Page 16 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

• and investing in a vision for the from all over the world to Texas and holds one of six endowed
arts in Lubbock and West Texas. Tech and study, and that’s aided faculty chairs, funded in the J.T. &
by J.T. and Margaret Talkington,” Margaret Talkington Department of
Their decades-long commitment said Schovanec. The scholarships Internal Medicine.
to giving spurred growth that ensure access for generations of
continues to better the Lubbock future Red Raiders, but they also “The fact that they gave us six of
community and remains a testament underscore the growing significance those chairs is pretty incredible. But
to the vision of two of its most of private contributions to higher that’s illustrative of how they dealt
charitable civic leaders. education. “As we face challenges of with this community in general. It
state support, you can’t say enough is foundations and families like that
Impacting students from about how important philanthropy who really take a city like Lubbock
to the next level,” said Dr. Tedd
around the world . . . and is going to be . . . and that’s what the Mitchell, President of the Texas Tech
Talkingtons did,” said Schovanec.
here at home University Health Sciences Center.

“J.T. and Margaret
invested in scholarships
that make it possible for
students to pursue higher
education because they
believed in the value of
learning,” said Duncan.
Their endowments
benefit undergraduate
scholarships and graduate
fellowships for Texas
Tech University students.
But with Lubbock never
far from their minds, the
couple also provided
opportunities for high
school students from
Lubbock County and
graduates of South Plains
College. In recognition of
their largest contribution
to graduate fellowships,
which established Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., stands in the lobby of the
funding for about 100 J.T. & Margaret Talkington Department of Internal Medicine at the Lubbock campus.
students, the university
named a student
residence hall the J.T. & Margaret Caring for Lubbock Endowed faculty chairs are a
Talkington Hall. game-changer for higher education
Dr. Cynthia Jumper was Margaret
Dr. Lawrence Schovanec, President Talkington’s physician and then- institutions. “One of the strengths
of Texas Tech, had a group of chair of the Internal Medicine in having chairs is that it boosts
Talkington Scholars in his office Department at the Texas Tech your capacity to do two things — to
and asked what colleges they were University Health Sciences Center recruit the type of talent you want
attending. He was impressed with when the Talkington’s foundation and to retain the A players you
the number of different areas of made a significant investment in have,” said Mitchell. The magnitude
the university they represented. research and patient care. Today, of the Talkington’s gift ensures
Some of them were also from she is the Vice President for Healthy that those faculty members have
foreign countries. “People come the resources to make a difference.
Policy at the Health Sciences Center “For the faculty member who is

16 Lubbock Senior Link