Thank You for Leading by Example
for Programs in the Memorial Student Center
MSC'S STEPHEN HORN '79 FLAG ROOM & BETHANCOURT BALLROOM
Funding:
$2 million from each donor
Donors:
During the Leading by Example campaign, the following major gifts were made to finish the MSC Renovation & Expansion Project:
- Horn Flag Room Gift by: Stephen Horn ’79 and the Baroness Kandy Kay Horn Foundation
- Bethancourt Ballroom Gift by: Debbie ’76 and John Bethancourt ’74 of Bryan, TX
Funding Used for:
The renovation of the Horn Flag Room and Bethancourt Ballroom were guided by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Standards, which were used for the overall Memorial Student Center renovation. These standards included:
- Reusing approximately 68% of existing materials
- Optimizing energy performance
- Using low (or no) volatile organic compound materials for adhesives, sealants, paints and coating, carpet, composite wood, and agrifiber products
- Installing long-life finish materials, such as wood floors in the Horn Flag Room
- Refinishing the Horn Flag Room’s original light fixtures and wall sconces to use LED lighting.
Date Opened:
April 2012
"The Horn Flag Room has continued to provide a space for students and faculty members to gather, truly fulfilling its status as the ‘living room of campus.’ Student unions were historically founded on the principles of debate societies, and the Flag Room within the Memorial Student Center allows students to gather to either provide their own perspectives or listen to the perspectives of their peers. Especially in environments like college campuses with so many different backgrounds and fields of study represented, opportunities to express and be exposed to new ideas are critical to personal development.”
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Mark Sterling ’21, the 71st Memorial Student Center president
DON & ELLIE KNAUSS VETERAN RESOURCE SUPPORT CENTER
“We’ve been understaffed over the years due to space constraints, which prevented us from growing programs and starting new initiatives. With this gift, I have a simple answer when people ask me what the VRSC will look like in 2030: There won’t just be hundreds of success stories like we’re currently witnessing; there will be thousands!”
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Col. Jerry Smith ’82 (USMC, Ret.), VRSC Director
Funding:
$5 million
Named After:
Don and Ellie Knauss of Sugar Land, TX
Funding to be Used for:
- Renovations of the Memorial Student Center area where the center will permanently reside
- A facility endowment for maintenance
- An excellence fund to be used for on-campus veteran programs
- A matching fund to encourage the creation of new veteran scholarships
Number of Aggies Currently Served:
Over 1,300 Texas A&M student veterans
Anticipated Date of Opening:
June 2021
UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES
Funding:
Two gifts totaling over $1 million
Donors:
- Drs. Peter Witt and Joyce Nies of Bryan, TX
- Drs. William and Linda Reaves of Edna, Tx
Number of Visitors to the Texas A&M Art Galleries:
Approximately 24,500 annually
These Gifts Include:
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- The Nies’ art collection, which includes many underrepresented artists.
- The Reaves Collection of early Texas art (ca. 1920-1980)
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“I am very excited about the potential future collaborations these two gifts have given us. Not only does the art open avenues for use in the classroom, it also increases our visibility to other donors who will see that Texas A&M University is committed to educating students through interactions with art.”
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Catherine Hastedt, University Art Galleries director
MSC OPAS
“OPAS’ mission is to enlighten, entertain and inspire students at Texas A&M University and the greater Brazos Valley Community. It was created in 1973 as a partnership between the university and the community. All gifts to our endowment are special, but occasionally we get an unexpected gift from friends we have yet to meet. Such was the case last year when we received a significant gift from Sarah and Mario Coll.”
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Ann Black, OPAS executive director
Funding:
$30,000 to the MSC OPAS Permanent Endowment
Donors:
The Mario and Sarah Coll Foundation
Funds Used for:
- Guarantee student access to OPAS programs
- Support bringing high-quality artists who command large professional fees