Terry Caviness to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Dec. 14 WT Graduation Ceremony

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

CANYON, Texas — An area cattleman whose family-owned business has evolved into a worldwide industry leader will be presented an honorary doctorate Dec. 14 by West Texas A&M University.

Terry Caviness, CEO of Caviness Beef Packers, will be presented with an honorary Ph.D. in agriculture business from WT’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.

“I am most humbled by this extremely fine honor. WT is such an important institution not only for students, but also for the quality of life in the Texas Panhandle,” Caviness said. “The Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences has very strong leadership, and the school’s mission and values are very much aligned with our family’s.”

Caviness will be honored during the second of WT’s three commencement ceremonies, which will be stretched to two days — Dec. 13 and 14 — in the First United Bank Center, 3301 Fourth Ave. in Canyon.

The 10 a.m. Dec. 14 ceremony also will include the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities.

Caviness Beef Packers was founded in 1962 and is currently led by second- and third-generation family members. The company has grown from harvesting a handful of cattle in the early days to processing 4,700 head today as the sixth-largest beef packer in the country.

“Terry’s leadership and expertise in growing and evolving the beef packing industry in the Panhandle is worthy of recognition and distinction,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said. “The honorary doctorate is the University’s way of not only recognizing Terry, but also of drawing attention to the vital role the cattle industry, and beef packing in particular, plays in our region. WT is proud to be a regional research institution.”

Caviness is a community and industry leader. He is the past chair and director of the National Meat Association, which gave him its most distinguished award for service, the E. Floyd Forbes Award, in 2009. Caviness has led the boards for FirstBank Southwest, the Amarillo Area Foundation, the Presbyterian Home for Children and the Maverick Boys & Girls Club.

Earlier in 2024, Caviness was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, and he and sons Trevor and Regan were given the Pinnacle Award by WT at the annual Celebration of Donors.

“Terry Caviness has always given of his time and talents to the agricultural and food industries, to West Texas A&M University and to the community,” said Dr. Kevin Pond, dean of the Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. “We are excited to award him with the most prestigious honor an individual can receive from the University.”

Caviness and his family have provided significant support to WT, including the state-of-the-art Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center inside WT’s Agricultural Sciences Complex, and the Caviness Davis Distinguished Chair in Meat Science with Dr. Gordon W. Davis, a Lubbock businessman and former educator.

Fall commencement ceremonies also will include:

• 2 p.m. Dec. 13 for the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences;
• 2 p.m. Dec. 14 for the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and the College of Engineering

Caviness’ life and career reflect the regional values to which WT aspires, as laid out in 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—