Donor Spotlight

Judy and Ron Brown arrived in San Marcos in 1975.  Ron joined the History Department, and Judy became a San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District teacher. After the birth of their son, Brian, Judy returned to public school as an elementary teacher focusing on gifted education. She became a consultant in Texas and California and retired in 2015.  Ron became a program director, a dean, and an assistant vice president before returning to the History Department.  

WHY WE GIVE: 

“As a child, Judy was involved with musical theatre and cherished those experiences. Taking our son Brian to Charles Pascoe’s children’s theatre productions revived those memories. When Kaitlin Hopkins came to Texas State, Judy, a Friends of Fine Arts and Communication past president, made Kaitlin’s program part of their annual contributions, because each $1,000.00 scholarship gift assured in-state tuition for students. This endowment honors Kaitlin’s accomplishments and will continue to bring outstanding Musical Theatre students to Texas State. ”
 

Elizabeth and Richard Condit met at the University of California at Santa Cruz where both earned degrees in biology. Richard was a university professor specializing in virology, while Elizabeth took the lead in raising their three children. Following Richard’s 2015 retirement, they moved to Austin to be near their daughter, Sarah EC Maines, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Texas State University, and her family.  

WHY WE GIVE: 

“Our family has a long-standing interest in theatre. When the masters program in Theatre Design began at Texas State in 2015, we saw the need for fellowships to help recruit and support students, who are the driving force in making the program a success. We gain great satisfaction seeing students flourish and we hope that our support will ensure the success of the program into the future.”
 

Professor Conroy joined the Texas State University faculty to head the School of Art and Design’s ceramic art program. For seven of her thirty-seven years at TXST, she served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and was honored as a lifetime fellow of the council. At TXST, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service and the Faculty Senate Excellence in Leadership Award. She retired in 2020 as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. 

WHY I GIVE: 

“Before I chose a discipline, I knew that I wanted to teach. After testing the waters with five undergraduate majors, I finally landed on the field of studio art. As a first-generation college student with nine siblings, I relied heavily on scholarship support to complete my academic degrees. I am deeply thankful for the opportunities afforded me at Texas State. I am now gratified to help Texas State students achieve their goals.”
 

After the death of their father when we were little, Merry Kone FitzPatrick relied on her brother Lewis Woods Kone (Class of 1944) to help her raise her daughters Shannon and Kate FitzPatrick. Shannon would go on to become a teacher and then an attorney, while sister Kate became a landscape architect and then city planner. They both recently retired from their work with the State of Texas. 

WHY WE GIVE: 
 

“We were blessed by a childhood surrounded by music and artists pursuing their dreams. Our mother (who along with her brother Bob Kone – who also had a degree in Music from Texas State) started the Woods Kone scholarship after Woods’ death. It has been an honor for us to continue this work to help succeeding generations to share their gifts with the world in memory of our beloved uncle.”

 

Brian and Michele Frizzell met in 1994 at Southwest Texas State University. Michele graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in Psychology, then went on to teach in elementary education for 12 years. Brian graduated with a B.S. in Applied Sociology in 1996 and is a manager for Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. We were very excited when both our children chose to become Bobcats as well, with Brian Kyle Frizzell II graduating in December 2019.

WHY WE GIVE: 

“We are a family of Bobcats. As SWT graduates, we were elated when both of our children decided to pursue B.F.A.s at Texas State University. We are proud to support the arts by becoming Friends of the Fine Arts and establishing a scholarship for students in the film program in honor of our daughter, Haley Frizzell. She was always helping other people and this way she can continue to help students in need.”
 

When Tom and Rosa Gonzales married in 1952, only six months after Rosa graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College with a music education degree, Tom had already enlisted in the USAF. His 30-year military career took them across the United States, as well as to Okinawa, Japan. While Tom retired at the highest NCO rank of Chief Master Sergeant, Rosa taught music in local public schools, directed church children’s choirs, volunteered with the Girl Scouts, and offered piano lessons. Together, Tom and Rosa raised three daughters.
 

WHY WE GIVE: 

“As I, Rosa, recall my college days, an outstanding memory remains: would there be enough money to pay tuition the next semester? Therefore, when we sold our homestead of 40 years, the first thought was to share our blessing with others. What better way than to provide scholarship funds for talented Texas State music majors!”
 

Sheila Hargett was supervisor of the Costume Design/Technology Program at Texas State University for 45 years. Her designs have appeared in over 90 University productions as well as in regional theatres. Sheila received five Kennedy Center American College Theatre Awards. Her designs have been seen in local, state, national, and international theatrical exhibits and in many theatre design publications. Following her retirement in 2016,     
Sheila was recognized as a Distinguished Professor Emeriti.

