Cain Foundation grant leads fundraising initiative for the
Thomas M. Hatfield Seminar Room
December 10, 2012
The Briscoe Center kicked off its fundraising initiative for the Thomas M. Hatfield Seminar Room as part of the Campaign to Make History by announcing a $125,000 grant from the Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation. The Hatfield Seminar Room will honor the life and legacy of one of the University’s most dedicated educators who has devoted his career to researching, studying, and teaching about the Second World War.
“Tom’s work in the study of World War II honors the stories of the brave soldiers who fought and sacrificed so much in the name of freedom,” said Lynn Fowler, executive director of the Cain Foundation. “We’re very pleased that the Briscoe Center has chosen to pay tribute to Tom and that we were able to support this worthy cause.”
Dr. Hatfield, who is Dean Emeritus of Continuing Education, was a founder of the University’s Normandy Scholar Program and the founding director of the Briscoe Center’s Military History Institute. He continues to touch the lives of countless students and adults through his writing and lectures on WWII and through study groups he leads to the battlefields of the European and Pacific Theaters.
The Hatfield Seminar Room will ensure that Dr. Hatfield’s legacy is honored today and preserved for generations to come. The room will include a photograph and plaque describing the significance of his life’s work. In the spirit of Tom’s commitment to lifelong learning, the educational programs conducted in the Hatfield Seminar Room will be free and open to the public and will include roundtable discussions, lectures, film screenings, book talks, and workshops.
The Thomas M. Hatfield Seminar Room is a key component of the Campaign to Make History, the fundraising effort to modernize the Briscoe Center’s 41-year-old public service space in Sid Richardson Hall, Unit 2, on the UT Austin campus. Individuals who wish to make a contribution to the Hatfield Seminar Room may contact Karen Gilbert at (512) 495-4369 or karengilbert@austin.utexas.edu. Contributions can also be made on the Briscoe Center’s online giving page or mailed to:
The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
c/o The Hatfield Seminar Room
2300 Red River St., Stop D1100
SRH, Unit 2, STE 2.109
Austin, TX 78712-1426
