Texas State announces new endowment gift from Miriam McCoy
Posted by Jayme Blaschke
Office of Media Relations
January 29, 2018
Education may be a passion, but helping students succeed is truly a virtue.
And there is no finer example of that than Miriam McCoy.
The longtime philanthropist and Texas State University supporter recently gave the McCoy College of Business Administration a $2 million gift that will support scholarships for undergraduate and graduate business students.
“McCoy scholars and fellows are exceptionally talented and engaged students, and they are making Texas more vibrant and prosperous,” McCoy said. “It has been a true pleasure to support these scholars and fellows since 2004 — and to be adding to the endowment that will ensure the success of even more of these outstanding students.”
The gift establishes the Emmett and Miriam McCoy Scholars Endowment, which will support the McCoy Scholars Program. The program provides scholarships of excellence and distinction for high achieving undergraduate and graduate students in the McCoy College.
“Many students have benefitted from the McCoys’ generosity,” said Denise T. Smart, dean of the McCoy College. “With this new and significant gift, many more will continue to do so. We are honored, inspired and very grateful for Miriam McCoy’s support for students who will become tomorrow’s business leaders.”
McCoy and her late husband, Emmett F. McCoy, established the $20 million McCoy Foundation Endowment in 2004 to support chairs, professorships, fellowships, scholarships, and faculty, program, and student development in the McCoy College. The endowment was established with a donor matching program designed to encourage new gifts. In recognition of their support, the college was named in their honor. The McCoys were also named Texas State Heroes and were awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees.
Beginning in 2005, select students have been named McCoy Scholars or Fellows of Excellence or Distinction. Undergraduate recipients are selected based on academic excellence, leadership ability, and financial need, and receive up to $8,000, renewable for up to four years. Graduate recipients are selected based on scholarly achievement and potential. They receive up to $5,000 a year for the length of the program.
To date, nearly $1.5 million has been awarded to 65 McCoy Scholars and Fellows of Excellence and 74 McCoy Scholars and Fellows of Distinction. Awardees represent undergraduate students majoring in accounting, computer information systems, finance, management and marketing, and graduate students pursuing master’s degrees in accounting, accounting and information technology, business administration, and human resource management.
Not only do the McCoy Scholars benefit financially and from the honor of being named a McCoy Scholar, but they also bring an academic curiosity and capability to the classroom that allows professors to challenge them at new levels. These high achieving students help attract other top students and faculty who want to teach engaged students. Most McCoy Scholars come from Texas, but some have been awarded to students from other states, including Illinois and Pennsylvania.
The generosity of Emmett and Miriam McCoy has had a transformational impact on the McCoy College, and Miriam McCoy’s new gift will extend that impact to many more deserving students.