Growing up 74 miles east of College Station, it was destiny for Tom Ramsey to graduate from Texas A&M University in 1974. His path was set when Texas A&M President Earl Rudder met with Ramsey’s father, convincing him that all his children needed to become Aggies.
From early on, Ramsey knew he wanted to be a civil engineer. While on summer breaks, he would work jobs in construction, which continued to grow his interest in learning more about engineering. From a young age, he knew he must work hard to receive the desired results. During his time at Texas A&M, Ramsey worked three jobs to pay off his tuition. A culmination of his hard work and passion, he and his wife, Marsha, created the Marsha and Tom Ramsey '74 Civil Engineering Endowed Scholarship.
Without the help of his professors, Ramsey would not have the skills necessary to be the successful civil engineer he is today. He understands the importance of proper training and support from those willing to go above and beyond for their students.
Without the help of his professors, Ramsey would not have the skills necessary to be the successful civil engineer he is today. He understands the importance of proper training and support from those willing to go above and beyond for their students.
After graduation, Ramsey used his knowledge from his civil engineering degree to help his fellow Texans, working as a senior executive and public servant. He served on many task forces and boards, helping make his community a better place to live, ultimately leading to him serving as mayor of Spring Valley Village. In addition to his leadership in the public sector, Ramsey also served as Senior Vice President of Klotz Associates, a civil engineering company. Since then, he has been elected as Harris County Commissioner Pct. 3. During his service, the commissioners court has lowered county taxes, created updated and successful drainage plans, improved infrastructure and increased resources for parks and recreation.
Ramsey knows that the future is in the hands of current high school and college students. Serving as county commissioner his Pct includes 15 school districts which he supports with infrastructure improvements. Ramsey’s goal in creating this endowment is to help further education by impacting current and future Aggie engineers. Even though Aggieland has changed since his enrollment, Ramsey aims to support students in obtaining their degrees from the school he cherishes the most – Texas A&M.
Every job and career opportunity I have enjoyed over the past 50 years has involved an Aggie helping me in one way or the other
Since graduating in 1974, Ramsey has felt the impact of being an Aggie in his everyday life. “It is clear to me that the value of this degree is much more than just a college education,” said Ramsey. He mentioned the friendships made during his time at Texas A&M, which have become some of his most valued professional relationships.
Ramsey and his wife appreciate how Texas A&M’s values align with their own. Finding a large group of people on campus with similar values has helped them routinely feel at home while in Aggieland. It is easy to get overwhelmed at a school with a population of over seventy thousand; however, Ramsey is grateful that current students can feel less alone on this large campus, knowing that there is always a group to fit in to.
They hope this scholarship will help a hardworking Aggie who has previously worked a summer internship in Harris County, where they currently reside. Ultimately, he hopes to find an Aggie like him, working multiple jobs to attend university so that he can give them the help he never got.