WT Alum Establishes New Vocal Music Scholarship

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - A new planned gift puts West Texas A&M University closer to establishing a $2 million endowment for vocal scholarships.

David Whatley, a WT alumnus, veteran and retired businessowner, has made a $325,000 gift to WT as part of his living trust to fund the David Whatley Vocal Scholarship Endowment through the I Am WT-Leaving a Legacy program.

The establishment of the Whatley endowment comes after a vocal scholarship was set up as part of a planned gift from Dr. Bruce Brasington, WT's Twanna Caddell Powell Professor of History, and Darlene Brasington, former academic documentation coordinator for the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. It also follows the establishment of a vocal scholarship in the name of the late George Biffle, former head of choral activities at WT.

All told, WT has raised, in about five months, about a quarter of the $2 million planned for the vocal endowment, which will help make the WT School of Music more competitive when recruiting promising singers.

"Our program is highly respected across the country, but without scholarship funds, it is difficult to compete with other music programs," said Dr. Sean Pullen, professor of music and director of choral activities. "This initiative will help us recruit the best student musicians from across the country."

Whatley earned a bachelor's degree in music education in 1959 and a master's of education in 1969, both from WT. While an undergraduate, Whately sang in choirs and played in the band.

After a career in the U.S. Army, Whatley and wife Cynthia, also a WT alumna, owned and operated an H&R Block franchise in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Cynthia died in 2020, and Whatley's founding of his scholarship endowment is part of his legacy planning.

Whatley also made a planned gift of $325,000 to Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and Panhandle-Plains Historical Society.

Legacy gifts can be set up through the Leaving a Legacy program in the form of wills, beneficiary designations, IRA charitable rollovers, charitable trusts and other avenues in order to magnify a donor's philanthropic investments.

For information about leaving a legacy gift to WT, contact Lesly Bosch Annen, assistant vice president for development and leadership gifts, or Keith Brown, major gift officer and Leaving a Legacy coordinator, or, by calling the WT Foundation office at 806-651-2070.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: David Whatley, center, a WT alumnus and retired businessowner, has made a $325,000 gift to WT as part of his living trust to fund the David Whatley Vocal Scholarship Endowment through the I Am WT-Leaving a Legacy program. Also pictured are Dr. Dan Peterson, left, dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and Dr. B.J. Brooks, director of the School of Music.

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