Letter Announcing 6,000-Acre Land Gift from 3 Rivers Foundation
Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.
Feb. 27, 2024
Texas Tech University System Family & Friends:
Good morning. I’m reaching out today to share some exciting news about a first-of-its-kind gift to the Texas Tech University System.
Today, we announced a major land gift from the 3 Rivers Foundation for the Arts and Sciences and Fred Koch, M.D., founding member of the foundation and an alumnus of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Encompassing 6,000 acres, the property includes the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus and facilities near Crowell, Texas. This will serve as a resource for each of the TTU System’s five universities and the TTU System Administration.
From astronomy and agriculture to community outreach and engagement, this gift will offer many new collaborative opportunities for education and research. It allows us to continue expanding our ever-growing TTU System footprint into even more of rural Texas as we discover new ways to serve the surrounding communities and beyond through lifelong learning and innovations in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), art, health sciences and more. Ultimately, our efforts will honor and build upon the legacy the 3 Rivers Foundation has created through its work at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus.
As we celebrate this incredible gift, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Koch, Executive Director Becky Barker and their entire team at the 3 Rivers Foundation for their generosity, and their attorney, Don Ross Malone, who was instrumental in connecting our team and facilitating discussions about the gift. I also want to recognize several of our teams and stakeholders who worked tirelessly to make this gift a reality for our system including numerous leaders within the TTU System Administration for their efforts and dedication, the Texas Tech Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors for their vision and leadership and the TTU System Board of Regents for their guidance and support of this partnership.
In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to provide information about this significant gift and what it means for the TTU System and our universities, along with plans for a TTU System celebration at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus.
In the meantime, please join me in celebrating this generous gift and thanking the 3 Rivers Foundation for their partnership.
Warmest regards,
Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.
Chancellor