The Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation has made a transformative gift to create the Janey Briscoe Marmion and Kate Marmion Endowment in support of the Briscoe-Garner Museum. Located in Uvalde, Texas, the museum is a division of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin and is dedicated to the lives and legacies of two Texas political icons: Vice President John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner and Governor Dolph Briscoe.
The multi-million-dollar gift will support all aspects of the Briscoe-Garner Museum including operations, preservation and maintenance, exhibitions, events and school programs, and staff. The gift provides $7 million to establish the Janey Briscoe Marmion and Kate Marmion Endowment and an additional $226,000 in bridge funding to provide immediate support.
With an emphasis on enhancing the museum’s educational impact and service to the Uvalde community, the endowment provides essential financial support to preserve the Garner home and share the legacies of two outstanding Texans. Garner was the first Texan to serve as Speaker of the US House of Representatives and later as vice president of the United States during the first two presidential terms of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Briscoe served four terms as a member of the state legislature and as Texas governor from 1973 to 1979. He also had a distinguished career in business and ranching.
“I’d like to express my deep gratitude to the Marmion Foundation and the extended Briscoe family for their incredibly generous support,” said Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center. “The Janey Briscoe Marmion and Kate Marmion Endowment is a testament to these two women and their dedication to the Uvalde community. The foundation’s gift is truly transformative and will provide critical funds to enhance our exhibits, community outreach, and educational mission. The Briscoe family has long championed the cause of history, and we are proud to be connected to their legacy.”
The Marmion Foundation is dedicated to supporting the people, places, and programs that were important to Governor Briscoe, his daughter Janey Briscoe Marmion, and Janey’s daughter, Kate Marmion, including education, agriculture, and Texas and Southwestern American history, with a particular emphasis on programs that benefit the Uvalde community.
“Our foundation’s ability to support the Briscoe Center and UT Austin is very rewarding to me personally,” said Dr. Dolph (D. B.) Briscoe IV, president of the Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation and member of the Briscoe Center’s Ambassadors Council. “Securing the long-term stability of the museum has been a major priority for me. Beyond being such a historic place where so many important events occurred, the Briscoe-Garner Museum is a critical educational and cultural resource for Uvalde. Its commemoration of my grandparents’ lives is a treasure for my entire family.”
Together with the existing John Nance Garner Endowment, the Marmion Endowment income will support all the Briscoe-Garner Museum’s operations, including:
- The creation of new temporary exhibition space and support for traveling exhibits that will provide ongoing community engagement,
- Support for a full-time education coordinator to enhance relationships with Uvalde CISD and other nearby schools,
- Support for community outreach, including programs and events, and
- Funds for ongoing maintenance and preservation efforts to protect the architecturally significant home.
