THE TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION MAGAZINE THE TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION SUMMER 2009A Dutchman’s pipe vine blooms in Aggie maroon and white at the Holistic Garden on the West Campus. The garden, which offers lessons in horticulture to Texas A&M students and other visitors, has an annual budget of about $80,000 to pay student workers, buy plants and maintain facilities. Dr. Joe Novak, who established the garden, hopes creating an endowment will help him to expand the garden and educate more Aggies there. See page 18 for the full story. PRESIDENT’S LETTER Education Is Our Obligation At the Texas A&M Foundation, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about the value of higher education. From time to time during our daily work, each of us may consider a fundamental question: Why am I raising money for Texas A&M University? Inevitably, we find the answer just outside our Hagler Center offices on campus. The answer is in the mind of the education major from Beaumont—with help from a scholarship, she will fulfill her goal of teaching the next generation of promising students. It’s in the heart of the renowned history professor who has devoted his life to the study of British history—funds from a faculty chair provide the resources to further his research and teaching. It’s in the spirit of the Texas A&M Rodeo Team cowboy from Glen Rose—without a scholarship, he could not attend a major university and compete nationally in the sport that defines his young life. You’ll note that the answer lies in what the university does—encouraging and inspiring the spirit and mind of Texas A&M—not in who is leading the insti- tution. The Foundation is and always has been about supporting the educational experience at its core … for students and faculty. I mention all this as preface to related news of modest policy changes made by our board of trustees. In response to a significant decrease in investment returns, we reduced the spending from our endowment from 5 percent to 4.5 percent beginning in July. To share the burden of protecting our endowment, we also chose to decrease the Foundation’s management fee from 1 percent to 0.9 percent. Neither our endowment payout nor management fee has changed in more than 20 years, but these extraordinary times demand tough decisions. We hope these are temporary actions, but they are necessary to protect the corpus of our endowment and ensure fairness across generational periods. Comparatively, the Foundation remains financially sound. Other institutions have slashed endowment payouts by more than 50 percent, and few are immune to the steep recession. Economics aside, our country urgently needs more college graduates who will use their knowledge and skills to improve the human condition. The extra income from a bachelor’s degree can lift families out of poverty and increase chances that future generations will be educated. Nonprofit management expert Paul Jansen once said, “The promise of reasonable access to education lies at the core of the social compact that affords most higher education institutions their nonprofit status and ensures their social relevance.” At the Texas A&M Foundation, this promise is our purpose. We view broad access to a quality higher education experience as the great hope for the long-term future of our democracy. Thank you for your continued trust in our stewardship of your gifts. eddie j. davis ’67 president texas a&m foundation In Texas A&M’s Holistic Garden, butterfly plants attract adults and feed larvae. » p.18 Contents FEATURES 14 Spirit Impact: SADDLE UP A&M’s rodeo club adviser looks to recruit ever-stronger competitors for the team. Called “Quince” by his friends, professor Ralph James Quincy Adams remains passionate about 18 his 35-year career as a British historian. » p.26 College Impact: GROWING PLACES Founder Joe Novak hopes the Holistic Lainey Kyle ’09, a member of the A&M Rodeo Club, hits her target in the Garden will broaden its mission of breakaway roping event during the education and encouragement. Hill College Rodeo in 2008. » p.14 22 Student Impact: TURNING POINT When Hurricane Rita derailed a future teacher’s plan to attend A&M, a scholarship VOLUME X NO. 3|SUMMER 2009 Spirit is published three times a year by the Texas helped her stay on track. A&M Foundation, which manages major gifts and endowments for the benefit of academic programs, scholarships and student activities at 26 Texas A&M University. Please direct inquiries to the Marketing Office, Texas A&M Foundation, Faculty Impact: 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840- 2811, call (800) 392-3310 or (979) 845-8161, or QUAINTLY QUINCE e-mail [email protected]. Information in Students and colleagues admire Ralph this magazine is for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal