Amarillo National Bank contributes $3.7 million to College’s Badger Bold campaign

Amarillo College is pleased to announce that it is once again the recipient of a magnanimous gift from its most consistent benefactor, Amarillo National Bank (ANB), which today presented the College with $2.5 million.

Today’s gift significantly boosts ANB’s contributions to the College’s $45 million Badger Bold comprehensive campaign, which was publicly launched in September of 2022 behind ANB’s “lead gift” of $1.2 million.

Thanks to this gift, the first comprehensive campaign in the school’s 94-year history has now garnered a total of $36.5 million in gifts and commitments, a sum that now includes $3.7 million courtesy of ANB.

Additionally, it further cements ANB and the Ware family, whose inaugural donation to the College was made in 1963, as AC’s largest corporate donor.

The $2.5 million AC received today significantly supports several of Badger Bold’s primary initiatives. The funds are earmarked for three specific purposes:

• Capital Enhancements - $1,000,000
• ANB STEM Scholars Scholarships (endowment) - $1,000,000
• The ANB Athletics Scholarship Fund (endowment) - $500,000

“The consistently impactful generosity of Amarillo National Bank and the Ware family, is beyond gratifying,” AC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Joe Bill Sherrod said. “Their commitment to the support of AC is second to none, and their dependable and substantial giving has served as a source of empowerment for our students and our community for decades.”

ANB President William Ware said today’s gift is intended to support AC students as they strive to become integral members of a workforce that will significantly impact the regional economy.

“We’re excited to increase our support for AC because the of the impressive results of the Badger Bold Campaign,” Ware said. “The recent improvements to the College are game changing and will transform our workforce.”

ANB’s focus on endowing scholarships at AC is nothing new. Since it was established in 2009, for example, the Mary Ware Scholarship endowment has awarded in excess of $137,000 to female students who are either employed outside the home or active in student or community activities.

Similarly, the Ware’s support of capital enhancements at AC is a model of constancy and includes a $1 million gift in 2015 that was the driving force behind renovations to the Ware Student Commons, which is centrally located on the Washington Street Campus. And a substantial portion of their $1.2 million “lead gift” that in 2022 helped launch the Badger Bold campaign was earmarked to support ongoing capital enhancements at the College as well.

“Once again, the Ware family has clearly demonstrated that their values are in sync with the values of Amarillo College,” said AC President Russell Lowery-Hart. “Their generous support continues to be life-changing for the students we serve, and vitally important to the economic prosperity of this community.

“The appreciation I have for their love and support of this College knows no bounds.”