By Office of Institutional Advancement & University Communications
Wednesday, 11 13 2013

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marilu Reyna or Jillian Reddish
Email: Marilu.Reyna@tamusa.tamus.edu or Jillian.Reddish@tamusa.tamus.edu  
Phone: (210) 326-0003 or (210) 784-1103

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

SAN ANTONIO —The Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation accepted a gift of $500,000 today from HOLT CAT® for scholarships for students at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The award is the largest donation to the Foundation since the University achieved stand-alone status in 2009. The check was presented by Peter M. Holt, CEO of HOLT CAT and chairman, CEO and owner of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, and his two children, Peter J. Holt and Corinna Holt Richter,  general managers of the parts and services departments, respectively, Machine Division of HOLT CAT.

“HOLT CAT was established on South Flores Street in 1933 and we have been located on the South Side of San Antonio ever since. It has been exciting to see a major university established in south San Antonio to offer a close, affordable option for a first class education to young people in this area,” said Peter M. Holt. “We wanted to support Texas A&M San Antonio with scholarships to assist first generation college students take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Holt was joined by his son Peter J. Holt and daughter Corinna Holt Richter in presenting the check to board members of the Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation, Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and to Texas A&M University System Regent Elaine Mendoza.

“It is such an inspiration that the family behind two of San Antonio’s greatest industries, HOLT CAT® and Spurs Sports and Entertainment, takes the time to make a difference in the lives of our students. This is truly a great day in the history of Texas A&M-San Antonio,” said Dr. Ferrier.

The gift will become a part of the Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation scholarship program, which directly benefits students of Texas A&M-San Antonio. It provides for a total of 25 undergraduate and/or graduate students at A&M-San Antonio to be awarded $4,000 in scholarships per academic year.  

Several members of the Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation were present to accept the donation, including Texas A&M University System Regent Emerita Ida Clement “Weisie” Steen, who was joined at the ceremony by her husband Texas Secretary of State John Steen.

“This generous gift for scholarships is a milestone for the Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation and our ability to assist the students of A&M-San Antonio, as it will enable so many students to make their dream of earning a degree into a reality. John and I are proud to see that our friends, the Holt family, are joining the Jaguar family and the tradition of Texas A&M-San Antonio,” said Regent Emerita Weisie Steen.

The University, in partnership with Dr. Frank Madla, also recognized HOLT CAT for their contribution of $10,000 to the Senator Frank L. Madla Memorial Statue Campaign. The campaign plans to honor the memory of the late Senator Madla with a beautiful larger-than-life statue on the grounds of the University that Senator Madla was instrumental in establishing.

“Frank Madla was a great State Representative and then Senator for San Antonio and Bexar County. We wanted to help honor him for his 33 years of public service. A great champion of the South Side, one of his greatest accomplishments was the bill creating an educational institution that would become Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He also carried the bill in the Senate to enable the public funding for the AT&T Center and a world class facility for the San Antonio Spurs and Spurs Sports & Entertainment,” Holt noted.

The statue of Sen. Madla will be revealed on the Texas A&M-San Antonio Main Campus in early 2014.

HOLT CAT Supports TAMU-SA Students: (L to R) Regent Elaine Mendoza, Peter M. Holt, Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, Regent Emerita and TAMSAF Board Member Ida Clement Steen.

For more information on student scholarships at Texas A&M-San Antonio or to apply, please visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

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