Two of Texas’ most dedicated proponents of higher education, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long, were awarded the prestigious Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal during a luncheon and award ceremony today at the Headliners Club in Austin.
The award, presented by members of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas and the Texas Association of Community Colleges, recognizes individuals, foundations and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to higher education in Texas.
In his nomination letter, University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers said, “Service to institutions of higher education can involve more than giving money, and the Longs have been just as generous with their time and talent as they have been with their treasure. Joe and Terry’s record of support of higher education in Texas has beenand continues to benothing short of remarkable.”
The couple has an extensive history of supporting higher education initiatives,
including significant donations to numerous UT System components and to several community colleges and private universities. They have also funded numerous scholarships, professorships and fellowships at UT Austin, where they both completed their undergraduate work.
Teresa earned both a master’s degree and a doctorate in education at the university, and Joe is a 1958 graduate of the Law School. They met and married while Joe was in law school and Teresa was working on her Ph.D.
Prior to retirement, Joe spent several decades as a finance attorney with a private practice in Austin, leading into a second career as a highly successful banker. Teresa served in several state and federal education administration positions and sits on several community boards. She is a former trustee of Austin Community College.
Their commitment to higher education stems from their personal experiences at the university, their belief in the value of education, and their desire to extend the same opportunity to others.
The couple established The Long Foundation in 1999 to support programs throughout Texas that provide opportunities for children and young adults to improve their economic and social potential, as well as that of their communities. Additionally, the foundation supports programs for the visual and performing arts that add to the cultural enrichment of the state, and in particular the Austin metropolitan areas.
The Longs have given just over $26.7 million to The University of Texas at Austin, including major gifts to the Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, the College of Fine Arts String Quartet Endowment and the School of Law’s Long Career Launch Program, which helps recent graduates start their legal careers in government or nonprofit public-interest organizations.
