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A Sterling Legacy

The Texas A&M Foundation honors longtime College of Liberal Arts donors Melbern and Susanne Glasscock.

by Heather Rodriguez ’04

The Sterling C. Evans Medal–the highest honor the Texas A&M Foundation can bestow–is a medallion that is handcrafted from the finest sterling silver, intended to last a lifetime. Like this precious metal, Melbern G. and Susanne Glasscock have created a legacy that will also last forever; their contributions to the College of Liberal Arts will impact generations of future Aggies and reinforce the college’s mission of transformative learning.

That’s why, on May 4, 2017, the Foundation presented the Glasscocks with this prestigious award, recognizing the couple’s tireless philanthropy and generous spirit. The medal is in its second decade of existence.

“The couples selected this year for this prestigious honor have each earned a seat at the table through their incredible generosity and selfless service to advancing Texas A&M,” said Bill Toler, chairman of the Texas A&M Foundation Board of Trustees. “This university is very lucky to have such passionate advocates as the Glasscocks.”

Over the years, the Glasscocks’ substantial gifts have included: endowing the Glasscock Center’s book prize in Susanne’s name, a chair in American history; a professorship in undergraduate teaching; a President’s Endowed Scholarship; and two Sul Ross Scholarships. The building that houses the Department of History and the Glasscock Center was renamed in 2003 to honor the couple.

And while Melbern earned his degree in mechanical engineering, he and Susanne have always valued the pillars of a liberal arts education: critical thinking and effective communication.

“We know how to build a bridge,” Melbern is fond of saying. “But we need to talk about why we should.”

Susanne puts it another way: “The humanities lead us to think about why, not just how. The humanities make us human.”

This belief in the humanities inspired their latest gift: $2 million endowment through the Texas A&M Foundation for the Susanne M. and Melbern G. Glasscock Director’s Chair, which will support special initiatives overseen by the director of the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research, also endowed by the couple. This gift will attract the highest-caliber candidates, continuing the college’s tradition of world-renown faculty who promote experiential learning and conduct research that matters.

“We need the humanities now more than ever,” said Larry Walker, development officer for the College of Liberal Arts. “Our humanities center already conducts the most relevant humanities research. With this gift, we will draw the best possible candidate to lead and apply that research in a way that impacts the world.”

Thanks to Melbern and Susanne Glasscock, the future of the study of the humanities, as well as the College of Liberal Arts and its students, will be sterling.