TAMIU Receives $300,000 Matias De Llano Charitable Trust Gift
The Matias De Llano Charitable Trust, administered by International Bank of Commerce (IBC Bank), donated an additional $300,000 to Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) as part of the Trust’s mission to do more for the community of Laredo.
During Tuesday’s formal presentation, IBC Bank Trust Committee representatives presented the gift to TAMIU.The Trust’s generosity was celebrated with the dedication of a special plaque in the Academic Innovation Center (AIC), home to planned offerings supported by the gift.
The donation from the Matias De Llano Charitable Trust will benefit TAMIU’s efforts to support students and Laredo residents. The Auditorium in the AIC will be named “The Matias de Llano Trust Auditorium.” It will serve as a public space for community presentations, lecture series, and other events leading to educational opportunities focused on elevating awareness, leadership and community engagement for students and citizen of South Texas.
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the partnership with the De Llano Charitable Trust admirably extends its legacy of generosity at TAMIU.
“We are honored to be ongoing beneficiaries of this visionary Trust. Through their legacy support of our outreach, programs and students, they have helped to strengthen the excellence that characterizes our campus’ experience and mission,” said Dr. Arenaz.
On behalf of the Trust Committee of The Matias de Llano Charitable Trust, Dennis E. Nixon, CEO of International Bank of Commerce, said the Trust remains dedicated to realizing the late philanthropist’s dream for his Trust.
“Mr. De Llano directed that the Trust continue his legacy by helping the community he lived in and loved. This special gift expands that legacy of caring by providing new opportunities
for our community to engage with and be empowered by our hometown University,” Nixon explained.
Previous support from the Trust has championed TAMIU student scholarships, a Ph.D. Endowment for the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business, the Engineering Program, the TAMIU-KLRN Studio, the Jackson Art Exhibit and in 2016, the remarkable legacy gift of the Heritage Edition of The St. John’s Bible in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library’s Great Room.
The late Matias De Llano, Jr., established the Trust. He was born in Laredo in 1918. One of eight children, he attended Laredo schools and the New Mexico Military Academy, and was a veteran of World War II.
His father, Matias De Llano, Sr., was the founder of the Texas Hat Company, formerly one of the largest manufacturers of straw hats in the country, where De Llano, Jr. was employed for many years. De Llano, Jr. had a zest for life and helping the disadvantaged. He contributed to many causes, including the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Sacred Heart Children’s Home, and other charitable organizations. Laredo’s Matias De Llano Elementary School was built and named in his honor.
De Llano, Jr. enjoyed many close friendships, including the friendship of his beloved nieces and nephews. He often said his favorite sport was being with his friends and enjoying life.
The Matias De Llano Charitable Trust was established April 1, 2003, under his Last Will and Testament, appointing IBC Bank as sole trustee. Since 2004, the Trust has donated more than $7.5 million to local organizations and schools. Year to date, 24% of Trust gifts have come to TAMIU.
De Llano, Jr. directed that the Trust continue his legacy by helping the community that he lived in and loved. He was especially focused on assisting children and the less fortunate. The Trust intends to maintain the corpus while distributing the annual income to charitable organizations in Laredo for many years to come.
For additional TAMIU information, contact Rosanne Palacios, TAMIU vice president for Institutional Advancement, at 956.326.2178 or email rosanne.palacios@tamiu.edu
TAMIU ranks 5th in the nation among the 100 Most Affordable Public Schools with the Highest Return on Investment (ROI), according to ranking authority Great Value Colleges. U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Edition of its popular Best Colleges guide ranks TAMIU as the second highest-ranked Texas public university in its Best Regional Universities West category and the highest-ranked regional campus of the Texas A&M University System.
Most recently, TAMIU earned a top tier ranking for its COVID-19 response. The 2020 Educate to Career College ranking placed TAMIU in Tier I for colleges and universities that have responded to the pandemic in ways that benefit and protect students, especially in terms of available online learning resources. Some 1200 colleges across the nation were reviewed.
