The Tyler Junior College Foundation is a supporting organization for Tyler Junior College, a community college with two branches in Tyler, Texas and three other branches in Texas. The foundation raises money from individual donations and from an annual scholarship golf tournament. 1
Kimberly A. Russell
Kimberly A. Russell headed the foundation from 1999 until 2015, when she became chancellor of Louisiana State University Eunice. Under her leadership, the foundation’s assets increased from $8 million in 2000 to $47 million in 2015. 2 The foundation also assisted in a. public/private $50 million capital campaign for a nursing school and funded Presidential Honors Scholarships, which annually provide tuition and fees to students who graduate in the top ten percent of their classes. 3 With support from the foundation, the Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Science Center opened in 2014. 4
Virginia and Jim Gatewood
In 2018 the Tyler Junior College Foundation received a $19 million bequest from Virginia and Jim Gatewood. Virginia Gatewood had provided grants for scholarships beginning in 2001 and in 2005 endowed a garden. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the Gatewood grant was the second largest to a community college as of 2019. 5
The Gatewood bequest was used to expand the Presidential Honors Scholarships, which supported 300 students as of 2018. Tyler Junior College chancellor Mike Metke said that Virginia Gatewood’s intent was “to change lives now and forever and that’s what will happen thanks to her generosity.” 6
Funding
In November 2021, the Tyler Junior College Foundation passed $100 million in assets. The foundation had 480 endowed funds, and 94 percent of distributions from these funds were used to support scholarships. In addition, donors to the foundation pledged $8.8 million towards the completion of the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center. The state of Texas does not fund scholarships or construction of new buildings at community colleges. 7
Research conducted by Tyler Junior College in 2020 showed that the Tyler Junior College Foundation was the largest supporting organization for a community college in Texas and among the top three nationally. 7
References
- Becca Anderson, “Foundation Hosts Record-Breaking Scholarship Tournament,” Apache Online, January 6, 2014, https://apachemagazine.com/foundation-hosts-record-breaking-scholarship-golf-tournament/ (accessed June 20, 2022)
- “Kimberly Russell Named chancellor of LSU Eunice,” press release from Louisiana State University, June 17, 2015.
- “CASE Names Recipients of 2016 CASE Commonfund Institutionally Related Foundation Awards,” press release from Council for Advancement and Support of Education,” March 15, 2015.
- Betty Waters, “TJC Trustees Approve $82.38 M Budget,” Tyler (Texas) Morning Telegraph, August 29, 2014.
- [1] Julia Piper, “The Job in Which Every Single Dollar Matters,” Chronicle of Higher Education, March 29, 2019.
- Chelsea Purgalin, “Tyler Junior College Announces Historic Gift Which Will Support Scholarships Long-Term,” Tyler (Texas) Morning Telegraph, April 26, 2018, https://tylerpaper.com/news/local/tyler-junior-college-announces-historic-gift-which-will-support-scholarships-long-term/article_532b231e-49a3-11e8-a9ae-4f0ee6d894a2.html (accessed June 20, 2022)
- “TJC Foundation Tops $100 Million in Assets,” press release from Tyler Junior College, November 16, 2021, https://www.tjc.edu/news/article/717/tjc_foundation_tops_100_million_in_assets (accessed June 20, 2022)