The Houston Chronicle has reported that Arthur “Artie” McFerrin, Class of ‘65, died last Tuesday evening following a battle with leukemia. McFerrin was well known for his contribution to Texas A&M, as twelve years ago his family donated $9 million to the construction of A&M’s athletics facilities. The indoor football complex and indoor track stadium are named the McFerrin Athletic Center after him, and the Cox-McFerrin Basketball center is as well. The department of chemical engineering also holds his name.

“If you walk through our facilities, you can see the McFerrin name literally stamped on almost every facet of our program, and yet he was very unassuming,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin told 12thManFoundation.com, per the Chronicle. “Artie has been a special friend to me, and his personality and smile are always something I looked forward to seeing.”

McFerrin graduated from A&M in 1965, and enjoyed a lucrative career in chemical engineering. He joined Shell Chemical, then in 1975 founded KMCO, a chemical processing and manufacturing company headquartered in Crosby, Texas. Fifteen years later he founded the distillation company KMTEX.
“It is not possible to overstate the impact that Artie and Dorothy McFerrin have had on this university, this athletic department and this organization,” interim president and CEO of the 12th Man Foundation Travis Dabney said, per the Bryan-College Station Eagle. “The McFerrins provided leadership and support that positively changed the direction of Aggie Athletics. Artie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and everyone associated with Texas A&M will miss him tremendously.”
University President Michael Young said in an emailed statement that A&M is a better university due to McFerrin’s influence and that he offers his condolences to McFerrin’s family.
“This is a sad day. We offer our deepest condolences to the McFerrin family. What a wonderful and generous life he lived. Countless Texas A&M students are immeasurably better off because of him, and indeed the world is a better place because of his leadership and service throughout his life,” Young said.
McFerrin is survived by his wife Dorothy and two children, Jeffrey and Jennifer.