[{"id":18961,"date":"2019-08-15T17:59:51","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T22:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18961"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"destination-pantherland-welcomes-incoming-freshmen-and-their-families-to-the-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/destination-pantherland-welcomes-incoming-freshmen-and-their-families-to-the-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"Destination Pantherland Welcomes Incoming Freshmen and Their Families to The Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Destination Pantherland – Houston, August 13, 2019<\/p><\/div>\n

Destination Pantherland Freshman Send-off Celebrations are quickly becoming a new tradition at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Now in their second year, these summer events welcome incoming freshmen and their families to The Hill with rousing cheer routines by the Panther Dolls Dance Team and PVAMU Cheerleaders, as well as informative presentations by the Office of Student Affairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to join the PVAMU family,\u201d said Nicole Evans, a parent of an incoming freshman who attended the send-off event with approximately 90 other guests in Dallas on August 3. \u201cWe thoroughly enjoyed Destination Pantherland and appreciated the opportunity to meet other incoming freshmen and their families. Learning about traditions at PVAMU and chants was a hoot!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"In addition to Destination Pantherland Dallas, an event was held in Houston on August 10, where about 150 freshman, parents, and alumni volunteers attended. The turnout for both the Dallas and Houston send-off celebrations grew exponentially this year, with PVAMU hosting twice as many students and families than last year. With increased attendance, alumni volunteer support was instrumental to the success of the celebrations, illustrating to guests: once a Panther, always a Panther.<\/p>\n

\u201cI volunteered to give back to my alma mater and could not pass up the opportunity to directly encourage students entering PVAMU,\u201d said Robert F. Houston \u201901. \u201cI look forward to seeing the great things that the Class of 2023 will accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful for our alumni volunteers who made these two events possible,\u201d said Annual Fund Director LaShonda Williams \u201997. \u201cDestination Pantherland is one of many ways that the Office of Development connects students, parents, and alumni to promote the scholarship of our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Parents and family members are essential to helping students pursue their educational and career goals. As such, the Office of Development, which organizes Destination Pantherland, encourages parents and families to support the needs of all students by giving back to PVAMU.<\/p>\n

\u201cParent and Family Giving supports all parents with important resources to advance the academic success of students,\u201d said Panther Parent Program Ambassador Renee Falls at Destination Pantherland Houston. \u201cMy husband Mark and I are grateful for the excellent education and care that the university gives our children and are delighted to strengthen its efforts by giving to the Panther Parent Program. All families are invited to contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Destination Pantherland is just the first stop among many that our students will make as they become productive people at PVAMU and, as each event shows, our students do not take the journey alone. Walking alongside them are family, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university who are dedicated to ensuring their success.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To learn more about how you can help transform the lives of our students through parent and family giving, please contact Angela Randolph at 936-261-1581 or <\/em>alrandolph@pvamu.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcements"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18961\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18947,"date":"2019-08-15T16:46:12","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T21:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18947"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"billie-j-evans-more-than-just-a-staff-member-a-custodian-of-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/billie-j-evans-more-than-just-a-staff-member-a-custodian-of-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Billie J. Evans: More Than Just a Staff Member, a Custodian of Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) means a lot to Billie J. Evans, 2011-12 PVAMU Staff of the Year. A native of Waller, Texas, and an administrative coordinator at the School of Architecture (SOA), Billie started working at PVAMU 27 years ago. She credits the university for taking a chance on her and giving her the tools to prosper.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although Billie sees herself as \u201cjust a regular staff member,\u201d she is much more. As a steadfast supporter of the university, Billie is a custodian of dreams, helping students achieve their academic and career goals through philanthropy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Profoundly grateful for the university\u2019s continuing investments in her career and those of aspiring students, Billie sat down with the Office of Development to share why she gives to PVAMU.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Witnessing Transformations at PVAMU: <\/strong>I have seen a lot in my 27 years at Prairie View, especially during my 18 years in SOA. Watching the rise of the Nathelyne Archie Kennedy Building and the new Fabrication Center<\/a>\u00a0has been amazing. I am in awe as I think of the growing number of students who will benefit from the latest technologies and collaborative research that our innovative spaces allow.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that \u201cPrairie View Produces Productive People.\u201d I see that inside and outside of the walls of our buildings as faculty interact one on one with students, spending quality time with them to make sure that they are equipped with the experiences and resources to realize their dreams. Our faculty are transforming lives, and it\u2019s a privilege to be a part of that growth.<\/p>\n

