Feb. 21, 2007 - Caryl and Al Reese, Jr. of Houston believe in supporting education as much as they believe in the connections Texas A&M fosters. Those beliefs are what prompted the couple to commit $100,000 to provide scholarships for Mays business students.
The Reeses’ gift establishes the Caryl and Albert L. Reese, Jr. ’71 Scholarship. Their support will create the Reese Scholars at Mays Business School, funding four concurrent student scholarships a year.
“The Reeses are generously giving a wonderful gift…the gift of learning and opportunity,” said Mays Dean Jerry Strawser. “Their gift exemplifies the ‘Aggie Miracle,’ the process through which current students of modest means receive the opportunity for a world-class education because of the generosity of a former student. The fact that they will be supporting four students makes the impact even greater.”
Mays is nationally ranked among public business schools for the quality of its undergraduate and MBA programs and the faculty scholarship of its 105 tenure-track professors in five departments. Mays currently enrolls more than 4,000 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students.
The Reeses operate a charitable organization called ACR Foundation, which focuses on giving for health, education, art, religion and teaching—or “HEART.” Mays’ educational programs are a natural outlet for their support.
“We wanted to have our name associated with students and what they are going to do for the world,” Al Reese said. “In funding four scholarships, each year we support one new future business person coming in and one graduating. What the students do with their education is up to them. Our goal is for them to know that we believe enough in them to make an investment in their future.”
Caryl and Al Reese have been married for 34 years, and have two children and three grandchildren. Caryl earned her degree in medical technology from TCU and was a researcher for the University of Alabama medical school while the couple lived in Birmingham. Al earned his BBA in finance in 1971, his CPA in 1974, and an MBA from the University of Houston in 1977. He was partner of a Houston CPA firm until a former client brought him into the energy business. In addition to being in the energy business since the late 1970s, he ran his own Birmingham-based consulting firm, Corporate Financial Management, throughout the 90s. It was during this period he became director of finance and eventually chief financial officer for ATP Oil & Gas where he is today.