Jane H. Wright ’76
Commemorating the first female former student-athlete to make seven-figure gift in support of Texas A&M Athletics
By Charean Williams ’86
When Jane H. Wright ’76 joined the Aggie Women’s Tennis team, she and her teammates practiced on the intramural courts — concrete surfaces with chain-link nets.
Back then, the men wouldn't let us near the good courts," Wright recalled.
More than 50 years later, as Wright stands at the George P. Mitchell '40 Tennis Center, the irony is not lost on her — part of her transformational gift helped resurface the very courts that now host A&M's elite tennis programs.
"It's night and day," she said.
With her extraordinary contribution, Wright became the first female Aggie student-athlete to make a seven-figure gift in support of Texas A&M Athletics.
"She's unbelievable and a legend," said Lauren Hickey-Garcia, assistant vice president of major gifts.
Her generous support helped lead a comprehensive $4 million makeover of the Mitchell Tennis Center — the first major update since it opened in 1998. Despite the facility's age, the Aggie Women's Tennis team captured the program's first national championship in 2024.
The project included renovations to both team locker rooms, coaches' offices, the training room and the players' lounge. Additionally, new LED sports lights and wind screens were installed and all 12 courts were resurfaced.
"It had been a while since we had any major renovations here," said Aggie Women's Tennis Head Coach Mark Weaver '94, a former player himself. "It was an overhaul that was needed, and everything looks great. It is the best it has looked in a very long time."
On Feb. 28, 2025, Texas A&M commemorated Wright's contribution with a special ceremony at the Mitchell Tennis Center, officially naming Court 2 in her honor.
"Every time they say the name of the court, I get goosebumps," Wright said.
“Texas A&M was an important part of my life. A&M gave a lot to me, and I want to see A&M succeed in all sports.”
A state champion at Bastrop High School, Wright arrived in Aggieland in 1972 as a physical education major, assuming her competitive tennis days were behind her. Friends encouraged her to join the A&M club team, where she soon became the Aggies’ No. 1 singles and doubles player.
The women’s club team was officially recognized as a varsity sport in 1975 during Wright’s junior year. After graduation, Wright and her doubles partner, Dessie Samuels, continued competing in tournaments across Texas.
“I was intimidated by her at first,” Samuels said. “I just did pretty much whatever she told me to do, and we became lifelong friends.”
Wright used her physical education degree teaching in Caldwell for a couple of years before moving back to Bastrop in 1984 to work in her family's Miller Beer distribution business. The family sold the company in 2022, and Wright now divides her time between Bastrop and College Station, where she purchased a second home.
A devoted Aggie fan, Wright holds season tickets for football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball and tennis. She also continues to provide financial support as a 12th Man Foundation donor, hoping others will follow her lead to positively impact the next generation of Aggie student-athletes.
"Texas A&M was an important part of my life," Wright said. "A&M gave a lot to me, and I want to see A&M succeed in all sports."
From humble beginnings to historic generosity, Wright has been a true trailblazer for Aggie Tennis, laying the foundation for future student-athletes to chase their dreams.