On Her First Gift to PVAMU<\/strong>: <\/strong>I made my first gift to the university in 2011 to the Simon Wiltz Endowment Fund in memory of longtime SOA faculty member Simon Wiltz. He paved the way for so many architecture students to succeed and was always giving back. I wanted to follow his lead and honor his inspirational legacy through my own giving to the university. His untimely passing was a reminder that the time to make a difference is always now\u2014right now.<\/p>\n

On Making a Difference<\/strong>: It never crosses my mind to stop giving. I continue to give because I know that I can make a difference in the lives of our precious students\u2014so many are in need.<\/p>\n

The greatest gift that I can give a student is to help them succeed. It does not matter if I am not a faculty member. I can still invest in students just as PVAMU invested in me.<\/p>\n

Giving is a blessing, a blessing that I hope to pass on to others.<\/p>\n

My hope is that students will give after they graduate because philanthropy helped them capture their dreams and made a difference in their lives\u2014a difference that will ripple through the lives of students at Prairie View forever.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To learn more about how you can help PVAMU students realize their dreams, visit www.pvamu.edu\/development<\/a> or call 936-261-1550.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) means a lot to Billie J. Evans, 2011-12 PVAMU Staff of the Year. A native of Waller, Texas, and an administrative coordinator at the School of Architecture (SOA), Billie started working at PVAMU 27 years ago. She credits the university for taking a chance on her and giving her the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2146,"featured_media":18960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-story"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18924,"date":"2019-05-14T08:56:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T13:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18924"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"the-power-of-prairie-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/the-power-of-prairie-view\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Prairie View"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE BEAUTY AND IMPORTANCE OF PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY (PVAMU) IS THE INSTITUTION\u2019S ABILITY TO MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND HELP THEM GO PLACES THEY HAVE NEVER DREAMED. MY LIFE AND CAREER ARE A TESTIMONY TO ITS POWER.<\/p>\n

\"Melanye

Melanye Price, PhD \u201995,<\/strong>
Endowed Professor, Political Science<\/strong>
Principal Investigator, Mellon Foundation<\/strong>
African American Studies Initiative<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Nearly 30 years ago, I arrived on Prairie View\u2019s campus as a curious student with good high school grades but a limited imagination about what I could be. I grew up in southeast Houston, the youngest of six kids to a single mother who worked very hard to make sure that we would get college degrees.<\/p>\n

Professors and administrators at PVAMU saw my raw talent, and through coursework and positive mentorship, I learned new ways of thinking, developed critical thinking and life skills, and expanded my landscape of possibilities. In the past three decades, I have gone on to achieve many more things, but the foundation I received on this campus has been integral to my success.<\/p>\n

This year, I returned to PVAMU as an endowed professor of Political Science to work with students who remind me of myself all those years ago and work alongside faculty who are charged with educating them. After I left PVAMU, I received a doctorate in Political Science at The Ohio State University and most recently was an associate professor of Africana Studies and Political Science at Rutgers University.<\/p>\n

As a part of my new position, I will also be developing an African American Studies program. This program will infuse African American Studies content into the general curriculum, create a course of study for students interested in the major, and develop and expand our existing archives so that PVAMU will be a destination for scholars researching the black experience in Texas and the South and Southwest. This will increase our students\u2019 awareness of African American history and culture as an academic discipline to be rigorously studied and a source of affirmation and encouragement as they make their way after graduation.<\/p>\n

Students with fewer financial hardships and who are less encumbered by debt are freer to pursue their dreams after graduation. They can take on jobs and pursue graduate careers that engage their passion and purpose and not merely pay off loans. Each year, scholarships, fees and the cost of books increase, but so does the level of demand from our students.<\/p>\n

With your assistance, we can help more of our students turn their talents and aspirations into brighter futures.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your help and support.<\/p>\n

