October 28, 2021

Harold Wolff ’43 was known for his humility, but two areas in his life made him extremely proud: his family and Texas A&M University. He cherished his wife, Georgia, and their three children—John Wolff, Joan Terrell and Mike Wolff ’83—and prioritized time spent together.

He also demonstrated his passion for Aggieland by visiting campus for events, defending the university against LSU fans during his years in the Bayou State, and, of course, always proudly wearing his Aggie ring. “He had a strong, quiet pride in the university that he showed by maintaining deep connections,” Mike said.

Now, a planned gift Harold created serves as an enduring testament to his pride as it provides for his family today and advances his legacy in Aggieland tomorrow.

A Good Ag

Dad always saw Texas A&M as a great learning environment for shaping tomorrow’s leaders, and he wanted the university to be part of his legacy.
Mike Wolff '83

A native of the Caldwell, Texas, area, Harold attended Texas A&M before joining the Army Air Corps during World War II, where he served as a flight instructor while stationed in Florida. After the war, he returned to the university to complete his mechanical engineering degree. Upon graduating, he began a career as a valve design engineer, obtaining several patents for designs still used in power plants today. “He was very passionate about his work while always being down-to-earth,” John said.

Harold’s love of Aggieland and the lifelong friendships he found there inspired his son Mike to follow in his father’s footsteps. “I thought I was destined to attend Concordia University in Austin,” Mike recalled, “but Dad said, ‘Why don’t you try Texas A&M for a year? And if you don’t like it, you can switch.’ Obviously, once you go to Texas A&M, it’s in your blood, so I stayed,” he added with a laugh. Following Harold’s example of civic and community involvement, Mike became actively involved at Texas A&M, and Harold proudly watched his son receive the Buck Weirus Spirit Award during its inaugural year in 1982. 

In 2003, the father-son duo brought a touch of Aggieland to Natchitoches, Louisiana, by starting an annual Muster in the community that continues today.  “It has been truly meaningful to answer ‘Here’ for my dad and other Aggies I know,” Mike said.

 

Harold Wolff '43 was passionate about his family and Aggieland. Photos provided by the Harold Wolff family.

An Example for Tomorrow

Today, Harold’s quiet pride continues through a testamentary charitable remainder unitrust he created in his will. When he passed away in 2008, a trust was created and began paying annual distributions to his children. After 20 years of payments, the remainder will fund an endowed scholarship for Texas A&M engineering students and create a general fund to further support the university, in addition to providing a gift to two churches that Harold was involved with during his life.

“Giving back was important to our dad, so this was a natural thing for him to do,” Joan said. “He wanted to positively impact the university’s future.”

By passing his wealth to his children in a tax-advantaged manner, the gift has further expanded the Wolff connection in Aggieland by helping four of Harold’s grandchildren attend Texas A&M. “Mom and Dad were strong advocates of lifelong learning, and these payments have allowed my sister and me to provide the gift of higher education to our children,” Mike shared.

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Beyond his grandchildren, Harold knew his gift would also impact his Aggie family. “Dad always saw Texas A&M as a great learning environment for shaping tomorrow’s leaders, and he wanted the university to be part of his legacy,” Mike said. “We hope his future scholarship recipients carry on his enduring example of faith, community involvement, passion and pride.”

Want to learn more about planned gifts that benefit your family and Aggieland? Contact Angela Throne ’03 at the bottom of this page.