Dr. Teresa Lozano Long
For many Texas Exes, the prospect of parting with the Forty Acres is something inconceivable. True to much of how higher education operates within the United States, the general societal expectation for alumni of any distinguished institution is that they shall in some manner give back to the place that theoretically gave them a great deal. Thus, universities of the first-class often become philanthropic epicenters, set aglow as graduated students share their individual success with the network, culture, and institution through charitable gifts and donations. It is no secret, philanthropy within the United States has a historical legacy much like the institutions who are its benefactor. With a historical exclusivity to predominantly wealthy white America, much discourse has considered the various dimensions to the nuanced subject of philanthropy. Yet, there is evidence suggesting the ethnic identity of philanthropic actors is changing, with more women and people of color serving in positions of leadership on foundation boards and in community development initiatives, despite a lack of public knowledge regarding as much. Coupled with a vast alumni network and idealist spirit to change the world, it is unsurprising one might find an exemplar right here, at the University of Texas at Austin, in the life and philanthropic legacy of Dr. Teresa Lozano Long, a Chicana Philanthropist and Texas Ex.
Teresa Lozano the Undergraduate
Dr. Teresa Lozano Long is a longhorn through and through. She credits much of her personal development and growth to her time as a student on the Forty Acres. While at UT Austin in the late 1940s, Lozano Long studied health education. Given the time, she realized early on she was among a minority of Chicanx students. However, when the Alba Club was founded in the fall of 1946 to be a space where Mexican American students could engage in serious discourse and social fellowship, she realized the importance of community, heritage. The student organization was sponsored by Education Department professor Dr. George Sanchez. Lozano Long credits him as being one who met his students where they were and consistently prompted them to consider what was possible for themselves beyond graduation. In her case, she would go on to become the first Mexican American woman to earn a doctorate in health and physical education from UT Austin. This forward gaze towards opportunity very much remains a hallmark of Lozano Long’s philanthropic endeavors. Her activism and charitable contributions have not only filled many gaps existing in available resources to Chicanx longhorns, but they have created new opportunities as well.
Investing in Opportunity
Perhaps most notably, Dr. Teresa Lozano Long, along with her husband, pledged to contribute $10 million to the University of Texas to support the continued advancement and development of the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS). In response, the College of Liberal Arts amended the name in her honor, creating the Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies (LLILAS). Their generosity was intended to support the continued development of a program that they considered to already be quite good by advancing the possibility for Latin American scholarship. Through the establishment of student scholarships, funding for research fellowships, faculty research, and visiting professorships, the Longs have certainly committed much of their resources to creating new opportunities and advancing scholarship on the Latin American experience.
As a woman of color and philanthropist, Dr. Teresa Lozano Long joins a distinct group within the sphere of philanthropic scholarship. However, she attributes her many successes--becoming the first Mexican American woman to graduate with a doctorate in Education from UT Austin, 2019 National Humanities Medalist recipient among many others--and desire to give back to the lessons imparted to her by her parents. Growing up, she learned to value learning. Education morphed into this great catalyst to opportunity for her, a concept later reiterated by Dr. George Sanchez. Lozano Long recognized that in order for her to one day give back to her heritage, she needed to first apply herself towards getting an education. Despite the apparent challenges of being one of the few Chicanx students in her classes at UT Austin, as well as later being one of the few Mexican American educators to teach courses other than Spanish, her life trajectory has not been without moments of opposition. Therefore, she realized the importance of giving back to support others with Mexican American heritage. It is one reason why she kept Lozano as a part of her name, so she could proudly communicate the importance of her heritage and, thus, the legacy of her philanthropy.
Dr. Teresa Lozano Long once spoke to the power of education for latinx bodies and why she is resolved to support chicanx students in obtaining their own, “It has always been easy to say, ‘I’m Mexican, they won’t help me.’ You have to get an education, work hard. [Because] In America, everyone has a chance.” Many, many longhorns and other students have indeed felt the support and legacy of Lozano Long and her husband Joe’s philanthropy. In more ways than one, their effort, often times intended to honor her heritage, has filled a great many gap in student support and available financial resources. Without her philanthropic spirit and desire to advance the Latin American experience, it is certain the scholarly landscape of UT Austin might look drastically different. Her legacy has created change in the lives of many on the Forty Acres. Investing in other people’s opportunities at acquiring an education so that they, too, can maximize their chance prompts reflection on the notion that: what starts at UT Austin can forever change UT Austin for the better.