By Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD
There are people whose generosity changes institutions. And there are those whose generosity changes lives, families and entire communities for generations.
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long did both.
With Joe’s passing, we have lost not only one of Texas’ most extraordinary philanthropists, but a man whose life reflected a profound belief in the power of education, the dignity of opportunity and the responsibility we share to make the world better for those who follow us.
I had the privilege of calling Joe and Terry my dear friends. Their friendship was a gift, and their love for South Texas was unmistakable. They understood something fundamental about our community: Talent and the desire to make a difference exist in every neighborhood, every family and every generation. Opportunity, however, may not always be equally within reach.
They believed we could change that.
Their extraordinary support of The University of Texas System and of UT San Antonio Health Science Center, including the medical school that proudly bears their names, was never about recognition. It was about people. It was about opening doors that might otherwise remain closed and giving talented young people the opportunity to pursue an education, fulfill their potential and, in turn, serve others.
That belief is deeply personal to me.
Growing up in South Texas, I was blessed with parents who taught me, through their own lives and example, the enduring importance of family, education and service to others. They instilled in me the understanding that the opportunities we enjoy are often made possible by the sacrifices, service, hard work and generosity of those who came before us. I witnessed firsthand how parents dedicate their lives to creating a better future for their children, how teachers recognize promise in young people before they see it in themselves, and how communities grow stronger when we invest in the hopes and aspirations of the next generation.
Joe and Terry understood this beautiful continuum of generosity. They recognized that when we invest in education, we are not simply investing in one individual. We are honoring the generations who made that opportunity possible while investing in every life that individual may one day touch.
Photo courtesy of Austin American-Statesman
Consider the young student who becomes the first physician in a family. The doctor who returns to an underserved community to care for neighbors. The scientist whose discoveries offer hope to patients facing devastating illnesses. Or the child who sees someone from their own community achieve what once seemed impossible and begins to imagine a different future.
These are the lasting returns on generosity. They cannot be adequately measured in dollars.
The Longs’ philanthropy reflected an enduring confidence in higher education as one of society’s greatest instruments for advancing opportunity. They believed that great universities must do more than educate. They must lift communities, expand access, advance discovery and help build a healthier, more prosperous future. They must ultimately make lives better.
That conviction is especially meaningful today as UT San Antonio brings together the strengths of a comprehensive research university and an academic health enterprise. The Longs helped lay a foundation upon which future generations will continue to build.
But their example also invites us to consider a larger question: What responsibility do each of us have to the communities that shaped our lives?
We may not all have the means to make transformational philanthropic gifts. But we all have something meaningful to contribute. We can mentor a student, support a scholarship, encourage a young person to pursue higher education, volunteer our time or help a neighbor overcome a barrier to opportunity.
A stronger South Texas will not be built by any one institution, benefactor or generation. It will be built by families, educators, healthcare providers, researchers, business leaders and neighbors working together, each accepting responsibility for the future we share.
That is the example Joe and Terry set. Their generosity was extraordinary, but the values that inspired it belong to all of us.
I will remember my dear friends for their kindness, humility and unwavering belief in the potential of others. I will remember their profound love for South Texas. Joe and Teresa Lozano Long clearly understood that education truly saves lives.
Their names will endure in the places they helped make possible. But their greatest legacy will live in the students who achieve their dreams, the physicians who heal, the discoveries that bring hope and the families whose futures are forever changed.
For that, our community owes Joe and Terry a profound debt of gratitude.
And perhaps the most meaningful way to honor them is to carry their example forward.
Because the greatest legacy any of us can leave is not what we accumulate in our lifetime, but what we make possible for others.
Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD, is senior executive vice president for health affairs and health system at The University of Texas at San Antonio and interim dean of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.