Donald Zale ’55 and Gerald Ray ’54
The Texas A&M Foundation honored Donald Zale and Gerald Ray with a Bugle Call at the Texas A&M vs. Nevada football game on Sept. 19.
This week’s Bugle Call recognizes two men whose love and devotion to Aggieland is making an impact on today’s Aggies.
Donald Zale and Gerald Ray pose with cadet Aaron G. Kinsey at a Mays Business School event in 2004.
A diamond is defined as a near flawless piece of transparent stone which is cut and polished into a gem. For Gerald Ray ’54 and Donald Zale ’55—two high school friends who came to A&M, their common path has left a shining legacy that began helping make gems.
Donald Zale left school after two years to help his dad run the family jewelry store business and after serving in the Air Force, Gerald Ray came to help his friend’s business when Zales became one of the largest jewelry retailers in the nation.
Through their professional business careers, Zale and Ray and their families have remained lifelong friends sharing the singular passion to give opportunities to students and future students at Texas A&M.
They have underwritten endowments, scholarships, and made philanthropic targeted gifts to Learning Centers in both the Mays Business School and the Corps of Cadets. One of their new goals is to assist military veterans who are coming back to college after military service.
Zale, who had left school all those years ago, finally got the one piece of jewelry he never had when he completed his degree requirements and finally received his own Aggie Ring last year!
The Texas A&M Foundation salutes Donald Zale ’55 and Gerald Ray ’54, two Aggies whose jeweler’s touch continues to create a shining difference for generations of Aggies.
Texas A&M Foundation
The Texas A&M Foundation is a nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs to enhance Texas A&M’s capability to be among the best universities.
You can support the Corps of Cadets with an online donation. For additional information about how to benefit the Corps of Cadets with an endowment, contact Matt Jennings ’95 with the Foundation at (800) 392-3310, (979) 845-7604 or mjennings@txamfoundation.com.
You can support Mays Business School with an online donation. For additional information about how to benefit Mays Business School with an endowment, contact Brian Bishop ’91 with the Foundation at (800) 392-3310, (979) 862-3615 or bbishop@txamfoundation.com.
