UNIFIED IN OUR DIVERSITY
$3 million gift establishes The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center at STCL Houston n fall 2021, Nichole and Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95 made a $3 million gift to South Texas College of Law Houston to establish a diversity center — one of the largest gifts for this purpose ever made to a law school and the largest single gift the Agostos have made to any nonprofit. The gift supports STCL Houston’s efforts to become the most intentionally and successfully diverse law school in the country. “The Agostos understand the importance of diversity to the legal profession,” said President and Dean Michael F. Barry. “They care deeply about helping more diverse students enter the field of law and succeed in their professional lives.” As a response to the generous gift, South Texas is naming the center The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center. It will place South Texas at the forefront of the conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession and allow STCL Houston to invest in the students who will provide legal services in the most diverse city in the nation. The funding will create a new location to house The Benny Agosto, Jr. Diversity Center and permit the hiring of a program director. Agosto’s gift also will support diversity scholarships and the development of relevant diversity programming aimed at the
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legal profession. In addition, the law school will be able to expand the STCL Houston Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. Knowing the hurdles that can exist for individuals from diverse backgrounds, Agosto has spent his career helping others succeed in the legal profession. He is managing partner of Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz and Stogner in Houston, the longest-standing plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm in Texas. When he was hired there 26 years ago, he was the first Hispanic attorney. Since that time, he has worked hard to help the firm become much more diverse. “The legal field is sorely lacking minorities, and I have been proactive in my career to try to change that, starting in the law firm where I work,” Agosto said. “I also advocate for the fair treatment of Hispanics in the justice system.” Born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, Agosto said his parents’ emphasis on hard work, determination and education laid the foundation for his ongoing efforts. “Both my parents had a sixth-grade education,” Agosto said. “Every day, they would tell my four siblings and me to get an education. My father often said no one can ever take that away from you. My parents knew the struggles of being a migrant family without a formal education.”
