Former Amarillo mayor withdraws $10 million gift to Texas Tech following chancellor's retirement

Former mayor of Amarillo Jerry Hodge said he’s withdrawing his $10 million donation to Texas Tech due to frustration toward the Tech Board of Regents.

Hodge, the founder of Maxor National Pharmacy Services, said over the phone Tuesday he’s been openly frustrated with the board since the apparent ousting of former Tech Chancellor Robert Duncan last month. Hodge said the final straw broke when he was informed the regents were debating his donation in executive session. Unnamed sources said the closed-door discussion was about how the $10 million would be allocated, although Hodge said it was for the veterinary school.

“I have not had one person say anything positive about the five Tech regents, I’ll tell you that,” Hodge said, referring to the majority of Tech regents who - numerous sources have confirmed - expressed no confidence in Duncan during an executive session in August. “We’re all upset. The vet school is something the whole community is behind. I’m a rancher, too, and we need large animal vets.”

The details of the executive session was written about in a recent story published in the Texas Tribune. The debate among the regents, according to the story, was over how Hodge’s donation would be split between the vet school and the pharmacy program.

Read more: http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180911/former-amarillo-mayor-withdraws-10-million-gift-to-texas-tech-following-chancellors-retirement