GIVE NOW<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE BEAUTY AND IMPORTANCE OF PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY (PVAMU) IS THE INSTITUTION\u2019S ABILITY TO MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND HELP THEM GO PLACES THEY HAVE NEVER DREAMED. MY LIFE AND CAREER ARE A TESTIMONY TO ITS POWER.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcements","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18924"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18924\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18853,"date":"2018-12-14T12:14:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T18:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18853"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"reaching-back-to-pull-students-forward-jiles-daniels-jr-80-makes-his-passion-his-legacy-through-a-planned-gift-to-pvamu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/reaching-back-to-pull-students-forward-jiles-daniels-jr-80-makes-his-passion-his-legacy-through-a-planned-gift-to-pvamu\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching Back to Pull Students Forward: Jiles Daniels, Jr. \u201980 Makes His Passion His Legacy through a Planned Gift to PVAMU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Jiles
In honor of his bequest, PVAMU is delighted to recognize Jiles Daniels, Jr. \u201980 in the 1876 Legacy Society, a distinguished leadership group comprising benefactors who make estate plans in support of the university.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Jiles Daniels, Jr. \u201980, it is not about him. It has never been. His father made sure of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was in grade school, my father told me that success is when your children can provide for their children better than you were able to provide for them,\u201d shares Jiles upon considering his legacy. \u201cIt is this philosophy that I would like to leave to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the seeds planted by his father, Jiles strives to improve the lives of others through mentoring, volunteering, and philanthropic contributions with a particular focus on furthering his alma mater. Recently, he increased his giving with a $25,000 commitment to PVAMU in his living trust and will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am passionate about reaching back to pull forward as many young professionals as I can,\u201d says Jiles who graduated summa cum laude and went on to hold several senior level management positions at ExxonMobil while also leading two privately held companies. \u201cI hope that through giving, I can elevate others to heights greater than what I have been able to achieve myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of Jiles\u2019 accomplishments is long, but the credit, he stresses, goes to PVAMU. \u201cBoth of my parents are graduates of PVAMU, as are my brother and sister and my children,\u201d states Jiles. \u201cThe university provided the education that allowed my parents to provide a very comfortable life for me to excel beyond my expectations. The education my children received made them self-sufficient contributing members of society. I am deeply inspired by what PVAMU has done for my family and me. Hopefully, my donation will help carry forward the benefits I received.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although recognized as PVAMU Engineer of the Year and Student of the Year, individual academic accomplishments are not what set Jiles\u2019 university experience apart. It was the professors. One faculty member, Jiles remembers, refused to give him an A although he thought he earned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlumni giving is central to the success and sustainability of Prairie View,\u201d states PVAMU President Ruth J. Simmons. \u201cJiles\u2019 bequest is a wonderful example of how alumni can support the university and our students long into the future. We are grateful for his vision, leadership, and generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I asked Professor Thetis Edmonds why she lowered my final grade to a B, she said because I could not spell and to earn an A in my career, I would have to learn to spell correctly,\u201d Jiles recalls. \u201cShe went on to tell me that the reason she gave me that B was to help me to remember that B is for the \u2018book\u2019 that I should always have near me in the corporate world \u2014a dictionary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Edmonds\u2019 lesson is just one of many that shaped Jiles\u2019 career. \u201cThere are many more memories like this,\u201d he says. \u201cThe long-term impact of Prairie View professors are indescribable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Jiles reflects upon his past at PVAMU, his grandchildren, now in high school, look forward to their future as students at the university. And Jiles, who serves on the Prairie View A&M Foundation Board of Trustees, knows that they will be in good hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe university and its professors care about students. They focus on preparing students for life, not just getting them to graduation. They believe in students and students excel because of it. It is not just a university; it is a great big family\u2014a family intent on securing a positive future for students. I am honored to be a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Jiles Daniels, Jr. \u201980, it is not about him. It has never been. His father made sure of that. \u201cWhen I was in grade school, my father told me that success is when your children can provide for their children better than you were able to provide for them,\u201d shares Jiles upon considering his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18822,"date":"2018-12-07T11:08:54","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T17:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18822"},"modified":"2018-12-17T08:17:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-17T14:17:37","slug":"18822","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/18822\/","title":{"rendered":"Year-end Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Alumni and Friends,<\/p>\n

Happy Holidays! Thank you for spreading joy across Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) throughout the year. As we prepare to celebrate a New Year, we also celebrate you and the difference that your gifts make in the lives of our students and community season after season. Because of you, the New Year at PVAMU will be merry and bright.<\/p>\n

