A prominent Amarillo couple is making their largest-ever personal gift to West Texas A&M University to support its nursing program. Laura and Joe Street joined with WT officials during a March 7 press conference to announce their $2.5 million gift to establish the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing in WT’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. With this gift, the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign — which fuels the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World — has raised nearly $160 million, smashing its original goal of $125 million and growing ever closer to reaching the current goal of $175 million. Laura earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a family nurse practitioner master’s degree at WT soon after the couple made Amarillo their home in 1984. Laura Street also is a 2018 WT Distinguished Alumna. “We have always stayed involved with WT nursing,” Laura said. “The department is one of the best in the state and nation, and we know that for it to continue to grow and meet the needs of the Panhandle, more students will need scholarships, and we’ll need more endowed professorships to attract and retain faculty members.” “Ultimately, we want to make sure everyone realizes the value of nursing education,” Laura said. Joe concurred with her statement. “This is really important to us, and we’re just glad to do it,” he said. “We know how important the Amarillo medical community is to this region, and we know that WT is helping battle the critical shortage of nursing in this area.” In addition to providing a $500,000 endowment for operational support of the Street School of Nursing, the gift will provide $1.4 million in scholarships and graduate assistantships and $600,000 to name two new professorships: the Laura Street Distinguished Professor of Nursing and the Todd David Street Distinguished Professor of Psychiatric Mental Health, named for the late brother of Joe Street. The professors will be appointed at a later date. “Laura, I imagine your education and experience in the nursing profession played a part in your decision to invest in the students and faculty through this generous naming gift. As the husband to a nursing professional myself, I understand the lifelong, deep abiding commitment to the wellbeing of others,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said in prepared comments. “Laura and Joe, I am honored to be part of celebrating your generosity to WT, which is emblematic of your lives of service and giving in the community.” The couple, who bought Street Toyota after arriving in Amarillo and founded Street Volkswagen of Amarillo, also prioritize the education of mental health professionals. “We have a shortage of medical providers, in particular in mental health,” Laura said. “They are essential to our future, to our health and to our wellbeing in the Panhandle and beyond.” Recently, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences announced the fall 2024 launch of a new psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner degree program, aimed to provide trained professionals for a new mental health hospital to be built in Amarillo. Elevating the nursing program from a department to a school makes it a larger and more distinctive unit within the college. A request for approval of the naming and restructuring has been submitted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The announcement was made in the simulation lab on the Baptist Community Services Nursing Education Floor of Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center, 720 S. Tyler St. LAURA AND JOE STREET NAME WT A&M’S SCHOOL OF NURSING WITH $2.5 MILLION GIFT DEALERS’ CHOICE 28
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