AUSTIN, Texas University of Texas System Board of Regents Thursday (Aug. 14) voted to change the name of the V.F. "Doc" Neuhaus-Darrell K Royal Athletic Center to the W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr.-V.F. "Doc" Neuhaus Athletic Center on the UT Austin campus. The addition of Royal's name to the football stadium left an opportunity to honor Moncrief, a Fort Worth businessman and former UT Regent.
Regents authorized the name change in recognition of Moncrief's many contributions to UT Austin, including a recent $5 million pledge to the Longhorn Legacy, a $30 million campaign for University athletics. The program's purpose is to increase endowed funds for UT athletics and to renovate and expand the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and other University sports facilities. A significant feature of the campaign is the inclusion of individual naming opportunities as appropriate donor recognition.
"There is a lot of concrete and brick named for me now, and it is only fitting that someone else has an opportunity to be recognized for donating a major gift to youth and education," said Royal, who asked that the Neuhaus-Royal facility be renamed after his name was added to the stadium. "I am honored that a dear friend, Tex Moncrief, chose to be the one to do that."
"Tex Moncrief has been a friend of the University for six decades, and we are pleased to name our renovated athletic center in his honor," said UT Austin President ad interim Peter T. Flawn. "The Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center serves all our men's and women's athletic programs, and we look forward to the enhanced facilities it will offer our students. Tex and Deborah Moncrief have been leaders in supporting our academic programs as well as our efforts to renovate and upgrade Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium."
Moncrief's interest in UT Austin athletics dates back to the late 1930s, when he was the No. 3 golfer on the University golf team. He was graduated in 1942 with a degree in petroleum engineering and went to work as an engineer for Standolind Oil and Gas Co., the forerunner of Amoco. In 1943, Moncrief left the company to serve in the U.S. Navy, where he was commissioned as an officer in the South Pacific Theater. After the war, he joined his father's oil business, which had interests in Texas, Wyoming and Florida. Tex Moncrief has been president of Montex Drilling since 1946 and is now president and owner of Moncrief Oil.
Before this latest contribution to the University, the Moncriefs established two endowed chairs in petroleum engineering at UT Austin and contributed to a number of other institutions in the UT System. In 1983, Moncrief was honored as a Distinguished Engineering Graduate. He was appointed to a six-year term on the UT System Board of Regents by Texas Gov. Bill Clements in 1987.
In other action, regents voted to name the football playing field at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium the Joe Jamail Field in honor of the Houston attorney who has made multimillion-dollar contributions to UT Austin, including a recent $5 million pledge to athletics.
Regents also voted to name the Longhorn Dining Hall in Beauford H. Jester Center-East the B.M. "Mack" Rankin, Jr. Longhorn Dining Hall in recognition of Rankin, a Dallas businessman. In addition, they approved the naming of the Centennial Room on the ninth floor of Bellmont Hall the Carpenter-Winkel Centennial Room in recognition of Mrs. Carol Carpenter Winkel, a Midland businesswoman.