or tax advice. Readers James Quincy Adams, a professor of should consult independent legal counsel or British history. financial advisors for differences in local laws and individual circumstances. giving.tamu.edu 30 www.facebook.com REAL ESTATE AIDS STUDENTS (Search for Texas A&M Foundation.) www.texags.com Donors turn ranch land into endowments; www.youtube.com/aggiespiritandmind the Foundation’s Tim Walton discusses copyright © 2009 texas a&m foundation the giving of real estate in a trust. EDITOR Sondra White ’87 MANAGING EDITOR Mary Vinnedge ’75 DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kathy McCoy ’80 WEB COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Rachel Dohmann ’07 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Alice Bassett STUDENT INTERNS Lianna Grissom ’11 DEPARTMENTS Nichelle Jaeger ’12 ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Geer Design, Inc. PHOTOGRAPHY 3 THE LEGACY College of Architecture (p. 34) R Scott Lord ’85 has designated the Norman Borlaug Institute for proceeds of a life insurance policy to International Agriculture (p. 6) benefit the Fish Drill Team. Mack Bradford of R&M Photography/ Bryan (pp. 1, left; 14-16) 4 ON CAMPUS Gabriel Chmielewski (pp. 25, 29, 35) Texas A&M receives acclaim and grows 3 John Graybill (p. ) its campus. Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (p. 7) Holistic Garden (cover, p. 18) 6 LAB WORK Chris Houser/Department of Aggie research reaches around the world Geography (p. 4) and into the depths of the Pacific. Robb Kendrick (pp. 1, right; 12-13; 27; 32) Jim Lyle (pp. 18, top left; 20; 22-23) 8 NEW GIFTS Robert McLeroy (pp. 10-11) Donors support Operation Spirit and Kelvin Morrison/Specialties MindSM scholarship initiative. Photography (p. 8) Dr. Wayne Smith (p. 4) 10 ONE VOICE The $104 million Emerging Technologies Texas Transportation Institute (p. 38) A&M academics and ethics are critical Building, under construction at the corner of Larry Wadsworth (p. 6, left) to a San Antonio success story. University Drive and Bizzell Street, will have a ILLUSTRATIONS by Clay Schlinke ’94 bright, contemporary feel. » p.5 Engineering Communications (p. 2) VIEWPOINT Facilities Planning and Construction 12 Department (p. 5) A picture is worth a thousand words. PRINTING 32 LETTERS Grover Printing 34 OPPORTUNITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Jorge Vanegas outlines how you can Tom Saylak ’82 help build a better future for the College Chairman of Architecture. John Bethancourt ’74 Contents 59 Mel Glasscock ’ 36 @FOUNDATION ’64 Charles Gregory Meet the new trustee and find out how Richard Kardys ’67 Operation Spirit and MindSM has progressed Ray Rothrock ’77 Bob Surovik ’58 toward its $300 million goal. OFFICERS 38 POSTSCRIPT Ed Davis ’67 Serendipity plus perseverance led a farm President boy to his Aggie engineering degree and Jim Palincsar a 42-year career as an A&M professor. Senior Vice President for Development COVER PHOTO by Bob Gallaway ’42 Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia elegans) Liska Lusk delivers hand-size maroon-and-white Vice President and General Counsel 39 CONTACT blooms from spring through fall in Texas Doyle Thompson Stay in touch with the Texas A&M A&M’s Holistic Garden. The vine Vice President and Controller Foundation. attracts swallowtail butterflies. 2 TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION Class of ’85 Grad Creates His Legacy Now With a Life Insurance Gift for the Fish Drill Team TheLegacy R Scott Lord ’85 deeply appreciates we often don’t think about creating the time he spent on the Fish Drill a legacy.” Team as a student at Texas A&M. Lord found the perfect way to give Through that experience, Lord when he received a postcard from the acquired the self-discipline and spirit Texas A&M Foundation about life of teamwork that has carried him insurance gifts. As the owner of three through many challenges. “You have life insurance policies, he decided to special times in your life that really use one to benefit A&M. To discuss how a planned gift to stand out,” said Lord, who holds a Lord called Glenn Pittsford ’72, the Texas A&M Foundation might business degree from A&M. “When the Texas A&M Foundation’s assistant benefit you, your family and the you work hard at something and you vice president for gift planning, to university, please contact Glenn are successful, you have lots of pride in discuss a life insurance gift. Lord then Pittsford ’72 in the Office of Gift yourself. I have a huge appreciation for made the Foundation the beneficiary Planning at [email protected] what the Fish Drill Team did for me.” of the policy and designated the funds or (800) 392-3310. We will In 2006, Lord’s mother died, and for the Fish Drill Team. “The giving describe how such plans work and he was the executor of her estate. “As process was super-easy.