The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business was deeply saddened with the passing of Paul Engler on May 3. Engler, 94, was not only a cattleman of the highest order, but also a philanthropist and supporter of higher education whose life and generosity has affected many in the College.
He will be remembered for his giving spirit, as well as his wit, laughter, charm, and enduring desire to make an impact on students, faculty, and staff. In response to the influence he has had in the College, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in May 2022.
“I find it both a profound honor and a solemn duty to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Paul Engler, a visionary whose name our college is privileged to bear,” said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, Dean of the College. “Dr. Engler was far more than a benefactor; he was a true pillar of wisdom, innovation, and philanthropy, whose impact reached far beyond the academic sphere, touching lives across the broader community.”
Engler was born and raised in rural Nebraska, the son of a cattle rancher who gave him the opportunity at age seven to learn the ropes. One cow grew to seven a few years later, and by the time he was 13, Engler had purchased more than 100 cattle in partnership with his father.
It was just the beginning, although Engler did take a short leave to pursue his studies at the University of Nebraska. After graduation, Engler worked for several ranchers, a cattle trading company, and even a government agency tasked with helping regional farmers improve crop yields. But he saw greater opportunity in West Texas, and established his first cattle feeding operation in Hereford. Although he was subsequently lured to the corporate side with Iowa Beef processors, he left them in three years to return to Texas. He and a partner founded Cactus Feeders in Cactus, Texas, in 1975, which today accounts for one in 25 cattle coming to market. West Texas, they had discovered, was perfectly suited to large-scale cattle operations, both in terms of climate as well as being a transportation hub for all aspects of the industry.
In 2017, Dr. Neil Terry, Executive Vice President and Provost of WT, and then-Dean of the College of Business, worked with Engler and his eponymously named Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation, to donate $1 million per year for the next 80 years. This gift, which was earmarked for two academic units on campus, signified Engler’s support of higher education in the Texas Panhandle. As a result of his generosity, the COB was re-christened the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. Similarly, The Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences was named, and the two schools each receive $500,000 per year.
“A genuinely inspirational philanthropist dedicated to empowering individuals through education and humanitarian support, I am pleased to observe daily the transformative gift Dr. Engler has provided the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University,” Terry reflected. “No one compares to Dr. Paul Engler.”
Engler’s gift was the 17th most significant private gift to all of higher education that year, and the only one in Texas to make the list. He is also the largest benefactor in the history of West Texas A&M University.
“Paul Engler is the greatest business leader I have ever had the pleasure of befriending,” Terry continued. “He exemplifies a combination of work ethic, business acumen, and resolve that captures the entrepreneurial spirit of the West Texas regional community, combined with solid roots that matured in the Great Plains of Nebraska.”
“The Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation’s transformative gift has been instrumental in this journey. Their support has not only doubled our endowment, securing our financial future and expanding our capacity for long-term projects, but has also allowed us to introduce five new professorships, attracting world-class faculty who contribute to our academic vigor,” Abdullat explained. The gift has also produced more than $2 million in scholarships for deserving students, thereby relieving them of financial burdens that could hinder their educational pursuits.
“Dr. Engler’s commitment to excellence and his passionate advocacy for education drove our college to new heights, transforming it into a beacon of leadership and learning within the business world,” Abdullat commented. “His contributions laid a robust foundation that distinguishes our educational and community engagement efforts, propelling us to achieve national recognition and setting a standard of excellence that continues to guide us.” But beyond his significant financial gift, Engler will be remembered for his frequent visits to campus to mingle with students, faculty, and staff. He loved walking up to students, introducing himself, and asking where they were from. There were no strangers in his mind, and while he could have regaled anyone within earshot with dozens of his own stories, he preferred to listen to those of others.
Similarly, he met with faculty, wanting not to lecture on the nuances of the cattle industry, but rather to learn more about the people who work with the students he loved so dearly. He wanted to know about what the faculty were researching, what courses they taught, but, most importantly, the successes of those students once they left WT. The faculty, it turned out, were his conduit to the people who mattered most, the young adults in our classes.
“On a personal level, having known Dr. Engler as a friend, I was privileged to witness his incredible grit and entrepreneurial spirit firsthand. These traits not only shaped his professional endeavors but also served as a source of inspiration for all fortunate enough to know him,” Abdullat lamented. These are sentiments shared by everyone he impacted in the College.