A Legacy Gift During The Giving Season
Anita Aldrich at the Texas A&M Marine Laboratory, circa 1966. The Texas A&M Foundation recently celebrated the establishment of the David V. Aldrich Memorial Scholarship in Marine Ecology. This commitment by Anita Sievers Aldrich, David’s wife of 54 years, will provide financial support to at least one full-time student pursuing a degree within the Department of Marine Biology each year.
Anita’s history with Texas A&M University at Galveston started in the mid-1960s when David joined the marine biology faculty, teaching mariculture and estuarine ecology. Around the same time, Texas A&M was named a Sea Grant institution, the Fort Crockett campus was dedicated, cadets took their first cruise aboard the Texas Clipper, George Mitchell donated 100 acres on Pelican Island and Anita fulfilled the requirements for her master’s degree in biology. She completed her degree while in residency at the Texas A&M Marine Laboratory housed at Fort Crockett’s Building 311, the namesake of our campus newsletter. This was all before the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Resources was established, a predecessor to Texas A&M University at Galveston. Anita’s degree was awarded from the College Station campus, as her studies predated when women were allowed admission to the Galveston campus.
As Dr. Sammy Ray wrote in “The A&M Marine Laboratory: The Legacy of bldg. 311 Fort Crockett”, “the basic components of TAMUG, a branch campus of Texas A&M University, began their infancy in bldg. 311.” Anita’s dedication to Texas A&M and its students bolsters the university’s legacy far beyond its humble beginnings at Fort Crockett.
Anita’s gift in memory of David will help Galveston students achieve their academic goals for years to come. If you would like to contribute to this scholarship or another program, please visit the Texas A&M Foundation Online Giving Portal or contact Anna Hyatt.