Stephens Greth Foundation Gift Expands Opportunities for West Texas Students and Engineering Innovation at UT Austin
A $50 million gift will create new scholarships for Permian Basin students and support the newly opened Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building.
Inspired by the life and values of Autry C. Stephens, The Stephens Greth Foundation is investing in future generations of Texas leaders through new scholarships and support for engineering education at The University of Texas at Austin.
A $50 million gift from The Stephens Greth Foundation will expand opportunities for students from the Permian Basin through a new scholarship in Autry C. Stephens’ name and a newly opened engineering building dedicated to his memory.
Every student admitted to UT has worked hard to earn a place on the Forty Acres. For many, that hard work comes with drive and ambition, but without a road map. Some are the first in their family to attend college, just as Stephens was. Raised on a small farm in De Leon, Texas, Stephens earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering from UT and carried with him the values he learned growing up: resilience, hard work and genuine care for others.
Education changed the course of his life and shaped his belief in the power of opportunity. He went on to become one of the oil and gas industry’s most respected figures, building Endeavor Energy Resources into a leading company in the Permian Basin.
“We are proud to honor the legacy of Autry Stephens, the opportunity he created for Texans, and the way his family is carrying that forward,” said UT President Jim Davis. “Their generosity will support hardworking families in West Texas as they send their sons and daughters to our University to become the next great leaders in our state. We are grateful to the Stephens Greth Foundation for opening this door for our students.”
The Stephens Greth Foundation invests in organizations that create opportunity, strengthen communities and improve lives. The Autry C. Stephens Scholarship will help students from the Permian Basin follow their own paths to success, becoming the next generation of leaders and innovators who help solve society’s greatest challenges. It will carry Stephens’ story forward, supporting West Texas Longhorns for generations.
“My hope for the next generation of UT students is they find inspiration in my father’s journey,” said Lyndal Greth, daughter of Autry C. Stephens and director and executive chairman of The Stephens Greth Foundation. “I want them to know that it’s OK if their path isn’t straight or predictable — sometimes the most rewarding careers come from taking chances and embracing change.”
The Autry C. Stephens Scholarship is matched dollar for dollar through the Texas Challenge. The University of Texas System Board of Regents provided $160 million in matching funds to donors establishing endowed scholarships for high-potential Texas students from middle- and low-income families. The Stephens Greth Foundation completes the Texas Challenge and joins a philanthropic effort responsible for 615 new scholarships and $320 million total in new student scholarship support.
Stephens’ name and legacy also now extend across UT’s campus, in the new 207,000-square-foot Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building. The facility, which opened on Sept. 18, is the new home of the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. The facility represents the interdisciplinary nature of energy research at The University of Texas at Austin, where students and faculty members advance emerging technologies that continue to improve the world-leading oil and gas industry in Texas.
“We are so proud of Autry,” said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “His life and career illustrate what it means to be a Texas engineer — hard-working, impact-driven, innovative, resilient and dedicated to making a true difference. His story is an inspiration to generations of Cockrell students, alumni and researchers, setting a precedent for success that will inspire them to follow their dreams.”
The Autry C. Stephens Engineering Discovery Building provides the modern environment needed to support expanding academic programs, innovative research and the evolving demands of engineering education at one of the world’s leading public research universities. Signature features include flipped classrooms that support both lecture-based and hands-on instruction, fluid laboratory spaces designed to connect and expand between research groups to encourage collaboration, and modern offices and lounges overlooking the Austin skyline. Outside, the community will enjoy a redesigned Mulva courtyard nestled along surrounding green space, along with a signature art installation by renowned artist and architect Maya Lin.
The building is part of an $820 million investment in the engineering campus during the past decade that includes three new buildings, supported by $215 million in private philanthropy from generous alumni and friends of the University.
