Terrell Blodgett Endowment for Government Services in Urban Management and Finance

Jun 17, 1983 | Excellence Funds & Program Support

The Terrell Blodgett Endowment for Government Services in Urban Management and Finance was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on June 17, 1983, for the benefit of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Gift funds were provided by the estate of William S. Blodgett and KPMG LLP, both of Austin. The endowment honors Professor W. Terrell Blodgett of Austin. Terrell is a native Texan who graduated from Baylor University in 1943 and joined the US Army the following day. After the Army, he went on to earn his MA in 1947 from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. He was hired as a research associate in the Bureau of Municipal Research at The University of Texas at Austin. The bureau was headed by Dr. Stuart MacCorkle and later became the Institute of Public Affairs. When the LBJ School was established, the Institute was folded into the new school. Terrell left the bureau in 1950 to become personnel director for the City of Austin, eventually returning to the LBJ School in 1982 as the first holder of the Mike Hogg Professorship in Urban Management.

Terrell Blodgett

Terrell believes that citizens are most affected by governments when they live in cities and that the services provided by cities are vital to the well-being of Americans. Small towns have closer ties with their residents, and therefore demonstrate better civic management. It is because of this disparity in civic management that Terrell wants the University to encourage its students to pursue careers in city management, which he believes is an exciting and challenging vocation. Terrell hopes the Terrell Blodgett Endowment for Government Services in Urban Management and Finance will encourage students to enter the field.

The scholarship recipients gather periodically with Professor Blodgett for professional development activities and dinner. Left to Right. Back row: Robert Young, Jordan Munn, Erik Olson, Robert Wood, John Tempesta. Middle row: Kate Mason, Kelly Nichls, Suzanne Thompson Barnard, Leigh Byford, Terrell Blodgett. Front row: David Houston, Jessica King, Kim Springer

The Terrell Blodgett Endowment for Government Services in Urban Management and Finance was created through the fundraising efforts of Phil Barnes. Barnes, who followed Terrell as principal-in-charge of governmental consulting with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co., knew of Terrell’s life-long dedication to professional city management and he very generously undertook the task of securing funds from fellow partners and friends for the endowment. Fellowships have now been awarded to more than two dozen LBJ School students over the years and Terrell is proud to say that he is still in touch with most of them, following their careers — most of them in local government — and encouraging them in their service.

The endowment funds second-year students who are interested in urban government management and finance. It also supports faculty research. Students are given a stipend that supports a summer internship and their second year of studies. In order to qualify for the internship and fellowship package, students must negotiate their own research projects with a municipal government and then submit their project proposals to an LBJ School selection committee.

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