Students Speak on the Passing of Miriam McCoy

By Diego Gonzales 

Blog Content Contributor 

On June 14, Miriam McCoy passed away. McCoy’s name is undoubtedly familiar to anyone that has been to Texas State University. She is the co-namesake of both McCoy Hall and the McCoy College of Business.

McCoy and her late husband, Emmett, are responsible for the single largest donation ever made in Texas State University history. In 2004, they donated $20 million to the college of business and got honorary doctorates from Texas State in 2007 in recognition of their outstanding generosity. McCoy’s philanthropic actions for the school still positively affect the students that go there.  In discussions with current students of Texas State University, McCoy’s philanthropy is recognized and admired.

“[The donation] helped so many students,” said Texas State University student Jacob Marquez, one of the three founders of the Mezzanine Film Festival, a local film festival focused on showcasing projects from student and auteur filmmakers. “I actually started my own business with two friends using what I learned from Texas State and I think it speaks to the volume of what this school can do.”

McCoy’s name and generosity will be remembered by both Texas State students and the general San Marcos community for years to come.

“All the professors that I’ve had in the business school have always really emphasized the importance of setting us up for success in the real world,” said KJ Marino, a marketing major at Texas State University. “I’m really grateful for how she helped our school maintain a top-quality business program.”

“Miriam McCoy cared about the generations following her and the education they were getting,” said Kole Wooster, Texas State senior. “Using her funds to construct the McCoy was a great use of it. It definitely helped our campus a lot. It allows us better infrastructure, a better opportunity for education, we have an entire building dedicated to that now.”

“I think philanthropy towards education is an especially important cause,” said Texas State sophomore, Quinn Fanta. “Giving back in a way that supports those who are seeking success in higher education is important for building a smarter community and a better future.”

Outside of her support for Texas State University, Miriam and Emmett McCoy have also made major donations to the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, the university attended by all four of McCoy’s Children. The foundation she co-led with her husband Emmett also made major donations to the Museum of the Big Bend, a Department of Sul Ross State University dedicated to preserving and exhibiting materials that are relevant to the cultural diversity and history of the Big Bend region of Texas and Mexico.

Her work in helping build the College of Business at Texas State through the McCoy Scholars Endowment and the McCoy Scholars program, a program that provides scholarships for notable undergraduate and graduate students in the business college, is certainly still recognized by current Texas State Students. Miriam is survived by her family which includes her three children, nine grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren.