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Plaque at coliseum honors Ron Mafrige

A new plaque honoring Sam Houston State University benefactor Ron Mafrige and the 112 donors who have contributed to the Mafrige Basketball Challenge is now on display on the concourse level of Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

The official presentation of the plaque occurred prior to Sam Houston State's men's basketball home game Saturday Feb. 12 with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

More than a year ago, the Houston businessman and 1960 SHSU graduate, issued a challenge to Bearkat supporters to help increase the university's men's basketball endowment with an ultimate goal of reaching $1 million. The endowment provides funding for program enhancements such as equipment purchases and recruitment.

Mafrige agreed to contribute $1 of his Share the Vision Campaign commitment for each $2 given by others. As of Dec. 31, 2010, the Mafrige Basketball Challenge had generated more than $350,000 in gifts and commitments for the basketball program.

"Over the years, much has been written about Ron Mafrige's generosity and staunch support of Sam Houston," Bearkat Director of Athletics Bobby Williams said. "Ron personifies the leadership and charity inherent to those who have dedicated themselves to helping others.

"During the last 11 years, the Bearkat men's basketball program ranks as the winningest in the Southland Conference and owns the second highest victory total among NCAA Division I programs in Texas. Ron Mafrige's generosity and determination will help our men's basketball team to continue this success."

Since graduating in 1960 and launching a successful career as a real estate entrepreneur, Mafrige has contributed in excess of $2 million to the university. He has also volunteered to lead and participate in a number of Sam Houston organizations and initiatives.

From collections of memorabilia to monuments beautifying the campus to endowments to fund scholarships and programs, Ron's service to others has created a legacy which will continually benefit the university community as well as the thousands of visitors touring our campus each year.

In 2005, Mafrige gave $250,000 to make possible construction of an 11,000 square foot strength and conditioning facility named after longtime football coach Ron Randleman.

Ron has impacted the very landscape of the SHSU campus. In addition to his support of the Alumni Garden, he has purchased many of the granite benches seen across campus in honor of a number of people. In 2008, Mafrige donated $40,000 to build the 20-foot-tall statute of General Sam Houston which was created by alumnus David Addicks. It stands near the Lowman Student Center and Smith-Hutson Building.

As National Campaign Chair, Ron Mafrige led SHSU's first capital campaign and its Executive Leadership Council. The fund-raising effort generated commitments in excess of $61 million, surpassing the $50 million goal and was achieved nearly a year ahead of schedule.

The five-year Share the Vision Campaign was publicly launched on March 30, 2006, when the $50 million goal was announced. The campaign officially closed on August 31, 2010, with $61.2 million in commitments received from some 21,000 donors who made more than 97,000 gifts.

Since 1968 Ron Mafrige Enterprises, Inc., has leased more than one million commercial square feet of office space in the City of Houston, as well as helped pioneer the suburban office development as the exclusive agent for Strokes Adair Enterprises in Houston.

At SHSU, Mafrige served on the boards for the Alumni Association, the Kat Pack and the College of Business Administration; is a Life Endowed Member of the Alumni Association; a Lifetime member of the T Association Letterman Club; director of the Kat Pack Club; and is a recipient of the Alumni Association's 1997 Distinguished Alumnus and 2004 Distinguished Service Awards.

Outside of his university endeavors, the Mafriges have established similar scholarship programs at his high school, San Marcos Baptist Academy, and at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where seven of his $10,000-scholarship recipients have opted to attend SHSU.

He is a lifetime member of the Houston 100 Club, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Republican National Committee and the Houston Realtors-Political Action Committee, along with having served on the board of directors for numerous other foundations and agencies.

(Published by Sam Houston State Athletics (GoBearkats.com) on February 18, 2011)


Linked toRonald Peter Mafrige, Sr.

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