Thomas A. Loomis Endowed Presidential Scholarship

The Thomas A. Loomis Endowed Presidential Scholarship was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on December 5, 1991, for the benefit of the McCombs School of Business. Gift funds were provided by Mrs. Ella Mae Moore of Austin, Texas. The endowment honors Captain Thomas A. Loomis of San Antonio, Texas

Thomas A. Loomis (Retired Navy Captain) was hired by Dean George Kozmetsky in August 1974 to begin raising an endowment for the renowned professors already present in the McCombs School of Business as well as new ones he hoped would attract new faculty endowments. The primary resources for this proposed program were already in place including Dean Kozmetsky, a famed business leader, and an advisory council composed of leading businessmen and alumni.

Tom began by preparing a visual presentation and asking advisory council members to hold luncheon meetings featuring Dean Kozmetsky with the visual presentation. The luncheons were an immediate success as the Dean expressed the need for college endowments to keep distinguished professors and to attract new ones to the college. The word rapidly spread as the presentation luncheons were held in all the major cities in Texas and prospective donors were contacted by advisory council members. Principal leaders assisting the program were Sam Barshop, Fred Moore, Jere Thompson and Ralph Velasco.

Tom visited the various cities following the luncheons and, accompanied by various advisory Council members, visited those who had attended the luncheons to further explain the endowment program. Dean Kozmetsky also made follow up visits to prospective donors. Pledges were obtained for various endowments including chairs and professorships and the fundraising program was an early success.

Around 1980 the Board of Regents established a matching program wherein major gift endowments were to be matched dollar for dollar and the endowments could be named for the donor or a family member if desired. More than 10 million dollars were raised in 1978-79 and an additional 10 million by 1984.

In 1984, Fred Moore, a former president of Mobil Corporation, began raising funds in secret to establish a college lectureship in honor of Tom Loomis. He canvassed all of the advisory council members and raised more than fifty thousand dollars which when matched formed a 100 thousand dollar endowment to be named in honor of Tom. Other friends gave funds to establish the Thomas A. Loomis Endowed Presidential Scholarship in the Graduate School of Business with gifts of more than forty-five thousand dollars which were also matched to eventually form an endowment of $110,000. These endowments were announced to Tom in a brief ceremony in Mr. and Mrs. Moore’s home in May 1987 before Tom retired from the University.