Supporting the Corps for Centuries to Come
As an engineering student, Doug Pitcock '49, now chairman and CEO of Williams Brothers Construction Co. in Houston, was a member of the Corps of Cadets. He not only valued his experience on campus, but also admired the Aggie alumni who seemed to fill every significant military leadership role he encountered during his years of service.
Over the last few years, Pitcock began to consider how best to support the activities of the Corps of Cadets. He made contributions to the Corps of Cadets Leadership Excellence Program and the General Rudder Scholarship Program, just as many former Cadets have. But then in response to an update meeting with the Commandant, Pitcock demonstrated his leadership by responding to two distinct challenges facing the cadets. One was the need for more significant scholarship support.
To meet this challenge Pitcock issued a challenge of his own, the Doug Pitcock Corps of Cadets 21st Century Scholarship Matching Program. His gift of $1,000,000 would match the first 10 gifts of $100,000 from fellow former students and establish 20 new endowed scholarships at this level. Endowments are designed to grow over time so that in the future, the annual stipend may offset inflation in perpetuity.Pitcock wanted to address his desire for more A&M graduates to enter the armed services by commission, so he and the Commandant initiated the Commandant’s Commissioning Incentive Fund which rewards his scholars who accept a military commission with an extra student award.
Today, both gifts are making a tremendous impact and demonstrating the leadership and imagination of just one of the many loyal supporters of Aggie spirit.
