Nothing speaks louder to Marcie and Bob Zlotnik about the depth of their family’s affection for UT than hearing their two-year-old grandson sing “The Eyes of Texas” to himself in his crib. “And all four of our grandchildren know how to do ‘Hook ’em!’” beams Marcie.
The proud grandparents are co-chairs of Our Tower: The Next 100 Years — the campaign to restore, revitalize and reimagine the UT Tower. As they draw on their longstanding attachment to the Forty Acres, Marcie and Bob are helping the University’s most iconic symbol stand proudly for generations to come.
Longstanding Love
The youngest generation of the Zlotnik family is carrying a torch that was lit even before their grandparents’ time. As a child, Bob, BBA ’75, MBA ’80, used to attend football games with his father, also a Longhorn. Game days would often include a trip to the Tower. Marcie, BBA ’83, moved from Montréal, Quebec, to Houston during her junior year of high school. She remembers feeling both awestruck and comforted by the Tower when she first set foot on the Forty Acres as a freshman. The couple’s three sons are all UT graduates, as are two of their three daughters-in-law.
“Our third daughter-in-law has happily joined the burnt-orange family — she’s got burnt-orange blood at this point,” laughs Marcie.
The Zlotniks have demonstrated their Longhorn loyalty by investing in student success at McCombs and the construction of Rowling Hall. They each were inducted into UT McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame in 2015. Leading the Our Tower campaign deepens their connection to the campus.
The idea for the campaign began when Marcie wanted to show off the campus to out-of-state friends — a brilliant idea that ultimately proved to be lackluster. When she took her guests to the Tower, parts of the building that appeared burnt orange from a distance were found to be rust upon closer inspection. And unlike what The Frank Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame can offer visitors, says Marcie, there was nothing in the Tower to boast of its history and significance.
“It failed to provide an Instagram moment,” Marcie recalls. “It was good from far, but far from good.”
To me, the Tower is a symbol not only of UT, but of higher education nationwide. Our iconic building deserves all the attention we can give it.
A Team Effort
The experience prompted Marcie to tell former President Jay Hartzell that if there was ever any desire to start a Tower restoration project, he should contact her. Two years later, he took Marcie up on her offer. She found it an easy sell to get Bob on board.
“To me, the Tower is a symbol not only of UT, but of higher education nationwide,” says Bob. “Our iconic building deserves all the attention we can give it.”
Working together on large projects is second nature to Marcie and Bob. In 2004, they founded StarTex Power, an award-winning electricity company. They also owned the Sugar Land Skeeters, a minor league baseball team that was acquired by the Houston Astros in 2020 and rebranded as the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Marcie and Bob have been swinging for the fences since the Our Tower campaign launched in November 2023, with a goal of raising $125 million. They are facing the task’s challenges and opportunities with an entrepreneurial mindset and their trademark passion and inquisitiveness.
“It’s not a full-time job,” says Bob, “but it’s on our mind every day.”
Marcie adds, “If we hear about someone who has successfully raised money, we research how they did it. What can we learn from their success?”
The campaign is scheduled to wrap up in late 2027. Thanks to the Zlotniks’ efforts, the Tower has already received some much-needed love, including reapplication of gilding to the Tower clock and cast-iron spandrels, refurbishment of windows to improve their appearance, operability and energy efficiency, and updates to the exterior lighting.
Pride in what they’ve accomplished so far propels the Zlotniks to continue their efforts as they invite others to join the cause to preserve the Tower and its significance for the future.
“To me, the Tower represents everything I’ve ever hoped this world would turn out to be,” says Marcie. “The Tower doesn’t care about your race or your gender, what college you went to or your political affiliation. It doesn’t care what your interests are or even if you went to UT. Everybody can unite around the Tower.”
