University Advancement

Personal Donor Stories

We thank all our planned-gift donors for their generous support. Here are some of their stories.

George and Gayle Minear

George and Gayle Minear’s roots in the south central Texas town of Shiner run deep. They were both born and reared in Shiner. Except for his four years in the U.S. Air Force and his time at Texas State, George has always lived in Shiner. His family moved to Shiner in the 1930s; hers has been there for generations. He and Gayle, born a Welhausen, raised their four sons in Shiner. George was drafted into his wife’s family’s banking business and became the first president of the First National Bank of Shiner not to have the Welhausen name. Not attending college was never an option for George and his sister, Emi, who attended Southwest Texas during the 1953-54 school year. His mother, a homemaker, was very determined that they get an education. And going to school in San Marcos was her choice for her son, if not his first preference. For his first semesters at Southwest Texas, George learned the benefit of college scholarships. He received a $40 scholarship provided by Miller’s Drug Store, a popular local hang out and supporter of the college. Admittedly, tuition was much cheaper in 1955 – $25 a year – compared to today’s $3,000 plus price tag. He also worked weekends back in Shiner to help raise funds to pay for the rest of his college education. An Air Force ROTC stipend also helped. “It’s a fact that I was fortunate to be able to support my four kids and provide them with a higher education,” says George as he explains why he and Gayle have established the George “Buddy” Minear Endowed Scholarship for students who have graduated from Shiner High School of who live in Lavaca County, Texas. “It is so expensive now. I want to give back by helping youngsters from my area attend Texas State University-San Marcos,” he says.

Daymon and Pat Muehl

When Daymon and Pat Muehl retired from their lengthy oil company careers, they left the hurried pace of Houston and built their dream home in the scenic village of Wimberley. Since their retirement, they have been spent much of their time waging a valiant battle against Daymon’s cancer, planning for the future and enjoying their new home. Daymon was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1997. His right kidney was removed. After several years cancer-free, the cancer appeared in his pancreas in May, 2005, and he spent 58 days in the hospital. At the time, their new home in Wimberley was under construction. As far as planning for the future, Daymon explains it well, “Pat and I were fortunate to work for the same company that has a tremendous three-to- one matching program. I’ve been contributing (to Texas State) the matching gifts for 20 or 30 years. When we got around to preparing our wills, we wanted to make gifts to my alma mater and to Pat’s,” Daymon says. The Muehls’ estate gift to Texas State will benefit the university’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and American Advertising Federation (AAF) national competition teams. In both the SIFE and AAF program, Texas State students majoring in Marketing and Advertising and, in the case of SIFE, Finance and Economics, have impressive win records in their respective competitions. “There is nothing better than supporting an institution of higher education,” Daymon says.

Mary Ann Stutts

Veteran Texas State Marketing Professor Mary Ann Stutts has a passion for the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition. That passion has led Stutts to create an estate gift that will assure that Texas State students continue to have the opportunity to participate in this intensive program. In the process of updating her will – which she says everyone should do when there are changes in their lives – this energetic, devoted teacher has created the Mary Ann Stutts Promotional Strategies Scholarship, which will be a lasting memorial to her love of her students and the student advertising competition.

Madeline Manford

Texas State alumnus Madeleine Manford has an extraordinary commitment to lifelong learning. Over the years, she has taken classes in a wide array of subjects – from business and economics to modeling. After starting college in 1962, she completed her bachelor’s in 1966 and then began teaching English and History at Luling Junior/Senior High School. She completed her master’s degree in 197l. “I believe we are committed to helping those around us, to living a life that matters and making an impact,” Madeleine says. “ Although I believe a lifetime should be spent sharing with and serving others, I also believe that we have a duty to take care of ourselves – physically, mentally and spiritually—so that we will be energized in other areas of our lives that we are passionate about. It could be learning, traveling, reading, gardening, walking or our faith.” What better way for a lifelong learner to give back than to create an endowed scholarship fund that will help enable young men and women to attend Texas State? The Madeleine Teaff Manford Endowed Scholarship Fund will benefit Taylor and Luling high school graduates, with priority given to students who plan to study engineering. Madeleine is funding the scholarship with a combination of resources, from a planned gift to a stock transfer and outright cash gifts. As she says, “This is my way of supporting future generations and creating a legacy that will outlive me.”

Frank and Pat Nelson

Native Texans Frank and Pat Nelson see water as the world’s most precious natural resource – a resource that is central to a quality of life that should be of concern to all of mankind. And they see Frank’s alma mater as the ideal place for water studies. The Nelsons’ charitable gift annuity-funded “Frank and Pat Nelson Endowed Aquatic Resources Research Fellowship” is a commitment to their belief in the significations of water. The income from the endowment will be used to award fellowships to fulltime students pursuing doctoral-level studies in the aquatic resources field. Like scholarships for undergraduate students, fellowships are essential for graduate students. To Frank Nelson, the endowment is an opportunity to give back something to Texas State, where mentors like Oscar Strahan and Prof Davis made a lasting impression on him. “The wonderful life that I’ve had goes back to the gates of Texas State. If it were not for the university, I would not have had any of the things I have now,” Frank says. Like water, the Nelsons see education as essential. “Brainpower has to be a significant part of the essence of this country, if we are going to keep the standard of living to which we have become accustomed. Universities must be widely supported if we are to meet this goal.” Frank says.