If you are planning to make an investment in the future of PVAMU before the end of the tax year, please take note of the following details regarding the winter break holiday schedule at PVAMU.<\/p>\n

Credit Card Gifts<\/strong>
\nIn order to count online credit card contribution toward your 2018 deduction, please make your gift by 11:59 pm CST on\u00a0December 31, 2018. Your gift is received and receipted immediately when made on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gifts sent by Postal Mail<\/strong>
\nMailed checks\u00a0must be postmarked by December 31, 2018, to be recorded as a 2018 gift. Please make checks payable to Prairie View A&M University and send to:<\/p>\n

Prairie View A&M University<\/strong>
\nOffice of Development<\/strong>
\nPO Box 393<\/strong>
\nPrairie View, TX 77446-0393<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gifts of Securities<\/strong>
\nPlease email\u00a0development@pvamu.edu<\/a> at your earliest convenience to make a gift of stock. Securities must be received by\u00a0December 31, 2018\u00a0in order to be counted this calendar year. Please note that financial advisors are often very busy this time of year and stock gifts can take several days to process.<\/p>\n

Office Hours<\/strong>
\nPVAMU is officially closed Monday, December 24 through Tuesday, January 1, 2019, but the Office of Development is available to help you make your gift during this time. You can reach the office at 936-261-1550 or development@pvamu.edu<\/a>. As our team will be with family and friends, please anticipate a slight delay in our response.<\/p>\n

Thank you again for making spirits bright at PVAMU. You are the reason that we are able to advance the university\u2019s historic mission and transform lives.<\/p>\n

Gratefully,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Carme Williams, CFRE
\nVice President, Office of Development
\nPrairie View A&M University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Alumni and Friends, Happy Holidays! Thank you for spreading joy across Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) throughout the year. As we prepare to celebrate a New Year, we also celebrate you and the difference that your gifts make in the lives of our students and community season after season. Because of you, the New […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcements","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18822\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18767,"date":"2018-11-30T09:10:25","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T15:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18767"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"class-of-1968-pays-it-forward-with-endowed-scholarship-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/class-of-1968-pays-it-forward-with-endowed-scholarship-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 1968 Pays It Forward with Endowed Scholarship Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

You could not miss them. Donned in the traditional gold suit jackets of the Golden Class, the Class of 1968 stood out in the crowd of thousands during Prairie View A&M University\u2019s 2018 Homecoming Week. And while they came to celebrate the past, the future was very much on their minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is tradition for each class to raise philanthropic support for the university to commemorate their fiftieth anniversary\u2014their golden class year,\u201d explains Evelyn Collier Holloway, Chair of the Class of 1968 \u201cGolden Anniversary\u201d Steering Committee. \u201cWe want to support the next generation of students and pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Class held several fundraisers over two years to engage alumni, many of whom had not given to the university previously but made their first gift when called to step forward for students. Together, the Class raised more than $205,000 to establish the Class of 1968 Endowed Scholarship Fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrairie View A&M University is one of the most venerable HBCUs in the country because of the incredible care that alumni give to the institution year after year,\u201d states President Ruth J. Simmons. \u201cThe gifts of the mighty Class of 1968 are a true reflection of that care, and I am so very proud of and grateful for their generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

PVAMU Class of 1968<\/p><\/div>\n

The Class is not done, however, and intends to secure additional donations to help more students. On Homecoming Day alone, the Class raised $9,500 to enhance the scholarship fund and additional donations for Athletics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity to give back means a lot to my classmates and me,\u201d shares Patricia Robbins Nelson, Secretary of the Class of 1968 \u201cGolden Anniversary\u201d Steering Committee. \u201cWhen we were students, Prairie View gave us so many opportunities, and now we are a part of the exciting future of our dear alma mater.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continues, \u201cThe Class of 1968 Endowment is our contribution to the continued growth and success of students as they become Productive Panthers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engineers, nurses, teachers, doctors, administrators, athletes\u2014Productive Panthers, the graduates of the Class of 1968 mirror the successful alumni that came before and after them. Yet, they are set apart by the era in which they entered and exited the university, witnessing a country in change: the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, and Assassination of Martin Luther King.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese changes impacted the lives of our classmates, their families, and our communities,\u201d says Patricia. \u201cWe never forgot the positive role the university played in our lives then and now\u2014offering us opportunities to be successful in our respective careers and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the two-year fundraising campaign and celebration, classmates renewed old friendships and established new ones through a number of activities including participation in the 2018 spring commencement and social events.<\/p>\n

