Longs, Bivins Foundation, Escajeda, Other Donors Honored at WT Celebration

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A former University president and his wife, one of the area’s foremost charitable foundations, and a remarkable community volunteer were honored for their significant contributions to West Texas A&M University during a Sept. 21 celebration.

WT President Emeritus Russell C. Long and wife Natrelle Hedrick Long and the Mary E. Bivins Foundation were presented the Pinnacle Award during WT’s Celebration of Donors, held in the Alumni Banquet Hall on campus.

Additionally, Lilia Escajeda, a longtime WT supporter and community leader, was named the recipient of the President’s Panhandle Pioneer Award by WT President Walter V. Wendler.

“Tonight’s recipients personify the essence of philanthropy and support of education, and they inspire others to invest in the mission of WT,” said Dr. Todd Rasberry, vice president of philanthropy and external relations and executive director of the WTAMU Foundation.

The Longs made a $2.1 million planned gift in December to establish a new companion animal science program for students planning on a career in veterinary medicine or in a host of other pet-related careers.

The Longs’ gift also has set up a scholarship fund for students in the program, and it will include the donation of the couple’s extensive collection of books to WT’s Cornette Library.

Also as part of the Longs’ gift, the Dr. Russell C. Long and Natrelle Hedrick Long Professorship in Companion Animal Studies has been established and is held by Dr. Sara-Louise Newcomer.

The Bivins Foundation’s legacy of giving to WT dates back to 1994, with the establishment of the Mary E. Bivins Memorial Scholarship for nursing students—reflecting the foundation’s long-time support of healthcare in the Panhandle.

In 2000, the foundation gave $500,000 to name the Bivins Nursing Learning Center, a building of classrooms and simulation labs on the Canyon campus. In 2008, the foundation endowed the Teel Bivins Professorship of Political Science, named in honor of the late Texas senator and U.S. ambassador to Sweden. The position is currently held by Dr. Dave Rausch.

In 2016, the foundation named the Mary E. Bivins Foundation Speech and Language Lab in the WT Speech and Hearing Clinic, located in Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center, and in 2021, the foundation named the Mary E. Bivins Foundation Student Lounge in the Amarillo center, as well.

In all, the Bivins Foundation has provided more than $1 million in support of WT programs, students and initiatives.

Escajeda was lauded decades of work with Amarillo National Bank, for her tireless devotion to the Amarillo community and for her significant volunteer contributions to WT.

“The President’s Panhandle Pioneer Award is to recognize people who have selflessly provided service, not just to WT, but to the extended community, and Lilia has done exactly that in many roles that she’s been engaged with,” Wendler said. “We’re very proud of her and her relationship to West Texas A&M University and thankful for her service to the community.”

The Longs, the Bivins Foundation and Escajeda all contribute significantly to the regional impact of WT and help the University live up to the goals of its long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $150 million and will continue through 2025 with a new goal of $175 million.

The Sept. 21 event also celebrated the induction of new members and elevation of existing members in the Old Main Society, a group founded in 1998 to recognize supporters whose lifetime total of donations to WT and the WTAMU Foundation exceeds $50,000. Twenty-four new members were inducted, and 18 ascended to new levels within the Society.

“You are leading the way for all of us by demonstrating that together, we can do great things,” said David Schaeffer, WTAMU Foundation president. “Your generosity is humbling and inspiring.”

The Old Main Society has 416 total members.

Plus, seven new members were inducted into the Eternal Flame Society, consisting of donors who are making gifts to the University through their estate planning.

New Old Main Society members include:

• Benefactor ($1 million to $4,999,999): Bill Cofer;
• Patron ($500,000 to $999,999): Merck Animal Health;
• Ambassador ($250,000 to $499,999): The Prentice Farrar Brown & Alline Ford Brown Foundation, Cindy Gruner, Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation, and Nancy and John Kritser;
• Sustainer ($100,000 to $249,000): Peggy Brucker; CRI Feeders of Guymon; Tommy L. Higgins; Brenda and Andrew Hoot; Natrelle and Dr. Russell Long; Mc 6 Cattle Feeders / McWhorter Properties; Jayne McFather Green, Emily McFather Hunt and Abbye McFather Reeves; Rosemary Gerdsen Prichard and Stan Prichard; and Texas Livestock Marketing Association;
• Supporter ($50,000 to $99,999): Dr. Amy and Rik Andersen, Phyllis Jane Bridges, Lisa and Stephen Brodbeck, Pattilou Dawkins, Faith Dulaney, Full Smile Dental, Dr. Robert Hansen and Lee Persefield, Harrington Regional Medical Center, and Misty and Stuart Sutton.

Rising Old Main Society members include:

• Visionary ($5 million and above): Cheryl and Alex Fairly;
• Benefactor: Mary E. Bivins Foundation;
• Patron: Lanna and Bob Hatton, the Bobbe Rule Murphy Charitable Trust, and Dorothy and Don Patterson;
• Ambassador: Budweiser Distributing Co. and CHS Foundation;
• Sustainer: Martha Couch, Dairy Innovations, Frontier Capital Group, Judy Fugate, Wayne & JoAnn Moore Charitable Foundation, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Panhandle Livestock Association, Peggy and Jim Pollard, Chris Scharbauer / Scharbauer Cattle Co., and Cora and John Teters.

Newly inducted Eternal Flame Society members include Dr. Bruce C. and Susan Darlene Brasington, Bill Cofer, Brenda Furlow, the late Sloane Howe Kritser, Sharon Lofton, Marsha and Larry Murphy, and Shirley Nichols.

Also recognized were donors who have given for 20-, 30- and 40-plus consecutive years—nearly 40 in all.

Previous Pinnacle Award recipients include: Geneva and Stanley Schaeffer (2006), Bill and Joyce Attebury (2007), John Marmaduke (2008), Ray and Barbara Bain (2009), John G. O’Brien (2010), Helen Piehl (2011), Jack and Helene Hayward (2012), Atmos Energy and Charles K. and Barbara K. Vaughan (2013), Dyke and Terry Rogers (2014), Don and Twanna Powell (2015), The Don and Sybil B. Harrington Foundation (2016), Amarillo National Bank (2017), The Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation (2018), Happy State Bank (2019), Cheryl and Alex Fairly (2020), High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation (2021) and Lanna and Bob Hatton (2022).

The President’s Panhandle Pioneer Award was established to recognize the volunteer and service contributions of an individual or organization providing for the betterment of the University and the Texas Panhandle in service to the goals of WT 125 .

Previous Pioneer Award recipients include: Texas Cattle Feeders Association (2019), Mike Wartes (2021) and Dr. Barbara Bain, Dr. Helen Piehl and the late Dr. Geneva Schaeffer (2022).

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University's Celebration of Donors honored recipients of the Pinnacle Award and the President’s Panhandle Pioneer Award on Sept. 21. Pinnacle recipients were The Mary E. Bivins Foundation represented by, from second from left, Mark Bivins, Bud Joyner and Katharine Wiegand, and Natrelle and WT President Emeritus Russell F. Long. President’s Panhandle Pioneer Award winner was Lilia Escajeda, second from right. They are bookended by WTAMU Foundation President David Schaeffer and WT President Walter V. Wendler.

—WT—