El Paso businessman, philanthropist and Texas State Distinguished Alumnus Richard Castro has given a $1 million gift to the university that will support scholarships for student-athletes.
"I am truly fortunate to be able to give back to my alma mater and am pleased to be extending greater opportunities to Texas State's dedicated student-athletes," Castro said.
In recognition of this gift, Texas State will rename the Champions Club level at the new University Events Center (UEC) to the Richard Castro Legacy Club Level.
The gift will match other philanthropic support to athletic scholarships in perpetuity. Gifts ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 are eligible for this match, and can be paid over five years. The goal is to encourage other passionate Texas State alumni to increase the overall athletics endowment by $2 million.
In six years, athletics endowments have increased from $900,000 to $7 million, which included a $1 million gift from San Antonio businessman Dan Diepenhorst in 2015. Castro's gift was his second million-dollar gift to the university. His initial million-dollar gift was made in 2013 to support scholarships in athletics and in the College of Liberal Arts. After Castro's first gift, the university named the Undergraduate Admissions Center in his honor.
"I am so proud of my university and understand how critical private philanthropy is to Texas State University," Castro said. "Scholarship support is the top priority as we move forward to become a national research university, and I hope this gift will help inspire others to give back."
"We could not be more appreciative of Richard's support of our 344 student-athletes and how incredibly dedicated he has always been to Texas State," Texas State Director of Athletics Dr. Larry Teis said. "This gift will make a huge difference in educating our student-athletes and shows how passionate he is to drive our mission forward."
"As a first-generation college graduate, Texas State University opened my eyes to what a college education can do in the lives of so many," said Castro, who is from Del Rio. "It was truly a transformational experience that changed my life and strengthened the core values I was taught as a young man in South Texas. I have always wanted to make sure the next generation of young men and women had the opportunity to experience what I did."
"We are grateful to have donors such as Richard Castro, who understand the importance to and the impact of scholarships on our students, and his gift will help change the lives of many student-athletes for the better," said Texas State University President Denise M. Trauth.
About Richard Castro
Richard earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1970 from Texas State University and immediately began teaching third grade in Eagle Pass, Texas, upon graduation. He then served as an administrative assistant at the City of Del Rio and was named Del Rio city manager in 1978. He was city manager for two years, before starting a real estate and construction company. In 1983, he began his franchising venture with McDonald's in El Paso under the name Castro Enterprises. Today, Richard owns 27 McDonald's in El Paso and has been truly committed to serving the community.
In 1985, he created a program called HACER that has grown into one of the largest college scholarship programs for Hispanic students in the nation, awarding more than $28 million since its inception. Most recently, he helped found Community en Acción, a network of Hispanic community leaders that seek to improve El Paso "by engaging in 'value-driven' initiatives". Castro served on the Public Service Board from 1992-00 and the Ronald McDonald House Charities board, the El Paso City Planning Commission and the local Boys and Girls Club board.
