35 Years and Counting Q: Tell us about founding the Clark Society Board. Why did you decide to become a part of this organization? RJ: In the early 1980s, I became very involved with TCU through the Houston Alumni Board and, soon after, the TCU Alumni Board. I became a Clark Society member and was asked to be the chair of the first Clark Society Board. Our first task was to find like-minded people to join the Clark Society Board – people who had made their mark on TCU and who cared as much as we did about the University. Rob Johnson is not slowing down; he is a former TCU Trustee, National Alumni Board member, Houston Chapter President and National Vice President of Athletics. He was a founding member and Chairman of the Clark Society Board and now serves on the Brite Divinity School Board of Trustees. Rob comes from a TCU family. When he was growing up, part of his family’s business was the food concession operation at Amon G. Carter Stadium, where he worked every game day. He grew up in the shadows of the Stadium, having attended Alice Carlson Elementary and Paschal High School at a time when TCU only had a couple hundred more students than his high school. His passion for philanthropy, specifically to TCU, started in 1978 with his first gift. Since 1983, he has made gifts to TCU annually. We caught up with him to celebrate his 35th consecutive year of giving. Q: What inspires you to give to TCU? RJ: TCU is a special place. The leadership over the years has been excellent, and the education that is on display through the students seems exceptional. It’s a wonderful environment that is located in a dynamic city -- Fort Worth -- where the two have formed a great partnership.
Q: Looking back at that time, how did you imagine TCU in the future? RJ: Around the same time I got involved at TCU, Chancellor Bill Tucker came in, and he was exactly what the doctor ordered. Everything started to change for the good, and he made me want to be involved. We knew we needed to grow, and we needed to be able to compete with other schools, and part of that was starting the engineering school. Since then, TCU has been in an upward spiral. TCU is on the lips of everyone who I talk to down here in Houston, and it used to not be that way. Q: What motivates you to give year after year? RJ: It’s truly amazing how far TCU has come: from a small sleepy college campus in the 60s in a nice quiet town with some past football successes, to a national brand with 10 times as many applicants as there are student slots. The campus has changed dramatically with new buildings for student housing, education, administration and athletics. It’s been quite a journey that was only accomplished by the leadership, the students and the generosity of alumni and philanthropic groups that realized what a special place TCU is and that being a part of that success is important to all involved. I’m now on the Board of Trustees at Brite, and I continue to give because I feel I’ve been blessed to be a part of TCU’s growth and success.
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