It was also important to the Class to identify veterans and recognize them for their service. As part of their reunion activities, the Class held a ceremony presided by Captain Paul Mathews \u201968 in honor of veterans at the Buffalo Soldiers Museum in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so thankful to all of the classmates who participated, gave, and volunteered,\u201d states Evelyn. \u201cBy honoring our past, we are helping to build a bright future for Prairie View.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/a>

PVAMU Class of 1968 present class gift to the university.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You could not miss them. Donned in the traditional gold suit jackets of the Golden Class, the Class of 1968 stood out in the crowd of thousands during Prairie View A&M University\u2019s 2018 Homecoming Week. And while they came to celebrate the past, the future was very much on their minds. \u201cIt is tradition for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18775,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-story"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18714,"date":"2018-10-23T11:02:08","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T16:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18714"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"straight-from-the-heart-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/straight-from-the-heart-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Straight from the Heart: PVAMU Alumna Viola Bess Hebert, RN, BSN, MA \u201974 Commits to Advancing Nursing Education in Perpetuity through Estate Planning"},"content":{"rendered":"

When faced with her own death, Viola Bess Hebert, RN, BSN, MA \u201974 focused first on the lives of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was undergoing major surgery and wanted to update my will,\u201d states Viola. \u201cI prayed and reflected on what is important to me\u2014nursing and the lives of patients served by our profession. Nursing is my heart and my passion. It has always been.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raised in Victoria, TX, Viola knew from an early age that she wanted to become a nurse. \u201cMy mother passed away when I was young, and I took care of her,\u201d shares Viola. \u201cAs I watched over her in the hospital, I was awed by the compassion, confidence, and excellence that distinguished the nurses. The black stripe across their white hats signified that they were registered nurses (RNs)\u2014that\u2019s what I wanted to be. They stood apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

And throughout her life, Viola stood apart, too.<\/p>\n

The middle child of seven, Viola always fought to make her own way. She opted to attend a primarily black elementary school after desegregation. \u201cI wanted to go to the \u2018black school,\u2019\u201d explains Viola. \u201cThe teachers knew me. We shared the same community. We attended the same church. They knew where I came from and I valued that. After all, that was what I knew; it was familiar and just felt good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Viola also stood out in the classroom, excelling in science and advanced classes. \u201cWhen it was time to go to college everyone said that I should go to Texas Woman\u2019s University\u2014even my dad. However, I was determined to graduate from an HBCU, as they are known today, and had only one in mind: Prairie View A&M University. My experience in the black community was always so positive\u2014and I wanted more of that, as I grew into adulthood and prepared to go out into the world. A positive sense of \u2018self\u2019 was important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

When her father dropped her off at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) in 1970, he left her with a \u201ccadre of great faculty.\u201d Viola, who received a scholarship and pledged Delta Sigma Theta and Chi Eta Phi while at PVAMU, can still name many of them, \u201cDean Mangaroo, Mrs. Billie Bell, Dr.Collins, Ms. Richardson, Dr. Humphrey, and others contributed to my academic success, growth, and development into a responsible citizen and professional nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continues, \u201cThe faculty made sure we were \u2018presentable\u2019 and represented the university and ourselves in the best light. We had to be our best\u2014they drilled into us to do better and be better at all times\u2014utmost professionalism was the only way.<\/p>\n

From our outward appearance\u2212crisp, starched and ironed uniforms, clean caps, and white polished shoes\u2212to our mental preparation, faculty taught us to be our best in a challenging and competitive world. We would have to bring our \u2018a game\u2019 to a diverse workplace in which most BSN RNs were from predominantly white institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Viola kept those enduring lessons with her after graduation as she entered an illustrious career in health care, first as a charge nurse in critical patient care units, and then as an administrator overseeing organizational culture change, process design, and other healthcare initiatives. \u201cI love caring for people, places, and processes that can be optimized,\u201d says Viola, who was part of the team that helped Harris Health receive its first national nursing designation of excellence.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod has given me a good life\u2014\u201d reflects Viola, \u201ca good life, in large part, afforded to me by Prairie View. For this, I am grateful and very blessed. Saint Luke reminds me: \u2018For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

