A $2.5 million endowment from the Prentice Farrar & Alline Ford Brown Foundation will establish the Prentice Farrar and Alline Ford Brown Foundation Chair of Rural Education at Texas Tech University’s College of Education.
“Texas Tech’s College of Education is uniquely situated geographically to serve the educational needs of West Texas,” Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Client Management at Bank of America Kelly Garlock said in a news release. “When you couple that with their commitment to rural education, it became clear the College of Education was the perfect place to house the Prentice Farrar and Alline Ford Brown Foundation Chair of Rural Education. We are delighted to have the opportunity to further our mission in this unique way and to support innovations we are confident will become a model of rural education.”
The College of Education is dedicated to serving rural schools in the West Texas region. Through multiple programs, it prepares college students to thrive in the classroom and meet the needs of students in those unique environments. The new Prentice Farrar and Alline Ford Brown Foundation Chair of Rural Education will helm the college’s rural education programming, in addition to leading innovative research initiatives in this area.
“Speaking on behalf of the entire College of Education, we are tremendously honored by the faith The Prentice Farrar & Alline Ford Brown Foundation has placed in us with this gift,” Interim Dean of the College of Education Kamau Siwatu said in the release. “The endowment of a chair in rural education ensures that we will be able to continue to impact this region and its future with a new focus and commitment. We will also strive to ensure that the legacy of the Brown Family is honored in everything we do.”
Honoring the namesakes of the foundation and their dedication to this region, the Prentice Farrar & Alline Ford Brown Foundation has a longstanding commitment to education in West Texas. It has been a loyal supporter of the West Texas Rural Education Partnership (WTREP), a Texas Tech-led initiative that prepares over 200 new teachers annually to excel in rural schools in the region. As a founding donor for this program, the Prentice Farrar & Alline Ford Brown Foundation has been integral to its success.
