St. Edward’s University Gifted More Than $4.4M From Generous Supporters

AUSTIN, Texas — Since July 2023, St. Edward’s University has received more than $4.4 million in gifts from generous donors and foundations to strengthen our institution’s efforts in empowering education for all students on the hilltop.

“The St. Edward’s family is honored to receive these numerous contributions wholeheartedly given by our philanthropic supporters,” said St. Edward’s University President Montserrat Fuentes. “Past, current and prospective benefactors play an instrumental role in our ongoing efforts to foster a thriving academic community, expand advanced experiential learning opportunities and provide financial assistance and educational tools necessary for the success of our students.”

Among our dedicated donors are Patricia “Pat” Munday, John Lucas '65, Mary Lucas, The John M. O'Quinn Foundation and the Tejemos Foundation. Their unwavering support and commitment to our institution not only helps to transform the experiences of countless students, but also continues to pave the way for a brighter future at St. Edward’s University.

Austin philanthropist and longtime St. Edward’s supporter Patricia Munday has given $1 million over the past year to support The Bill Munday Outstanding Business Student Endowed Scholarship — benefiting Central Texas native students on their academic journey toward becoming future business leaders. 

This gift is in addition to a plethora of generous donations from the Munday family. Munday, an active university Trustee, and her late husband, Bill, have donated nearly $50 million over the years. In 2014, St. Edward's University named The Bill Munday School of Business in honor of Mr. Munday – an extraordinary business leader, humanitarian and friend of the university.

Houston-based The John M. O'Quinn Foundation has committed $100,000 to enhance an endowed scholarship for students from migrant farmworking backgrounds enrolled in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). The John M. O'Quinn CAMP Endowed Scholarship is now a $500,000 resource, providing educational access and opportunity to break the cycle of familial poverty for deserving students.

John Lucas and his wife, Mary, longtime supporters of St. Edward’s University, have established a bequest of $500,000 in support of Hilltopper Athletics. Lucas, a retired career counselor who was inducted into the St. Edward’s University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989, has gifted this generous donation in honor of his former colleagues and fellow Hall of Fame inductees, Ed Norris '41 and Joe Beck '58. 

Tejemos Foundation, an Austin-based nonprofit, awarded its second grant to St. Edward’s University in support of international students from Holy Cross High Schools pursuing an enriching education and lifestyle aligned with the Holy Cross Mission at St. Edward’s. The foundation's grants ensure that international student recipients from Holy Cross high schools receive full cost of attendance support in addition to summer experiential learning opportunities, such as internships and research.

Five Holy Cross Lake View Secondary School graduates from Jinja, Uganda have had the honor of becoming Tejemos Scholars on the hilltop:

Emmanuel Epau '24, Marketing

Shakiib Wauyo '25, Finance

Agatha Ais '27, Forensic Chemistry

Samuel Muwanika '27, Biology

Mark Olwa '27, Digital Media Management

About St. Edward’s University

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 50 undergraduate, seven master’s degree programs and a doctorate program. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 21 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2024 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s ranked #6 in the Best Regional University in the West category.