So as Viola considered life after her own death, she did not hesitate to designate a portion of her estate to support an endowed scholarship fund benefiting PVAMU\u2019s College of Nursing.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrairie View invested in me\u2014a country girl from Victoria. I am giving back so that all nursing students, regardless of their race or ethnicity, have an opportunity to improve life in their communities through excellent patient care,\u201d says Viola, a member of the PVAMU Nursing Alumni Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are sincerely grateful to be able to celebrate Viola\u2019s selfless generosity as we also mark the 100th<\/sup> anniversary of the College of Nursing,\u201d says Carme Williams, vice president of development at PVAMU. \u201cThe college\u2019s legacy of producing top-notch nurses is mirrored in Viola\u2019s pledge and will be forever reflected in the students who will benefit from her bequest.\u201d<\/p>\n

After resolving to leave PVAMU in her will, Viola visited the main campus with a friend. \u201cWe walked around campus. Looked through yearbooks. The students were so wonderful. It\u2019s amazing how far the university has come,\u201d shares Viola. \u201cIt brought tears to my eyes and validated my commitment to give while I am still living.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about ways to give, please visit <\/em>www.pvamu.edu\/development<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or call 936-261-1550.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When faced with her own death, Viola Bess Hebert, RN, BSN, MA \u201974 focused first on the lives of others. \u201cI was undergoing major surgery and wanted to update my will,\u201d states Viola. \u201cI prayed and reflected on what is important to me\u2014nursing and the lives of patients served by our profession. Nursing is my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1798,"featured_media":18715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-story"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:26:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1798"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18701,"date":"2018-10-22T12:26:59","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T17:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18701"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:00","slug":"african-american-studies-initiative-awarded-1-million-in-grants-and-gifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/african-american-studies-initiative-awarded-1-million-in-grants-and-gifts\/","title":{"rendered":"African-\u00adAmerican Studies Initiative Awarded $1 Million in Grants and Gifts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) <\/strong>a grant of $500,000 to support its effort to establish an African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies Initiative which will be housed in its Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences. Inspired by the Mellon Foundation award, an anonymous donor pledged an added $250,000 to help fund this Initiative. This generous donation is eligible for a $250,000 university match, bringing the total support for the Initiative\u2019s launch to $1 million.<\/p>\n

The project, Enhancing the Humanities at PVAMU Through An African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies Program Initiative<\/em>, is designed to selectively infuse African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies content throughout the university\u2019s liberal arts offerings. The initial concept for the program was conceived when Prairie View President Ruth J. Simmons called for the creation of an African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies program in her first campus-\u00ad\u2010wide address. Having directed Afro-\u00ad\u2010American Studies at Princeton and Chaired the African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies Department Visiting Committee at Harvard, President Simmons expressed surprise and disappointment that, given the University\u2019s cultural legacy, it did not have a formal program in African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies.<\/p>\n

The Enhancing the Humanities at PVAMU through an African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies Program <\/u>Initiative<\/u><\/h5>\n

The primary intent of the proposed program is to infuse PVAMU\u2019s STEM-focused university with curricular content and programming that emphasizes the centrality and benefit of the Humanities and Social Sciences in undergraduate education. Funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, along with additional gifts and donations, will allow faculty to revise and expand existing courses in the PVAMU Core Curriculum, in addition to developing new courses within and across the disciplines, to form and propose an African American Studies Program (AAS).<\/p>\n

The Initiative will provide an interdisciplinary study of the experiences of people of African descent in America and abroad. Scholarly activities will provide students, faculty and the PVAMU community with a fundamental understanding of the social, economic, cultural and historical issues framing the contribution of African-\u00ad\u2010American communities in America.<\/p>\n

To ensure the success of the Initiative, highly respected scholars will work with a select cohort of PVAMU faculty to act as advisors, assist in establishing program priorities, review core course themes and hold public lectures and workshops reflecting their respective fields in African-\u00ad\u2010 American Studies.<\/p>\n

“By strategically embedding African-\u00ad\u2010American theme-\u00ad\u2010based courses within the core curriculum, all students will have an opportunity to select courses that expand their academic interests while enhancing their engagement in the humanities,\u201d explained James Palmer, interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.<\/p>\n

