Col. Will L. Tate, a distinguished Tarleton alumnus, donor and longtime passionate friend of the institution, passed away in Lubbock on March 14 at the age of 96.

An honorable man who led with integrity, Tate was always loyal to Tarleton and was known for his strong leadership, hard work and dedication-all of which are reflected in his more than 70 years of service to the university.

“The Tarleton family is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Col. Will L. Tate, a true legend in the history of our institution, the City of Stephenville, Erath County and beyond,” said Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio. “From his time as a university student and athlete in the 1930s until his passing, Col. Tate possessed an enduring commitment to Tarleton. He gave tirelessly of his time, selflessly of his energy and service, and generously of his resources, all because of his passionate belief in higher education and Tarleton’s role in helping young people achieve their dreams.

“On a personal note, Will’s quiet dignity, humor, wisdom, dedication to his country and unwavering steadfastness in his beliefs were always an inspiration to me,” Dottavio added. “Tarleton and the world were blessed by the life of Col. Tate. May we all, each and every day, demonstrate his gentle, loving and kind spirit.”

Tate was a longtime member of the Tarleton Alumni Association, served on the board of directors for the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. for years and as chairman in 1998-1999, was honored in 1988 as a Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus and was the first recipient, in 2002, of the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree awarded by Tarleton State University.

Generous with his time and his money, Tate also served on the Presidential Advisory Board, and made significant contributions to Tarleton’s $40 million Centennial Campaign for the Twenty-first Century.

He was instrumental in Tarleton’s continued commitment to creating a culture of excellence for its students. 
A loyal member of the esteemed President’s Club and a charter member of the John Tarleton Society for philanthropy, he established the Will L. and Eve K. Tate Family Endowed Fund Scholarship, providing scholarships in the College of Education and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Tate spearheaded a project to recognize former students and faculty who served their country in the armed forces. Chairing a committee on behalf of the Tarleton Alumni Association, Tate helped raise funds and assisted with the design of the Military Memorial located in Heritage Park, which was dedicated during Homecoming 2001.

He was inducted into the Tarleton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982 and was honored by Tarleton athletics again in 2002 with the prestigious “All Purple Award.”

“Colonel Tate was a man of the highest character,” said athletics director and longtime friend Lonn Reisman. “He was a man who always cared about people and was willing to help in any way possible.”

Tate, an Erath County native born May 19, 1915, in the Bethel community, entered preparatory school and graduated from John Tarleton Agricultural College in 1935. While attending Tarleton, he played basketball under the legendary Coach W. J. Wisdom and was a member of the famous teams of 1934 and 1935, which won 40 consecutive games.

Tate went on to become captain of the 1939 Southwest Conference championship basketball team at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1939. He later received a master’s of business administration from the Harvard School of Business in 1951.

A distinguished 30-year military career began in 1940 when Tate was one of the first to be selected to attend World War II officer candidate school. He commanded a company and battalion during operations in France, Holland and Germany. Commissioned into the United States Army in 1946, he served tours of duty in Germany, Korea and Okinawa.

Serving at the rank of colonel for over 10 years, Tate ended his military career in 1970. Beginning a new career in education, Tate chaired the Department of Business Administration at Galveston Community College and was appointed vice president for business and fiscal affairs at the college where he served until his second retirement in 1983.

A visitation and rosary for Col. Tate will be held Saturday, March 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Lacy Funeral Home in Stephenville. Funeral services are scheduled for Sunday, March 18, at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, located on Highway 377 between Stephenville and Dublin. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Lacy Funeral Home, 1380 N. Harbin Dr., Stephenville, Texas, 254-968-2102.