![\"6920\"](\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2022\/02\/6920-1024x835.jpeg\")
STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Longtime Tarleton State University friends and educators Bob and Darla Doty today announced a $1 million contribution to support the school\u2019s nationally acclaimed rodeo program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcement was made at the Tarleton Alumni Association\u2019s annual reception in conjunction with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBob and Darla, Tarleton and rodeo are synonymous,\u201d said university President James Hurley. \u201cThanks to their leadership and amazing generosity over the years, our talented cowboys and cowgirls are recognized worldwide. This gift is a vote of confidence in our institution and our commitment to provide unparalleled opportunities for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When they joined Tarleton in 1994 \u2014 Bob as rodeo coach and Darla as a coordinator in Career Services \u2014 they wanted to inspire students, encourage volunteers and promote philanthropy while turning a good rodeo program into a great one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019ve done all of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob developed Tarleton rodeo into a perennial powerhouse. He and his student-athletes secured two national and 10 individual championships in his 14 years as coach, making him top pick for the 2006 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association\u2019s Coach of the Year after both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams swept the 2005 competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The couple worked tirelessly to obtain funding for practice arenas, livestock and scholarships. They found time to foster academic excellence and mentor students. More than 90 percent of rodeo team members graduated during Bob\u2019s tenure, and four were named outstanding graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStudents. Rodeo. Tarleton. All are reasons for our support,\u201d Bob said. \u201cWe thank God that we are blessed to contribute financially to Tarleton rodeo. It\u2019s a big part of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He applauded the rodeo program\u2019s new headquarters (part of the former Downunder Horsemanship Ranch) a stone\u2019s throw from Tarleton\u2019s Stephenville campus, calling it a game changer for the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom the barns to the arenas, it\u2019s a best-in-class facility,\u201d he said, \u201cand the perfect complement to the top rodeo program in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to their million-dollar donation, the couple endowed the Bob and Darla Doty Rodeo Scholarship. Darla, her brother, Jack, and sister, Debra, started the Mildred W. Buchanan Endowed Fund \u2014 in honor of their mother \u2014 to support students working in Tarleton\u2019s Laboratory for Wellness and Motor Behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBob and Darla enjoy a national legacy as top-shelf visionaries and benefactors,\u201d Dr. Hurley said. \u201cThey\u2019re a model for all of us to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both are retired \u2014 Bob from coaching in 2008 and teaching in 2020, and Darla in 2015 as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. Both were inducted into the Tarleton Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014, and Bob into the Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, January 28, 2022 STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Longtime Tarleton State University friends and educators Bob and Darla Doty today announced a $1 million contribution to support the school\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":49676,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[423,425],"tags":[430,431,432,436,449,455,457,459],"class_list":["post-40907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics-research","category-campus-community","tag-academic-affairs","tag-administration","tag-alumni","tag-college-of-agriculture-natural-resources","tag-institutional-advancement","tag-rodeo","tag-tarleton-state-fort-worth","tag-tarleton-state-waco"],"acf":{"image":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"keegan","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/author\/keegan-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2023\/10\/Spring-Flowers-Admin-Gates_7545-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Academics & Research<\/a>","Campus & Community<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Academics & Research<\/span>","Campus & Community<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Academic Affairs<\/a>","Administration<\/a>","Alumni<\/a>","College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/a>","Institutional Advancement<\/a>","Rodeo<\/a>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/a>","Tarleton State Waco<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Academic Affairs<\/span>","Administration<\/span>","Alumni<\/span>","College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/span>","Institutional Advancement<\/span>","Rodeo<\/span>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/span>","Tarleton State Waco<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 years ago","modified":"Updated 4 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on January 28, 2022","modified":"Updated on September 27, 2022"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on January 28, 2022 10:33 am","modified":"Updated on September 27, 2022 9:08 am"},"featured_img_caption":"Tarleton State University entrance with flags and flowers.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}