2013: Aggie Bob’s Gift Gives Back to the Corps of Cadets
Type of Gift: Charitable gift annuity
Method: Make a gift of cash or securities and receive a fixed annual payment in return.
Benefits: Receive fixed payments for life, an immediate charitable deduction and a portion of your payments will be tax-free.
After graduating from Texas A&M University, the late Bob English ’46 started a business selling car batteries before eventually transitioning into automotive paints. When his business encountered trouble in the 1970s, he began offering $1 to any customer who could share a new Aggie joke as a way to attract folks to the store. The gimmick earned him the nickname “Aggie Bob,” which stuck with him until his passing in 2011.
English Color and Supply Inc. eventually expanded to 39 locations and provided Bob and his late wife Marijo with a way to give back to Texas A&M. The couple had already supported programs through scholarships and other gifts but decided to make a planned gift to expand their impact further.
In 2006, they created a charitable gift annuity to support the Corps of Cadets, an organization that deeply impacted Bob’s life. Since Marijo passed away in 2012, their gift has created several Corps of Cadets 21st Century Scholarships, which are reserved for cadets who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills. Nick Farrell ’22, a current recipient and engineering major, said, “I’m grateful to have received this scholarship, as it allows me to worry less about finding ways to pay for college and gives me more time to develop as a student and give back to the community.”
A charitable gift annuity is ideal for individuals looking for a secure source of fixed payments both now and into the future. In exchange for cash or publicly traded securities, the Texas A&M Foundation agrees to pay one or two designated people a fixed amount annually for life. When the gift annuity terminates, the Foundation uses the remainder for the purposes designated by the donor.