TCU receives historic $40 million gift, will rename its second-largest college

TCU’s College of Science and Engineering received a historic $40 million gift from 1977 graduate Louise Dilworth Davis of San Antonio to support the strategic plan and operations of the university.

According to TCU, this the largest philanthropic investment in the college’s history.

In honor of the gift, the college will be renamed the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science and Engineering.

“Seldom does one individual have the opportunity to transform thousands of lives through a single act of generosity and vision, yet Louise Davis has done precisely that for current and future TCU scientists and engineers,” T. Dwayne McCay, the college’s interim dean, said in a statement.

Davis is a fifth-generation Texan with ties to banking, ranching and oil and gas.

The College of Science and Engineering is the second-largest TCU college and offers 39 programs including engineering, nutritional sciences, chemistry and ranch management. The college has about 2,300 undergraduate and 130 graduate students per year.

This isn’t Davis’s first donation to the university. Previously, she gave more than $5 million to support scholarships, endowed faculty and programs in the college.

“It gives me immense joy to support TCU’s next chapter of growth and serving students,” Davis said in a statement. “As an Alum and mother of a Horned Frog who works as a scientist today, I want to ensure future generations of support for the university while celebrating Chancellor Pullin’s leadership, and CSE Dean Dwayne McCay’s strategic priorities for the TCU College of Science & Engineering.”

Davis graduated from TCU in 1977; her son Eric Davis is a member of the college’s external advisory board.

“Mrs. Davis’s gift sends a powerful message to the TCU community that our academic experience, the quality of our students and the excellence of our teaching and scholarly pursuits are second to none,” TCU Provost Floyd Wormley Jr. said in the statement.

Wormley said the donation will help advance undergraduate and graduate research, and investments in careers in engineering, computer science and pre-health.