Potential consultants include<\/em><\/span>:<\/p>\n

Melanye Price<\/strong>, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers University, (Lead Consultant, PVAMU Alumna);<\/p>\n

Henry Louis Gates Jr<\/strong>., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and American Research at Harvard University;<\/p>\n

Paula J. Giddings<\/strong>, Elizabeth A. Woodson 1922 Professor Emerita at Smith College;<\/p>\n

Nell Irvin Painter<\/strong>, Edward Professor of American History Emerita at Princeton University;<\/p>\n

W.G Selassie I<\/strong>, Ralph Bunche Associate Professor of U.S. History and African American Studies at Los Angeles City College; and<\/p>\n

Cornel West<\/strong>, Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) a grant of $500,000 to support its effort to establish an African-\u00ad\u2010American Studies Initiative which will be housed in its Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences. Inspired by the Mellon Foundation award, an anonymous donor pledged an added […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1798,"featured_media":18708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-story"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:27:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1798"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18591,"date":"2018-09-10T10:51:40","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T15:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18591"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:01","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:01","slug":"new-york-couples-high-regard-for-prairie-view-am-university-president-inspires-200000-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/new-york-couples-high-regard-for-prairie-view-am-university-president-inspires-200000-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Couple\u2019s High Regard For Prairie View A&M University President Inspires $200,000 Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York Couple\u2019s High Regard for Prairie View A&M University President Inspires Leadership Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>She left an impression\u2014that is what Prairie View A&M University President Ruth Simmons does\u2014she leaves a mark wherever she goes, inspiring positive change that resonates beyond universities into the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is what Noreen and Ned Zimmerman witnessed during Ruth\u2019s presidency at Smith College from 1995 to 2001.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cRuth led Smith through a very forward-looking examination of itself and its aspirations,\u201d said Noreen and Ned in a joint statement. \u201cAnd it had an energizing effect on a college that was already very successfully positioned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noreen and Ned\u2019s high regard for Ruth and the imprint she left on Smith College never left them, and recently the New York couple demonstrated their esteem for Ruth by generously donating $200,000 to Prairie View A&M University in support of the Fannie and Isaac Stubblefield Endowed Scholarship Fund, the fund Ruth established in honor of her parents.<\/p>\n

Noreen, a first-generation college student and alumna of Smith College, remembers fondly the movement sparked by Ruth to enhance Smith College\u2019s diversity. This spirit of inclusiveness distinguished Ruth\u2019s tenure at Smith and also left an impression on Ned who served on the college\u2019s board. \u201cWhile I was on the board, I had the benefit of being up close and seeing how Ruth thought, worked, and wisely led,\u201d said Ned. \u201cShe knew how to engage the entire college community\u2014faculty, staff, students, board, and the town as well\u2014in pitching in to collaboratively create a plan and therefore really buy into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After she became president of Brown University in 2001, Ned and Noreen lost touch with Ruth\u2019s activities\u2014until this past May when the pair learned more about the lasting impact of Ruth\u2019s leadership. \u201cNoreen and I were attending a high school graduation in Washington DC of one of our grandchildren,\u201d shared Ned. \u201cThe speaker was Valerie Smith, the president of another leading college, Swarthmore, and in the course of her speech she cited the importance to her and her career of two mentors\u2014one of whom was: Ruth Simmons.\u201d<\/p>\n

That got Noreen and Ned thinking about Ruth, and their curiosity led them to Google where they discovered Ruth\u2019s new chapter as president of Prairie View A&M University. \u201cHere\u2019s an opportunity for us,\u201d thought the couple, \u201cto express our regard for her\u2014and by extension the institution she decided to work for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recognizing the transformative value of scholarships, the couple sought to serve both the needs of Prairie View and the needs of deserving students through their philanthropy. Through conversations with Carme Williams, vice president of development at Prairie View, Ned and Noreen learned that not only were they able to contribute to a fund that Ruth had already established, but they were also able to double their investment and deepen their impact through the university\u2019s dollar-for-dollar matching gift program. \u201cIt just blew our socks off,\u201d said Ned.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoreover, giving to the Fannie and Isaac Stubblefield Endowed Scholarship Fund allows us to honor Ruth while also capturing our twin regard for PV and its students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNoreen and Ned\u2019s gift is an extraordinary act of altruism and will make an invaluable difference in the lives of our students who are worthy of significant support such as this,\u201d said Ruth. \u201cWe are deeply grateful for their leadership contribution. Because of their generosity, the university will be able to assist more students in their academic pursuits and lift their lives in untold ways\u2014ways that will guide them long after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

