Retirement Reception Set for Aug. 13 for President, Mrs. Wendler

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

Retirement Reception Set for Aug. 13 for President, Mrs. Wendler

CANYON, Texas — The community is invited to a reception honoring West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler and wife Mary Wendler.

President Wendler announced June 23 that he would retire effective Sept. 1 after a decade of service to WT.

The come-and-go reception will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 13 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center in the heart of WT’s Canyon campus.

Parking will be available in Zone 5 (north of Mary Moody Northen Hall), Zone 12 (east of Northen Hall) and along 26th Street.

“We could not let Mary and President Wendler depart without providing the community and opportunity to thank them for their decade-long leadership,” said Dr. Todd W. Rasberry, vice president for philanthropy and external relations. “The Wendlers not only served the University well, but they also have been good citizens and neighbors, making Canyon and the Panhandle their home. We will miss their influence, and we wish them all the best in the next chapter of their personal and professional journey.”

Wendler spearheaded the University’s generational plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World, designed to steer the University toward its 125th anniversary in 2035.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

Wendler came to WT after serving as a professor of architecture and chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Prior to that, he served as vice chancellor for planning at the Texas A&M System for two years, among several other roles at Texas A&M University, including dean of the College of Architecture, head of the Department of Architecture and more.

Mary and President Wendler will retire to College Station, where he plans to continue writing and speaking about university leadership and issues relevant to higher education.

Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president, was named interim president July 27. A search committee, steered by Parker Executive Search and chaired by The Texas A&M University System Regent Randy Brooks, was announced July 31.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: President Walter V. Wendler and Mrs. Mary Wendler will be honored at 4 p.m. Aug. 13 at a retirement reception in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

—WT—