TwelfthAG
04-28-2006, 02:37 PM
http://www.aggieathletics.com/pressRelease.php?PRID=11342
COLLEGE STATION, Texas- Throughout his highly successful business career, Jerry F. Holditch has often said that it would probably be impossible to repay Texas A&M University for providing him with the foundation he has used to build a flourishing career.
But that belief has never stopped Holditch from trying to repay his figurative debt to his alma mater.
Holditch and his wife, Cindy, recently made a $1 million gift to the 12th Man Foundation in support of Phase II of the Championship Vision capital campaign. The Holditchs’ gift will help finance the multi-purpose indoor athletic complex, which is set for its groundbreaking later this spring.
“I have always felt in debt to Texas A&M for all that it provided me,” said Holditch, the Vice President of Geology at Laredo Energy L.P. “Cindy and I have made it a practice to give back whenever possible for a combination of reasons.
“First, I feel like I’ve been a success in life from what I got out of the school and being in the Corps of Cadets. The other reason we give back is just for the kids. We’re involved in youth ministry, my daughter participates in three sports, and my son plays golf. So, I know the sacrifices that kids make in order to compete in sports while being a student. I’m very impressed by the kids who do it, and I enjoy being able to give back to support them.”
A&M’s new indoor facility will be built just north of the current football practice fields. Athletic department officials have for some time been discussing the need for an indoor facility. A&M is currently one of only four schools in the Big 12 Conference—along with Baylor, Colorado and Oklahoma State—that does not have an indoor practice facility for football. Two of those schools have recently announced plans for indoor facilities.
The A&M facility, which has already been approved by A&M’s Board of Regents, has been designed to be the finest of its kind in the nation. In addition to serving as the indoor home for Aggie football and track and field, the facility could also be utilized by the Aggies’ baseball, softball, and soccer programs.
The facility is well on its way to being funded. Head football coach Dennis Franchione made a $1 million pledge toward the facility last summer, and the lead gift of $9 million for the complex was given by Artie ’65 and Dorothy McFerrin of Kingwood.
Last month, it was also announced that Glenn and Lauren Hart made a $1 million gift. Hart and Holditch have enjoyed a prosperous relationship ever since they arrived in College Station as students.
Holditch, Class of ’79, grew up in Tyler and followed the footsteps of two older brothers in attending Texas A&M. He majored in geology and first met Hart in the Corps of Cadets.
After graduating, Holditch first went to work for Gulf Oil in Houston. By 1987, he and Hart became partners in Michael Petroleum Corporation. Then, in 2001, Holdtich and Hart teamed together in the formation of Laredo Energy, which specializes in acquiring and developing natural gas reserves in South Texas.
Holditch, a member of the South Texas Geological Society and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, says that he sees some similarities between supplying his employees with the best tools available in their field and helping to ensure that Texas A&M’s student-athletes will have the proper facilities to ensure success on their fields and courts.
“It’s just like in technology or anything else,” Holditch said. “You have to provide the right equipment if you want to keep up and be successful. If another company has better tools than you, they are more likely to be successful. Likewise, if other schools have better facilities, they have a better chance at being successful.
“The covered practice facility will help several of our programs to compete on a higher level. When it’s 101 degrees outside, it’s going to be nice to be able to go inside and still get a great practice. I also understand that you have to keep up with facility improvements for recruiting and things like that, but I still go back and realize that these young men and women sacrifice a lot to play these sports for my school. I want to help provide them with the best opportunity to succeed and reach their goals.”
Holditch and his wife have two children, a 17-year-old daughter named Kendall and 15-year-old son named Harrison. Both children attend Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, where they are active in athletics.
“Harrison and I attend more A&M sporting events than Cindy and Kendall because Kendall is so involved with sports year-round,” Holditch said. “But we have an awful lot of great memories, as a family, from attending Aggie sporting events through the years. And, like so many other Aggies out there, we want to do our part to help the programs continue to grow and prosper.”
The indoor practice facility is the centerpiece of Phase II of the 12th Man Foundation’s Championship Vision capital campaign, a broad-based, $40-million endeavor that includes facility additions for men’s and women’s basketball at Reed Arena, major renovations to the Anderson Track & Field Complex and construction of an indoor facility at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
To be part of the successful completion of the Phase II plans, please contact Stu Starner, Director of the Major Gifts group at the 12th Man Foundation at 979-260-7935.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas- Throughout his highly successful business career, Jerry F. Holditch has often said that it would probably be impossible to repay Texas A&M University for providing him with the foundation he has used to build a flourishing career.
