June 10, 2024
Credit: Steve Lemmons, Temple College
Tens of thousands of Temple College students have spent countless hours in the college’s One College Center since it opened in 2000. For more than two decades, it has been the student services hub, where students have met with academic advisors and success coaches, mapped out their class schedules, and plotted the next steps in their education and career journeys.
Today, this key campus building has a new name – the Luther and Betty Vogel One College Center.
Temple College honored the Vogels Monday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to celebrate their decision to invest in the Temple College Foundation and the future of Temple College students. Their names now adorn the building.
“It feels good to give back to a foundation that helps so many students in the community to get a good start in education,” Luther Vogel said. “Temple College has been a part of Temple for many years. The College continues to grow and has a great expansion program at this time.”
Dr. Christy Ponce, President of Temple College, said the Vogels’ investment in Temple College students will have an everlasting impact on families in the city of Temple, throughout the Central Texas region and far beyond.
“We are so thankful to Luther and Betty Vogel. They have made a gift that will live on forever,” Ponce said. “Each year, when students graduate from Temple College with their degrees and credentials, we hear many wonderful stories about how their experience here changed the trajectories of their lives – how they’re transferring to a university or how they have secured a great career based on their education and training. The Vogels are now part of those beautiful stories.”
Dr. Evelyn Waiwaiole, Vice President of Resource Development and External Relations, said it’s been a pleasure to meet and develop friendships with the Vogels.
“Luther and Betty have shared their time and treasure throughout the Temple community for decades. We cannot thank them enough for their generosity and amazing gift to Temple College,” Waiwaiole said. “Their legacy will continue each time a student takes a class, walks across the stage at graduation and takes the next step to a successful career.”
Luther Vogel was born in a farmhouse 20 miles south of Brownwood, Texas during the Great Depression. He said his father taught him to have “an extra strong work ethic.”
He graduated from high school in 1955 and later that year was hired as a brakeman for the Sant Fe Railroad. Luther married Betty, his high school sweetheart, and they have a daughter, Vickie.
The Santa Fe Railroad transferred the Vogels to Temple in 1963. Betty and Vickie attended Temple College in the 1960s and 1970s, respectively.
Luther Vogel retired from the Santa Fe Railroad in 1998 after 43 years with the company.
“After years of hard work, being frugal, and with God looking after us and not having any grandchildren of our own, we feel this contribution will help benefit students that wish to continue their education,” Luther Vogel said.
To learn more about giving to Temple College, visit the Temple College Foundation website or contact Dr. Evelyn Waiwaiole at 254-298-8766 or evelyn.waiwaiole@templejc.edu.
Credit: Steve Lemmons, Temple College
Credit: Steve Lemmons, Temple College
ABOUT TEMPLE COLLEGE
Temple College is “Your Community’s College,” a dynamic and growing community college that equips thousands of Central Texas students with the knowledge and skills for 21st-century success. Temple College, which has campuses in Temple, Hutto and Taylor, offers more than 75 degree and certificate programs to students who seek to earn credits for transfer, graduate with an associate degree or complete a certificate for fast entry into the workforce.
Founded in 1926, Temple College has enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence for 98 years. It is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs, from visual and performing arts to competitive athletics. The College has become one of the state’s premiere institutions for healthcare providers’ education and training, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development programs. The faculty and staff are committed to providing exceptional quality instruction.