Houston Billionaire Donates $35 Million to Texas A&M University

HOUSTON -- A Houston billionaire has announced that he will donate $35 million to Texas A and M University to help build two physics facilities.

The donation by George Mitchell marks the largest donation to the university's $1 billion capital campaign.

Mitchell said he hopes his donation will help boost the College Station campus's reputation in the sciences.

"I'd like for them to be a little better known," said Mitchell, an 86-year-old Galveston native. "I'd like to raise the prestige of A and M."

Mitchell made his money in oil, gas and land development.

"Mr. Mitchell's gift is unprecedented," Texas A and M President Robert M. Gates said. "This extraordinary gift really will be the cornerstone to a major advancement to science and engineering at Texas A and M. We're just extremely grateful for his generosity and his vision."

The donation will go toward building the George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Phases and Astronomy, and the George P. Mitchell '40 Physics Building.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

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