WHY I GIVE: 

“We were blessed by a childhood surrounded by music and artists pursuing their dreams. Our mother (who along with her brother Bob Kone – who also had a degree in Music from Texas State) started the Woods Kone scholarship after Woods’ death. It has been an honor for us to continue this work to help succeeding generations to share their gifts with the world in memory of our beloved uncle.”

Katie Harvey has been a member of the Bobcat family for nearly 30 years. As Chief Executive Officer of KGBTexas, Katie has grown her full-service marketing and communications agency from its origins as a boutique public relations firm to one of the largest, woman-owned communications agencies in Texas. One of Katie’s strongest beliefs is that her and her team’s work should have positive consequence in the communities in which they and their clients work, live, play, and serve. Katie has received the university’s Outstanding Alumna Award and the Alumna Achievement Award.
 

WHY I GIVE:

“As a ’91 graduate of Southwest Texas (Texas State), our university provided the foundational support to build a healthy communications agency, family, and life in San Antonio. As a recipient of God’s gifts, it is an honor to, in turn, provide opportunities for others through the KGBTexas Communications endowment and scholarship program. Seeing the individuals that benefit directly from the endowment is an incredible blessing.”

A strong believer in youth and community involvement, Ms. Johnson served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach at the US Department of Education from 2014-2016, and as mayor of her hometown, Kyle, Texas from 2010-2014. During her time as mayor, she worked to secure better access to education for Kyle’s residents by building a new city library and campaigning successfully for a community college campus. 

WHY I GIVE: 

“Graduating from Hays High School in 2002, I remember many classmates who felt forced to postpone or forgo college altogether because of the costs. My family raised me to believe that it is our personal responsibility to give back the blessings I received to those that need them most. While this endowment is small, I hope I can contribute additional funds in the future to enable more local students to attend college right here at Texas State University.” 

James and Brenda met, fell in love, and were married on the SWT campus. After leaving SWT, both took their business degrees and moved to Houston. Initially, Brenda worked in the savings and loan business. She then earned a law degree and worked for Texas Commerce Bank and Harris County Probate Court #4 for twenty-six years before her retirement. James went into the lumber business and became a business owner with Marine Lumber Company. He currently serves as the general manager for Deer Park Lumber Company.
 

WHY WE GIVE: 

“Since our graduation in 1973 we have supported SWT and Texas State in many areas. We were blessed to meet two special people who have become part of our lives, Kaitlin Hopkins and Jim Price. Kaitlin and Jim shared their vision of how to support students and make the Texas State Musical Theatre program one of the best in the country. Kaitlin’s leadership has not only accomplished this but has made a difference in many young people’s lives that we are very proud of.”
 

Alan graduated from Texas State University, then known as Southwest Texas State University, back in 1981 as a business major. He is currently on the Executive Management Team at Dunhill Partners, a Dallas-based commercial real estate investment company. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Texas State University’s Development Foundation. Alan and Paula are the proud parents of three children and support causes such as the Dallas Arboretum and Avant Chamber Ballet.

WHY WE GIVE: 

“I have many fond memories of my time at SWT. After doing a guest lecture at the McCoy Business School, I started getting more and more involved with Texas State. My wife and I were in a comfortable position financially to help in a small way. Our daughter, Olivia, is a professional ballet dancer and understands the performing arts always needs help in funding. We were pleased to be able to create the Olivia Mann Endowed Scholarship in Dance.”
 

An A&M civil engineer, Jim Bob served in Germany in the Vietnam Era before returning to become Sr. VP of a Civil Engineering firm serving five Eastern states. During this time, he obtained an MFA and taught Ceramic Sculpture at George Washington University. Lisa made her career as CEO of a multi-city real estate company and as a convention motivational speaker. Newly wed, Lisa and Jim Bob began 14 years of community and university service by opening their doors and hearts to San Marcos. 
 

WHY WE GIVE:

“Five years ago, Sharon Lockett asked us to host a Music Salon presentation in our home to raise money for music scholarships. We love hosting parties and we love music and learned how much we are needed!  Too few music scholarships make it difficult to recruit the best talent and to help them stay in school. The Salon is a very direct way to help talented students. Blessed with generous personal friends who enjoy a Sunday afternoon of fabulous music in an intimate setting, each year we are fortunate to provide an ever-increasing number of scholarships.”