While it was the positive impression that Ruth left on Noreen and Ned more than two decades ago that eventually led to their gift, it is the couple\u2019s positive impression of the university that they do not want students to forget: \u201cWhat a testament to the potential Ruth sees in you that she\u2019s come to work at PV!\u201d<\/p>\n

Prairie View A&M University
\nOffice of Development<\/strong>
\nP.O. Box 519 M.S. 1200
\nPrairie View, TX 77446
\n936-261-1550<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York Couple\u2019s High Regard for Prairie View A&M University President Inspires Leadership Gift She left an impression\u2014that is what Prairie View A&M University President Ruth Simmons does\u2014she leaves a mark wherever she goes, inspiring positive change that resonates beyond universities into the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is what Noreen and Ned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-spotlight"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:27:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":18588,"date":"2018-09-10T10:47:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T15:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/?p=18588"},"modified":"2019-12-15T15:05:01","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T21:05:01","slug":"holt-54-shares-why-he-gave-400000-to-help-pvamu-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/post\/holt-54-shares-why-he-gave-400000-to-help-pvamu-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Holt \u201954 Shares Why He Gave $400,000 to Help PVAMU Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making Blessing Count through Giving<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blessings beget blessing\u2014at least they should according to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) alumnus Raymond Holt \u201954. \u00a0\u201cI have been blessed throughout my life,\u201d states Raymond. \u201cAnd that\u2019s why I give.\u201d \u00a0Yet, many would find Raymond\u2019s life less than charmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was poor,\u201d he says. \u201cMy father died when I was in the sixth grade. I know what it is like to have nothing\u2014I came to Prairie View with nothing, and I promised then, if I can get out of here\u2014I\u2019m going to help somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2006, Raymond took the first step toward making good on his promise by generously donating $200,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund. Now named the Raymond and Nell Holt Endowed Scholarship, the fund has helped more than 40 students overcome financial hardships to move forward with their academic endeavors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I wasn\u2019t in class

[as a student at Prairie View], I was working,\u201d says Raymond. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult enough for students to attend school. I want to help students so that they don\u2019t have to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Raymond graduated from PVAMU, he spent a short time in the military and then moved to Houston where a friend advised him to pursue a career in construction. \u201cThrough the generosity of others, I was able to purchase dump trucks and lead a thriving construction business,\u201d shares Raymond. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have realized success alone,\u201d says Raymond.<\/p>\n

And Raymond does not want to keep his blessings to himself. Twelve years after establishing the Holt Endowed Scholarship, Raymond is still seeking ways to assist PVAMU students so that they can avert the struggles that he faced. He hopes that his prosperity can help benefit the lives of others not only now, but far into the future. Thinking beyond his own lifetime, Raymond recently pledged $200,000 to enhance the Holt Endowed Scholarship through his estate plans.\u201cI\u2019m a Christian man. I love the Lord, and I want to give back,\u201d says Raymond.<\/p>\n

\u201cRaymond\u2019s contributions will transform the lives of students for generations to come,\u201d states Carme Williams, vice president for Development. \u201cHe is a model benefactor. By giving to support the university today through the Holt Family Scholarship Fund and in the future through his estate plans, Raymond is helping to ensure that the university\u2019s tradition of excellence endures year after year. We couldn\u2019t be more grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about ways to give, please visit <\/em>www.pvamu.edu\/development<\/em><\/a> or call 936-261-1550.<\/em>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Making Blessing Count through Giving Blessings beget blessing\u2014at least they should according to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) alumnus Raymond Holt \u201954. \u00a0\u201cI have been blessed throughout my life,\u201d states Raymond. \u201cAnd that\u2019s why I give.\u201d \u00a0Yet, many would find Raymond\u2019s life less than charmed. \u201cI was poor,\u201d he says. \u201cMy father died when I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-spotlight"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-25 04:27:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]