MONEY TALKS! University of Texas Financial Endowment is HUGE

[monarch]

$18.264 (Billion) ...and counting.

...so much as per all of the current trash talk, now taking place upon various websites between "Alabama vs Texas" fans in regards to what "institution" may be better suited to adhere to paying nick roll/tide saban's burgeoning salary. Of course this shall be in lieu of NS becoming the next UT head coach.

However, unless you should have the luxury of being privy to the extreme "intimate vs historic" details regarding the "origins" of the University of Texas financial empire, the sheer volumes may indeed leave a novice / researcher, to become more than a bit intrigued, amazed, and just downright curious...

It has been stated that the "40 Acres" or to be a bit more politically correct "354 Acres" that UT sits upon... also encompasses many oil wells vs gas wells. (Is this a fact?) is there anyone out there, that may be willing to share a bit of these truly "historical vs compelling" accounts of the University of Texas financial beginnings?

As many of us are already aware, people from other schools, towns, communities, etc... just love to trash talk about Texas. I have witnessed this profound fact all of my life. (people just love to bash Texas for a myriad of reasons) Is it out of spite vs sheer jealousy, as per the way that we are perceived (rich)? Or is it that others just do not know enough about UT and how it came to be...?

...may someone out there be willing to provide us with a small bit of related history... HOOK'EM!

 

[Randolph Duke]

$18.264 (Billion) ...and counting.
...so much as per all of the current trash talk, now taking place upon various websites between "Alabama vs Texas" fans in regards to what "institution" may be better suited to adhere to paying nick roll/tide saban's burgeoning salary. Of course this shall be in lieu of NS becoming the next UT head coach.

However, unless you should have the luxury of being privy to the extreme "intimate vs historic" details regarding the "origins" of the University of Texas financial empire, the sheer volumes may indeed leave a novice / researcher, to become more than a bit intrigued, amazed, and just downright curious...

It has been stated that the "40 Acres" or to be a bit more politically correct "354 Acres" that UT sits upon... also encompasses many oil wells vs gas wells. (Is this a fact?) is there anyone out there, that may be willing to share a bit of these truly "historical vs compelling" accounts of the University of Texas financial beginnings?

As many of us are already aware, people from other schools, towns, communities, etc... just love to trash talk about Texas. I have witnessed this profound fact all of my life. (people just love to bash Texas for a myriad of reasons) Is it out of spite vs sheer jealousy, as per the way that we are perceived (rich)? Or is it that others just do not know enough about UT and how it came to be...?

...may someone out there be willing to provide us with a small bit of related history... HOOK'EM!

The. University endowment (PUF) began in 1858 with $100,000 that came about as a result of Texas settling its border with New Mexico (you can read the details of the Compromise of 1850). The legislature borrowed money from the endowment during the Civil War to find the war effort. In 1865 the value of the endowment was $0.57.

To replace the monies taken, the legislature put land into the fund. The sale of leases on the land was invested and the income from the investments is what helps support the university. Until the 1920, the university was in a crappy financial situation. When oil was discovered on university lands, the value of leases on the lands increased incredibly. The income from the endowment investments is what helped UT weather the depression far better than most public universities.

The endowment is important today because state funding has been slashed over recent years. It doesn't do much good having increased income from the endowment if the legislature takes state funding away faster than the investment income replaces the lost monies.

Bragging about the size of the endowment is akin to a rich spoiled brat bragging about how much money he has. None of us have done anything to create or expand the endowment. Its not anything any of us has any right to claim reflects upon us as individuals. It exists because of the foresight of others. Try reading up on just what the endowment supports. The impact the endowment has had on the university and the state is far more impressive than the size of the endowment. For the record, Stanford's endowment is bigger than UT's and their system has about 5% of the students to support. Harvard, Yale and MIT endowments dwarf ours.

I have a piece coming out on the site probably this week that discusses some of this. The endowment has nothing to do with paying faculty salaries. Also, the athletic salaries have nothing to do with the university. All athletic expenses have to be supported by althletic revenues.

The endowment financed the infrastructure that gives students the opportunity to make a difference. If a student or a student-athlete wants to be a poo flinging monkey and run around tweeting pictures of with bottles of booze and sparklers in their mouth because they achieved something, they should go somewhere other than UT. One thing about Texas is that with the resources we have, our expectations are higher than at other schools. Its why we are the only public school in the state exempt from the 10% Rule. Its also why we don't recruit character risks as athletes.

Its bad form to brag about the endowment. Instead, brag about what the endowment helped put you into a position to achieve and how you have ensured the investments made by previous generations continues to help shape Texas. Its their endowment, its our university. Thankfully, we don't have to say "Look at the endowment!" All we have to say is "We're Texas."

 

[Beveaux]

I read an interesting article on how Stanford funds their football team. A supporter can donate to the school and endow a staff or football position. They have an endowed position for the Defensive Coordinator named the Willie Shaw Directorship of Defense. The position is named for the former Stanford defensive coordinator and father of head coach David Shaw. Last May, another anonymous donor endowed the offensive coordinator position as the Andrew Luck Director of Offense.

All 85 of Stanford's football scholarships are endowed and there are 10 other head coaches at Stanford in different sports who have endowed positions.

Wonder if that would work at UT to bring in additional money. Wonder how much it would cost?

 

[Planohorn]

Here's a link to a chart that shows how the PUF works.

From the Oil Field to the Classroom [infographic] | The Alcalde

 

[monarch]

...gentlemen, much obliged as per your generous responses as per my aforementioned query.

randolph duke, you are constantly proving to be a profound UT asset in regards to solid, compelling, and fascinating information upon all things Texas. may I say that you are indeed correct in stating that it is indeed "bad form" to brag about the UT endowment". although, Texans, from a historical standpoint, have always been known throughout the "ages" to brag vs boast to the masses regarding all things Texas. upon this website, my number (1) objective is to educate / inform our posters so that we can become a bit more well rounded upon all things relative to the "40 acres".

gentlemen, as you may now openly attest, we are living upon an age of (google this vs goolge that). there is nothing better than to receive an account of history, not from just a "web" source... but from someone that is generous enough to inform through their own personal views / experience. I can assure you, that your generous insight... shall now be used as an invaluable tool, to educate our posters regarding the deep fianancial "roots" of the University of Texas. HOOK'EM!

 

[LongviewLobo01]

I read an interesting article on how Stanford funds their football team. A supporter can donate to the school and endow a staff or football position. They have an endowed position for the Defensive Coordinator named the Willie Shaw Directorship of Defense. The position is named for the former Stanford defensive coordinator and father of head coach David Shaw. Last May, another anonymous donor endowed the offensive coordinator position as the Andrew Luck Director of Offense.
All 85 of Stanford's football scholarships are endowed and there are 10 other head coaches at Stanford in different sports who have endowed positions.

Wonder if that would work at UT to bring in additional money. Wonder how much it would cost?

Pretty sure that this is what Powers wants to happen within the athletic department in the future. It would not only allow more funds for the academic side of the university, but it would allow the athletic department to participate in more sports very similar to what Stanford does. If there is an athletic department that we want to model ours after, it's definitely Stanford's.