Longs Give $1 Million to Butler School of Music

July 21, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas — A $1 million gift from Austin community leaders and art philanthropists Teresa Lozano Long and Joe R. Long has created the Joe R. and Teresa Long Endowed Chair in Piano in the Butler School of Music in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.

"I am pleased to join Dean Doug Dempster in recognizing this wonderful gift from Joe and Teresa Long," said Steve Leslie, provost and executive vice president of the university. "With this gift, Joe and Teresa have once again demonstrated great vision in supporting the performing arts at the university. We are deeply grateful to the Longs for this gift and for all of their support."

This latest gift follows the Longs' $500,000 donation in March that created a piano scholarship endowment for the Butler School of Music. The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Piano Scholarship will support some of the most talented students studying at the Butler School of Music.

"We hope to accomplish two things with both of these gifts," said Joe Long. "One is to always have a professor of piano of national and international stature who will attract very talented students, we hope among the best in the nation. Secondly, with the gift for scholarships for piano students, we hope to further this goal and enable an outstanding professor in piano to offer scholarships to the very best students they can find, which in the end will greatly enhance the reputation and standing of our School of Music."

The Longs are both graduates of the university. Joe Long received his law degree and Teresa received her doctor's degree in health and physical education from the university. The couple has provided considerable support and resources to other schools and colleges at the university including the School of Law, the College of Education and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, in addition to their contributions to the College of Fine Arts.

"The Longs' recent gift in support of our piano faculty and students in the Butler School is one more exceedingly generous gift in a truly astonishing history of giving to education, the arts and the university," said Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts. "Joe and Terry have exemplified devoted, results-oriented philanthropy that sets an example for all of us who love Austin and the university. They've certainly inspired me to try harder and give more."

The holder of the Long Chair in Piano will be recommended by B. Glenn Chandler, director of the Butler School of Music, and approved by the Board of Regents. Once the Board of Regents approves the recommendation, the first recipient will be announced.

"We are very grateful that the Longs have provided an endowed chair in piano that will enhance the Butler School of Music forever and will further enable us to attract and retain excellent faculty," said Chandler.

The Longs have supported the visual and performing arts for many years, and their contributions have been instrumental to the development of the arts in Austin. Joe is president of the Austin Symphony Orchestra Society and Teresa is on the board of directors for Ballet Austin. Their dedication to the arts was the driving force behind the renovation of Palmer Auditorium, now the Long Center for the Performing Arts that houses the celebrated Dell Hall.

For more information, contact: Leslie Lyon, College of Fine Arts, 512 475 7033.