The University of Texas at San Antonio announced a $7 million gift meant to support health research, student success initiatives and athletics.
The gift, announced on Thursday, comes from longtime philanthropic supporters Linda Whitacre and Ed Whitacre, former CEO of AT&T.
“Their incredible generosity reflects pride in our newly merged university, belief in the transformative experiences we provide students, and their advocacy for the university’s health research and clinical enterprises as exemplified by the late President Bill Henrich’s resolute focus on making lives better,” UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy said in a written statement.
The gift comes a few months after the formal merger of UT San Antonio and UT Health Science Center San Antonio, and the culmination of the university’s largest fundraising campaign yet, which yielded $575 million.
Of the $7 million, $5 million were committed to support metabolic health research and clinical care as a way to honor Dr. William L. Henrich, who led UT Health San Antonio as president for 15 years. He died in 2024.
The additional $2 million will support the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design, which the family has supported through the creation of the Whitacre Family Engineering and Integrated Design Student Success Center.
Former AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre and his wife Linda Whitacre. Credit: Photo courtesy of UTSA
The center — which connects students to mentorship, networking and internship opportunities — was renamed after the Whitacres in 2024, after they committed a $500,000 endowment to continue its work.
It will also help fund UTSA Athletics by supporting student scholarships and the department’s Bold Champions campaign, which seeks to build a nationally-recognized athletics program.
Over the years, the Whitacres have supported the university in major projects, including the construction of the $430 million UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty Research Hospital, by establishing the Ed and Linda Whitacre Clinical Diagnostic Unit.
“Their generosity strengthens us in the most meaningful ways, including advancing how we care for patients, enriching how we educate future health professionals, and accelerating discoveries that bring hope to families across South Texas,” Dr. Francisco Cigarroa, senior executive vice president for health affairs and health system, said in a statement.
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