But that belief has never stopped Holditch from trying to repay his figurative debt to his alma mater.
Holditch and his wife, Cindy, recently made a $1 million gift to the 12th Man Foundation in support of Phase II of the Championship Vision capital campaign. The Holditchs’ gift will help finance the multi-purpose indoor athletic complex, which is set for its groundbreaking later this spring.
“I have always felt in debt to Texas A&M for all that it provided me,” said Holditch, the Vice President of Geology at Laredo Energy L.P. “Cindy and I have made it a practice to give back whenever possible for a combination of reasons.
“First, I feel like I’ve been a success in life from what I got out of the school and being in the Corps of Cadets. The other reason we give back is just for the kids. We’re involved in youth ministry, my daughter participates in three sports, and my son plays golf. So, I know the sacrifices that kids make in order to compete in sports while being a student. I’m very impressed by the kids who do it, and I enjoy being able to give back to support them.”
A&M’s new indoor facility will be built just north of the current football practice fields. Athletic department officials have for some time been discussing the need for an indoor facility. A&M is currently one of only four schools in the Big 12 Conference—along with Baylor, Colorado and Oklahoma State—that does not have an indoor practice facility for football. Two of those schools have recently announced plans for indoor facilities.
The A&M facility, which has already been approved by A&M’s Board of Regents, has been designed to be the finest of its kind in the nation. In addition to serving as the indoor home for Aggie football and track and field, the facility could also be utilized by the Aggies’ baseball, softball, and soccer programs.
The facility is well on its way to being funded. Head football coach Dennis Franchione made a $1 million pledge toward the facility last summer, and the lead gift of $9 million for the complex was given by Artie ’65 and Dorothy McFerrin of Kingwood.
Last month, it was also announced that Glenn and Lauren Hart made a $1 million gift. Hart and Holditch have enjoyed a prosperous relationship ever since they arrived in College Station as students.
Holditch, Class of ’79, grew up in Tyler and followed the footsteps of two older brothers in attending Texas A&M. He majored in geology and first met Hart in the Corps of Cadets.
After graduating, Holditch first went to work for Gulf Oil in Houston. By 1987, he and Hart became partners in Michael Petroleum Corporation. Then, in 2001, Holdtich and Hart teamed together in the formation of Laredo Energy, which specializes in acquiring and developing natural gas reserves in South Texas.
Holditch, a member of the South Texas Geological Society and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, says that he sees some similarities between supplying his employees with the best tools available in their field and helping to ensure that Texas A&M’s student-athletes will have the proper facilities to ensure success on their fields and courts.
“It’s just like in technology or anything else,” Holditch said. “You have to provide the right equipment if you want to keep up and be successful. If another company has better tools than you, they are more likely to be successful. Likewise, if other schools have better facilities, they have a better chance at being successful.
“The covered practice facility will help several of our programs to compete on a higher level. When it’s 101 degrees outside, it’s going to be nice to be able to go inside and still get a great practice. I also understand that you have to keep up with facility improvements for recruiting and things like that, but I still go back and realize that these young men and women sacrifice a lot to play these sports for my school. I want to help provide them with the best opportunity to succeed and reach their goals.”
Holditch and his wife have two children, a 17-year-old daughter named Kendall and 15-year-old son named Harrison. Both children attend Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, where they are active in athletics.
“Harrison and I attend more A&M sporting events than Cindy and Kendall because Kendall is so involved with sports year-round,” Holditch said. “But we have an awful lot of great memories, as a family, from attending Aggie sporting events through the years. And, like so many other Aggies out there, we want to do our part to help the programs continue to grow and prosper.”
The indoor practice facility is the centerpiece of Phase II of the 12th Man Foundation’s Championship Vision capital campaign, a broad-based, $40-million endeavor that includes facility additions for men’s and women’s basketball at Reed Arena, major renovations to the Anderson Track & Field Complex and construction of an indoor facility at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
To be part of the successful completion of the Phase II plans, please contact Stu Starner, Director of the Major Gifts group at the 12th Man Foundation at 979-260-7935.