Donor Stories

When Susie Baker Adams, B.S. ’67, arrived on the Forty Acres in fall 1963, her goal was to become an educator. “I think I always knew that I wanted to teach. I had loved working with kids and a teacher can make such a positive difference in a child’s life. Several of my teachers had impacted my life in many ways and I wanted to do the same. Playing a role in helping a child develop and be able to think for themselves, and then to grow into productive adults gave me such a sense of joy,” she says.

After graduation, Adams taught for the next seven years at elementary schools in Houston, Austin, Chicago, and then Houston again. When she and John started their family, she stopped teaching to raise their two children, John and Elise. The couple has lived in Dallas for more than 30 years.

The Adams met on campus when she was a freshman in education and he was a sophomore majoring in business. Fifty years later, their Longhorn spirit and passion for philanthropy are inextricably linked.

They want to ensure that current and future undergraduate students have what they need to be successful. They also want to help students with what they don’t need—debt.

“New teachers shouldn’t graduate with debt. We are providing scholarships so that fewer of our new graduates have debt to begin with,” she says.

The couple has established two endowments: the Suzanne B. and John L. Adams Endowed Professorship in Education, currently held by Luis Urrieta, professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; and the Susie and John L. Adams Endowed Scholarship for the College of Education.

“We’re so inspired by the students we meet. We want to inspire others to give, too,” Susie says. “We think that giving is joyful!”

Beeman Phillips says, “I want to give back to a program that meant so much to me professionally over my 40-year career at UT. I want to make it easier for graduate students in the field of school psychology.”

Phillips’ late wife, Sarah, was also passionate about the field of education. She had earned a master’s degree and was a supervisor of elementary school teachers for UT Austin and Texas State University.

Phillips joined the faculty of the Department of Educational Psychology in 1956 where he founded one of the nation’s first doctoral training programs in school psychology, the first program nationally to be accredited by the American Psychological Association, and a program considered by many in the field to be the leading program in the country.

“I am very proud of the achievements of the doctoral students who came through the program,” he says. “They are real leaders in the field, not just in Texas, but across the country.” Under Phillips’ leadership, the school psychology program produced scientist-practitioners of the highest quality, many of whom went on to pursue award-winning careers in academia and public schools.

Phillips exemplified and modeled for his students conceptual and methodological rigor in applied educational research that set a high bar within the department. In recognition of his contributions, Phillips received the first annual Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 1992. He fondly recalls an event—the American Psychological Association’s annual retirement dinner in 1998—where “I was honored with a special ‘roast’.”

From his home in Austin, he reflects on the reason he invests in graduate students and their futures through his and Sarah’s endowments. “I like to give because I want to help students and this is another way I can help them,” he says. “It’s so expensive to get an education, especially at the doctoral level. I choose to establish endowments because these funds last forever.

Janis Forse Wells

Janis Forse Wells knows what it’s like to face adversity. When she was a UT undergrad in the mid-1960s she was studying to be a teacher and she was a single mom. She struggled to balance parenthood with being a successful student. “I know how difficult it is to be in school, trying to be a good parent and trying to get an education for a better life for your child,” she says.

“If I can make it possible for someone else, I want to because creating a better world for the next generation by providing excellent teachers has always been something I would like to do,” she says. She knows that the college experience can be life-changing. “When I was a student at UT my professors kindled the idea within me that I could achieve what I set my mind to do.”

Wells recently established the Janis Forse Wells Endowed Scholarship in Elementary Education and left an additional gift to UT in her will to support the scholarship. She wants to help other young single parents who are working hard to achieve their dream of teaching. “This is something I can do now, and when I’m gone, I can continue to support students as my legacy.”

“The power of being able to give to others at this time in life is an incredible feeling,” she says.

“I encourage others to understand how great the need is and to understand at the same time, how simple it is to help someone else through a gift like a scholarship,” Wells says. “I hope that we, as alumni and friends of the college, can offer even more partial or full scholarships so that students going into teaching or health careers from the College of Education will graduate without debt.”

Alberta and Richard Hogeda

“As undergraduates, we both struggled with the cost of attending UT. We’ve been blessed since graduation and wanted to pay it forward. We are hoping that this scholarship can alleviate some of the financial stress for College of Education students. Our hope is that the funds allow them to focus more on their academics and help them achieve their goals.

Alberta and Richard Hogeda have established the Alberta and Richard Hogeda Family Scholarship. She is a 15-year firefighter with the City of Austin, and he is assistant dean for student affairs in the College of Education. Richard received his master’s in education in 2002.

Betty Bird

Growing up in West Columbia, Texas, Betty Bird developed a love for history. When she enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, she knew she wanted to be an educator. She combined her passions for a more than 30-year career as a high school U.S. History teacher.

After graduating from the College of Education in 1963, Bird started her career in Victoria, Texas. After five years, she returned to Austin and she taught U.S. History at McCallum, where she had done her student teaching. From there, Bird went to Austin’s Crockett High School, where she taught the subject for 27 years. “It was exciting to see my students learn, to know that many of them developed a love for history, too,” she says.

Bird’s love for education and her experience in the College of Education has inspired her to make a gift to the College through her estate to establish The Betty S. Bird Endowed Scholarship in Education. She chose scholarship support because, “when I was on the faculty at Crockett, I was on the scholarship committee for more than 20 years. You see the need that students have when you’re in a situation like that.”

Bird wants to benefit generations of future graduates. “I hope new teachers enjoy teaching as much as I did. I hope I made an impact on my students and that future College of Education graduates have an impact on theirs,” she says.

Richard Mattingly

For 15 years, Richard Mattingly worked with College of Education students as assistant dean for student affairs. He guided them in course choices and helped them navigate decisions about their careers. When he retired in 2012, he didn’t want his support for students to end, so he established the Richard A. Mattingly Endowed Scholarship. “I loved working with students and I wanted a way to help those who really needed it. I thought, ‘How else can I give back?’ A scholarship seemed like a great solution,” he says.

Benjamin Schwertner is a sport management major in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (KHE). “I really appreciate Mr. Mattingly’s generous support. Like many other students, I struggle to completely afford the cost of such a great educational opportunity. This scholarship is helping me continue with a little more peace of mind. His support is really meaningful to students like me and I truly am grateful for it.” Chastity Chov is another beneficiary of Mattingly’s vision and is a senior studying athletic training. “Mr. Mattingly’s support is giving me the momentum to pursue my goal to be the first person in my family to earn a master’s degree and of being a female athletic trainer for a professional sports team. I am so grateful for his generosity and support.”

Make Your Will Known

Consider making a gift that lasts beyond your lifetime. A gift through your will or estate plan is a simple way to make a meaningful and lasting donation to support students and faculty in the College of Education.

Sample Will Language

To give to the College of Education through your will, this is the language we suggest:  I hereby direct  $ ______________ (or percent of my residual estate) in cash, securities or other property to the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System for the benefit of The University of Texas at Austin. This donation shall be for the further benefit of [college, program, fund, scholarship or endowment] __________________________ and shall be used to _________________________.

As with any decision involving your assets, we urge you to seek the advice of your professional counsel when considering a donation to The University of Texas at Austin.