Saying 'Yes' to TCU

During the more than 20 years he was director of TCU's pre-health professions program, Dr. Phil Hartman would call prospective students in mid-April to give them one final sales pitch, hoping to convince them to become Horned Frogs. "With some regularity, they told me that TCU was their number one choice, but they had received a better scholarship from another institution."

Phil, now dean of TCU's College of Science & Engineering, and his wife, Mary Beth, decided to do something to change the answer of prospective students by establishing a pre-health scholarship now and including their endowed scholarship as a beneficiary of their estate plans.

"We want such students to be able to pick TCU. We're gratified that this will strengthen TCU for years and years."

Phil observes that things on campus have changed for the better over the last 30 years — while, "Others have remained the same: the sense of community; friendly faculty, staff and students; a commitment to excellence; and the view that teaching and scholarship can be complementary — not competing — activities.

"While we are proud of collective accomplishments — for example, TCU's acceptance rate to medical school is typically 1.5 to 2 times the national average — our true pride drives each individual who gains admission," he concludes. "It's consistent with TCU's personal approach that individual's matter."

The Hartmans decided that an endowed scholarship is the way they want to impact TCU. Their scholarship will allow prospective students to say "yes" to their first choice: TCU.

Giving to TCU for the benefit of future Horned Frogs is simple. To get started making your own gift to TCU, like the Hartmans did, please contact TCU Gift Planning at (817) 257-7299 or giftplanning@tcu.edu.