Major Gift to WT to Fund Impactful Student Experiences in Band, Business

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - A $3 million gift will transform West Texas A&M University's acclaimed band program, providing extensive funds for scholarships and program needs.

The gift also will establish a program endowment to offer invaluable corporate experiences for students in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business.

During an Aug. 18 press conference, WT leaders unveiled the newly named Prairie Thunder Band Program, which will encompass the Sound of West Texas Marching Band and the Symphonic, Concert and University bands in WT's School of Music in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities.

The gift also funds the Prairie Thunder Foundation Corporate Culture Experience endowment in the Engler College.

"This gift is about much more than dollars. It is an expression of belief," said WT President Walter V. Wendler in prepared comments. "This gift says that WT is making a difference; that educational opportunities outside the classroom enrich the learning experience; that excellent faculty matters; that business, entrepreneurship, creativity, communication, music, art and the humanities contribute to strong communities and a vibrant region; and that the Texas Panhandle is worth investing in."

The Prairie Thunder Foundation was established by a WT alumna and her husband, both of whom wish to remain anonymous.

"This gift will immediately impact students across campus by providing enhanced opportunities and unique experiences," said M. Keith Brown, major gift officer. "It was apparent from our initial conversations that the co-founder of the Prairie Thunder Foundation wanted to provide students with impactful experiences that enable them to grow, lead and excel. As a matter of fact, she credits her time at WT with giving her the skills, confidence and perspective that directly shaped her success in the business world, which enables her ability to give back to future generations of students."

The foundation's gift includes $2.5 million to the band program, providing a scholarship endowment, program funds and two professorships: the Prairie Thunder Professor of Band, held by Dr. B.J. Brooks, director of the School of Music; and the Father Anthony C. Neusch Professor of Band, held by Dr. Russell Teweleit.

Neusch, a 1999 WT graduate, currently serves as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Dalhart and St. Mary's Church in Texline and is an inspiration to the founders of the Prairie Thunder Foundation.

Scholarship funding will help the band become more competitive in recruiting, Brooks said, and program funds will help the program fund more traveling, providing even more developmental experiences for students.

"The Prairie Thunder Band Program's goal is not simply to preserve a band that has existed since 1917. Our goal is to build a program worthy of the next hundred years," Brooks said. "We want The Prairie Thunder Band Program to be a place where students perform at a high level, but also a place where they learn to lead, work together, solve problems, work hard, and take pride in representing WT."

Founded in 1917, the WT marching band is considered the largest spirit organization on campus. It is open to any student, regardless of major. Students began rehearsing Aug. 14 for the 2026 football season.

The three symphonic-style bands perform largely in the spring in Mary Moody Northen Hall.

The Symphonic Band is one of the most respected ensembles in the state, having performed at the College Band Directors National Association, Carnegie Hall, and 16 times at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention. It was the recipient of WT's Presidential Order of the Silver Buffalo in 2016 and 2024.

The Prairie Thunder Band Program will continue to cohost the annual band and orchestra camp each summer. Band camp has been held on WT's campus almost continuously since 1922, offering supplemental instruction for thousands of band students throughout the state and region.

An extensive history of the band program is available at wtbandalumni.band/history-of-the-band/.

In the Engler College of Business, the new Prairie Thunder Foundation Corporate Culture Experience program endowment will provide support for student travel and corporate experiences.

"Some of the most meaningful learning occurs outside the classroom. Thanks to the generosity of the Prairie Thunder Foundation, the Corporate Culture Experience Program will offer our students opportunities to visit companies, meet business leaders, experience varied workplace cultures, and see firsthand where their education can take them," said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, dean of the Engler College of Business. "We are deeply grateful to the Prairie Thunder Foundation for investing in our students and for creating experiences that can shape their careers for years to come."

The Corporate Culture Experience Program is an experiential-learning initiative that will provide students opportunities to travel beyond campus, visit companies and industry sites, see business operations firsthand, and engage directly with business leaders, professionals and alumni.

Through corporate visits, conferences, and other immersive experiences, students will gain exposure to varied industries, organizational cultures and career paths, connecting what they learn in the classroom to the realities of the workplace. By bringing together students, faculty, alumni and business partners, the program will broaden students' perspectives, strengthen their professional networks, and help them better understand where their education can take them.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts and providing a nurturing yet rigorous educational environment for students are two major principles of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: The Sound of West Texas Marching Band performs the WT fight song following a press conference announcing a $3 million gift to rename the University's band program as the Prairie Thunder Band Program.

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