Campaign 1997-2004
A Capital Achievement
From the day of its kickoff on September 1, 1997, to its official close on August 31, 2004, The University of Texas at Austin’s We’re Texas capital campaign was more about impact than dollars. The campaign was a collaborative effort, one that pulled together the expertise, the leadership, and the generosity of many people, many groups, and many organizations. It enabled the University to make remarkable strides in terms of excellence and stature.
The $1.63 billion raised — representing 520,000 contributions from 130,000 individuals, 7,300 corporations, and 600 foundations — funded hundreds of new student scholarships; professorships and chairs to expand the faculty; campus enhancements; and research initiatives that push the frontiers of knowledge. The campaign made possible state-of-the-art facilities for engineering, computer science, biology, psychology, and the geosciences. The University was also able to acquire major new collections of art, photography, and important historical resources.
Perhaps most important, the campaign directly linked in the public’s mind the long-term destiny of the state of Texas with the quality of its flagship university. Through the lens of the University’s six core values — learning, individual opportunity, discovery, leadership, responsibility, and freedom — the campaign demonstrated how philanthropic resources invested at UT Austin are leveraged into serious social and economic rewards that affect everyone.
The We’re Texas campaign — the largest, most successful ever for a university without a medical school — will long be remembered for the generosity of its many contributors and the lasting benefits it has produced for the University and the people of Texas.