Texas A&M System
The Law and Education Building is expected to be completed by January 2026.
When Amon Carter attended the Texas-Texas A&M football game in Austin in 1926 his seats were positioned behind those of Gov. Miriam “Ma” Ferguson and first husband James “Pa” Ferguson.
Neither the Fergusons nor Amon Carter were fans of the other.
Carter’s rooting interests that day were A&M and Dan Moody, who had just defeated Ma earlier that month in the gubernatorial election. Carter was said to have shouted vigorously for both throughout the game before finally being escorted out of the stadium by a Texas Ranger.
The incident found its way onto front pages everywhere, including the New York Times, which devoted four columns to the occasion.
Carter explained that he had been merely “a longtime admirer of A&M College.”
Oh, and Dan Moody, too.
So, the news on Tuesday that the Amon G. Carter Foundation was putting in more than $10 million to Texas A&M’s downtown Fort Worth campus would have certainly prompted more robust cheering from the namesake. (Though Dan Moody’s likeness in bronze will almost certainly never be a feature at the new Tier 1 research complex. He was a t-sip, for one.)
The gift includes $5 million, plus four contiguous parcels near the 3.5-acre campus site in the southeast quadrant of downtown. The donated land, slightly more than .8-acre, currently is a parking lot along Jones Street, across from the Fort Worth Central Station for commuter rail and buses.“The Carter Foundation is pleased to signal our enthusiastic support for this project,” said John Robinson, executive vice president of the Amon G. Carter Foundation. “We share in the vision and belief that Texas A&M-Fort Worth is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for economic growth and development for our region.”
The Law & Education Building is currently under construction and is planned to serve students in biotechnology, engineering, health sciences, law, medical laboratory sciences, nursing, virtual production, and more.
A second building, the Research & Innovation Building, is currently in planning and design. It is intended to bring academia and industry together under one roof to collaborate and serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the region.
“Texas A&M-Fort Worth is a ‘game-changer’ for our city, county, and region,” said John Goff, chairman of the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Innovation Partnership, which is helping lead efforts to attract industry partners to the urban research campus. “This urban campus will bring students, training, jobs, and important research and technology — both for businesses presently located in and around Fort Worth and those considering relocation.”
The project has also been a recipient of gifts from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation.
Said Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp: “For over 75 years, the Carter Foundation has fostered growth and development in North Texas. Their philanthropic investments have been impactful in addressing critical issues and advancing the common good in the Fort Worth community and across Texas. As one of the most well-respected foundations in the metroplex, we are honored by their endorsement of and extraordinary generosity to Texas A&M-Fort Worth.”