Buc-ee's founder and Texas A&M graduate Arch "Beaver" Aplin III is contributing $50 million to the university's Hospitality Entrepreneurship Program, one of the largest gifts the university has received from a single donor.
The donation will go toward establishing an academic center that will serve as an immersive learning laboratory for students, TAMU said.
According to the university, The Aplin Center will offer unique student experiences in programs such as hospitality, retail studies, food product development, food science and more.
The center will feature indoor and outdoor recreational spaces as well as retail and food services. The Aplin Center will host corporate training and recruiting programs and will allow students to take advantage of professional development opportunities, the university explains.
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Texas A&M President Dr. M. Katherine Banks said the Aplin Center will allow for more entrepreneurial activities across several disciplines.
Primary partners with the center will include Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as the Mays Business School.
Banks feels that through Aplin's gift, "he is creating a living, learning laboratory that will provide transformational opportunities for students."
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The center will be built at the intersection of Wellborn Road and the primary pedestrian tunnel on Texas A&M's campus near Kyle Field.
