For some four decades, the late Sebert L. Pate helped put a TCU education within the reach of scores of undergraduates by making a scholarship gift each year. At same time, he helped the university address the nation’s critical nursing shortage. Though the retired chairman of the board of the Texas Refinery Corporation died in June, the scholarship gifts begun in the early 1970s will continue in perpetuity.

 

 

A portion of his estate — an Individual Retirement Account – has underwritten the Sebert L. Pate Endowed Scholarship. The income from the endowment will replace the annual gifts that benefited minority students majoring in nursing. The first awards from this endowed scholarship will be made in the 2010-2011 academic year.

 

 

This was the second endowed scholarship established by Pate. He earlier created the Sebert L. Pate Graduate Student Scholarship in Nursing. Caitlin Dodd, the current recipient, is the second student to hold the scholarship.  She is studying nursing education, and after graduation in May she plans to teach.

 

 

Pate graduated from Texas A&M University and earned degrees from TCU and Tulane University. A resident of Fort Worth, he was known for his philanthropy to TCU, Cook Children’s Medical Center and many arts organizations.

 

 

Ariahnna Romero, TCU Class of 2010, was one of last year’s recipients of the annual Pate scholarship award. “College is expensive, especially nursing school,” she said.  “It adds up when you are constantly buying books, new scrubs, paying rent and buying groceries. The extra money helped me get through each semester without financial burden.”

 

 

Scholarships are the University’s highest priority and the highest priority of the $250 million Campaign for TCU. The new Pate endowment counts toward the $100 million goal of the Scholarship Initiative, part of that campaign.