Texas Cowboys raise $6 million for Tower renovations, continue toward $10 million goal

The Texas Cowboys — one of the University’s oldest organizations — have a motto: “Give the best you have to Texas, and the best will come back to you.”

In that vein, the Texas Cowboys, an all-male, on-campus service organization, who manage the cannon during football games, have raised $6 million for the Tower renovation, according to an internal document given to the Texan on Thursday.   

The money is part of a larger, $10 million goal that the group hopes to hit by the end of the year. The restoration requires $125 million to renovate, including the stonework, observation deck and more. 

“We’re expecting to reach ($10 million) before the year is out,” Corby Alfred, president of the Texas Cowboy Alumni Board of Directors said. “When we talk about the $10 million commitment, we see that as a baseline. We expect to far exceed that number.” 

Corby Robertson, a 1969 graduate and former UT football captain, is one alumnus increasing the funding. He said the Texas Cowboys were one of the greatest parts of his University experience. 

“I have tried to apply (the Texas Cowboys motto) to every aspect of life and found that to be completely true,” Robertson said.

D. Kent Lance Jr., who helped raise money for a pavilion the Texas Cowboys members built for their members in 2004, is now a leader in the Tower renovation. An ‘84 graduate who has been active in the Texas Cowboys for many years, Lance said he looks forward to seeing the Texas Cowboys memorialized through the Tower’s renovation.

“Having our name in the Tower and our alumni recognized in the Tower, I guess forever, so to speak, would be a great thing to do,” Lance said. 

Besides the Tower Project, the Texas Cowboys host a benefit event in the fall called Harvest Moon and host a barbecue in the spring. The proceeds from these events support UT Elementary School, which partners with the College of Education. These projects keep alumni so closely involved with the Texas Cowboys said Joshua Lennon, president for the Texas Cowboys. 

“Twenty, 30 years down the line, it’s easy to forget the little four years you had at UT,” Lennon said. “But when you come back and see guys that are currently living the life that you had back in the day, I think it’s kind of a good reminder that we’re still serving UT and we’ve always been serving UT.”

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