WT Alumna Sets Up $1 Million Scholarship Endowment for Female Student Athletes

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

CANYON, Texas — A planned gift of $1 million will support West Texas A&M University female athletes, officials announced today.

The gift establishes the Lisa G. Hennen Endowment for Lady Buff Athletics, named for the donor, a WT alumna. Hennen also made an immediate gift of $25,000.

“I believe strongly in the conservative values and frontier work ethics that WT and the Texas Panhandle represents,” Hennen said. “I chose to contribute from my estate when I pass in order to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy. I have no siblings or children, and giving to the University pays it forward to the next generation of WT Buffs.”

Scholarship recipients must be a female student athlete with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference is given to female athletes with majors in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, the College of Engineering or the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

A minimum of $1,000 will be awarded annually to one or more students.

“I want to thank Lisa for her generosity and establishment of the Lisa G. Hennen Endowment that will benefit future Lady Buffs for years,” said Doug Lipinski, WT vice president for athletics. “This gift will make a positive impact on Lady Buff athletics and the WT community.”

Hennen, who grew up in Dallas and Houston, graduated from WT in 1983 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. She has lived in Dallas since graduating, where she spent 10 years in commercial and mortgage banking, and 27 years as a field claims adjuster in homeowners property insurance. She is now retired and married to her partner, Candy Carroll.

At WT, Hennen was a member of the rifle team and participated in tennis and intramural softball and soccer.

“I enjoyed representing WT in the outside world and being a part of something bigger than myself,” Hennen said. “I think athletics develops discipline, team building, and people skills that are invaluable in life.”

Legacy gifts can be set up through the Leaving a Legacy program in the form of wills, beneficiary designations, IRA charitable rollovers, charitable trusts and other avenues in order to magnify a donor’s philanthropic investments.

“The Leaving a Legacy Program gives our valuable donors a way to not only have a permanent impact on the University but those benefit from the gift, as well,” said Matt McComas, major gifts officer. “Lisa’s passion and love for Lady Buff Athletics and WT will certainly leave a lasting legacy.”

For information about leaving a legacy gift to WT, contact Lesly Bosch Annen, assistant vice president for development and leadership gifts, or Keith Brown, major gift officer and Leaving a Legacy coordinator, or by calling the WT Foundation office at 806-651-2070.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding the best students is a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. 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 more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and 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.

—WT—