Alumni Tailgate Celebrates $10 Million Raised for Challenge for McKetta

ChE alumni turned out to watch the Longhorns beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the annual tailgate party and celebrated the Challenge for McKetta campaign reaching an important milestone – $10 million raised towards the $25 million goal.

“We enjoyed the celebration and the game,” said Darrell Jacob, B.S. ChE ‘75.  “It was a fun event and the game could not have been better-we really picked a great game to attend.”

The tailgate is a tradition for many alums and, as in years past, many brought their children to help cheer on the Horns.  ChE Professor and UT Austin alumnus Tom Truskett, B.S. ChE ‘96, attended with his wife and fellow alum, Van, B.S. ChE ‘96, and their children Carly and Clay.

“The tailgate is a good chance to reconnect with old friends and it gives us the chance to show the kids our Longhorn roots,” said Truskett.

Tailgaters celebrated with 96-year-old Professor Emeritus John J. McKetta and his family.  Challenge for McKetta Co-Chair Peter Buenz, B.S. ChE ‘60, and Peter Gilmore, B.S. ChE ‘82, updated attendees on progress made and announced the challenge would now be moving into phase two, engaging all ChE alumni, friends and corporate partners to help formally name the department after McKetta-as the John J. McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering.  Gifts can be added to the McKetta Challenge Endowment Fund in Chemical Engineering to aid department growth and excellence through faculty recruitment, student support, laboratory enhancement and more, or can be used to create new endowments in donors’ names to support faculty, students and excellence.

“There is no human being on earth that could evoke the type of loyalty and commitment that John has cultivated in his 65 plus years at the university,” said Roger T. Bonnecaze, department chair the T. Brockett Hudson Professor in chemical engineering.  “We are grateful for the support our alumni, friends and the McKetta family have given to honor his legacy.”

Visit the Challenge for McKetta webpage to learn how you can be a part of this extraordinary effort to honor John McKetta.