With a $2.3 million investment, the Bryan N. Mitchell family of Fort Worth, Texas aims to revolutionize teaching in residential construction and design at Texas A&M University. Their gift will fund an interdisciplinary initiative preparing students from Texas A&M’s College of Architecture and Mays Business School for careers in the increasingly diverse construction industry, endowing five faculty positions, 10 scholarships and support for an interdisciplinary studio/class focusing on residential construction and design.

The gift was announced Monday, July 17 at History Maker Homes, the Fort Worth home-building firm founded in 1949 by O.N. Mitchell Sr. and O.N. Mitchell Jr.

“This is an opportunity to give back to the university that has given so much to us and our industry, said Bryan N. Mitchell Sr. ’70, CEO of History Maker Homes and the third of four generations involved in the family business, including his grandfather, father and son, B. Nelson Mitchell Jr. ’94. “This is the best thing we can do to encourage young people interested in building tomorrow’s communities.”

“Homebuilding continues to grow in sophistication and complexity,” said B. Nelson Mitchell Jr., who serves as company president. “We’ve been pleased with the interns and employees that have come to us from Texas A&M. They are very bright people who do well in a changing industry.”

The Mitchell family gift provides $2 million to benefit the College of Architecture and $300,000 for the Mays Business School.

“This is the largest gift ever granted to the college,” said Dean J. Thomas Regan. “This program will not only be unique in the area of residential construction and design, it will advance Texas A&M’s leadership in interdisciplinary studies in the built environment.”

The Texas A&M College of Architecture is one of only a few nationwide that encompasses the related disciplines of architecture, construction science, landscape architecture, urban planning, land development and visualization science under one administrative roof. The Mitchell initiative will also build on the college’s longstanding relationship with the Mays Business School’s real estate program.

At a special July 17 event at History Maker Homes’ Fort Worth headquarters, the Mitchell family hosted faculty from Texas A&M while announcing their $2.3 million gift to the university.

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