served as chair of the National Board for several years and received the Founder’s Award. In 2024, she served as the Silver Jubilee Presiding Chair for the Baylor Scott White 25th Anniversary celebrating Women Luncheon.
In addition to her commitment to arts, education, and health, Linda’s leadership in civic and charitable organizations is remarkable. She has held key roles in the Junior League of Dallas, The Dallas Woman’s Club, Charter 100, Community Council of Greater Dallas and The Hockaday School. She treasures her 37 years as a member of The Salvation Army Advisory Board.
A member of the inaugural class of Leadership Dallas (1975-76), she received the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2009. Following a year of planning, Linda was Vice Chair of the city-wide commemorative, “The 50th: Honoring the Memory of President John F. Kennedy” on November 22, 2013 in Dealey Plaza.
For her leadership, she has received numerous awards, including the TACA Silver Cup Award for outstanding contributions to the arts, the Lifetime Achievement Award from VolunteerNOW, the Trailblazer Award from The Family Place, the Robert H. Dedman Award for Philanthropy and the “YMCA 100 Women – 100 years” for women who have helped shape the history of Dallas.
Linda has served on the following foundations: The Hoblitzelle Foundation, Baylor Scott & White Foundation, Southwestern Medical Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, HP Quality of Life Foundation and Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT).
A Trustee of CFT for 12 years, she oversaw the construction of the Mabel Peters Caruth Center and the restoration of the Caruth Homeplace, guided by the distinguished historic preservationist, Dealey Decherd Herndon.
A graduate of Mills College, Linda received her MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business. Married for over 64 years to William A. Custard, they have a son, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Bess Enloe
Bess Enloe has provided visionary leadership to the arts in Dallas for the last 35 years. It is her belief that the visual arts, performing arts, architecture, music, and literature are the gifts of one generation to future generations, and that the arts, in general, are the institutions that survive into the future. People travel to attend art exhibits and performances all over the world. People are drawn to great architecture, both classical and contemporary, a lot of which lays in ruins. People attend and listen to great music, both classical and popular, and people read and study the literature from past and present scholars. There is an enduring permanence in the world of great art that is present in few other areas of human existence. Bess has devoted her volunteer work to help build the finest arts organizations in Dallas.
At the Dallas Theater Center in 1979, she and Linda Custard co-founded The Benefactors whose contributions help fund the annual budget of the theater. Bess served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Theater Center from 1989-1996. In 1996 she was made a Life Trustee of the Dallas Theater Center. Bess and Linda Custard co-chaired the 1982 Neiman Marcus Fortnight which honored Greece and supported the Dallas Theater Center. In 1981, Bess and Linda co-chaired the opening Gala for the original Arts District Theater on Flora Street which was located on the current site of the Winspear, and featured Paul Simon. They worked together on the opening events of the Meadows Museum and the Greer Garson Theater at SMU.
Since 2015, Bess has been a Life Trustee of the AT&T Performing Arts Center where she was one of the founding members of the Center’s Board, and she served as Vice Chairman of the Board from 2011-2015. Bess was a member of the Capital Campaign Committee which was responsible for funding the building of the Center. Long before the AT&T Performing Arts became a reality, Bess saw the need for the Center. In December of 1995, John Dayton and Bess organized a small initial Board for the Center. John served as Chairman and Bess as President of the initial Board whose accomplishment was achieving a successful election of money for the Center on the 1996 Bond Election. Later in 1998, $10 million of additional bond money was voted to purchase the acreage south of Flora Street. In 2000, the current Performing Arts Center Board was formed. Bess was active in the project, and the depth and focus of her interest is reflected in the committees on which she served—Executive, Capital Campaign Committee, Finance, Programming, Architect Selection, and Vice Chairman of the Board from 2011-2015. During the Design and Construction phase of the Center, she served as Chairman of the Wyly Theater Facilities Committee.
Bess is a member of the Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board where she served as Chairman from 2010-2014. In addition, she has served as a member of the National Board of SMU Data Arts.
Bess has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions and leadership in the arts including the TACA Silver Cup in 1993, and the TITAS Award for Excellence in 2007. In 2014, she was the Honoree of the Meadows at the Meyerson event benefitting the Meadows School for the Arts at SMU. In 2015, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU. In 2019, she was named Junior League Sustainer of the Year. In 2025, Bess and Linda Custard were awarded the Linz Award.
After Bess graduated from SMU with a BA degree in History, she taught high school American History for 6 years in the DISD, and later co-owned an interior design firm in Dallas. She is married to Robert Ted Enloe III, and they are the parents of two adult daughters, Rebecca Enloe Fletcher and Elizabeth Enloe Malakoff, both residing in Dallas. They have four granddaughters and one grandson.