UTSA’s Dedicated Students Inspire a San Antonio Philanthropic Couple
Mike Beldon and his wife, Louise have been exceptionally active community and philanthropic members of San Antonio for the past 50 years. Believing that The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is the city’s premier university, the couple recently donated $100,000 to create The Louise and Michael Beldon Endowed Scholarship for UTSA students. With UTSA set to publicly launch Be Bold: A Campaign for Our Future in 2022, they felt it was the perfect time to give back. The campaign is the largest fundraising campaign in UTSA’s history.
“We believe in UTSA and felt that it was a great institution to support. We hope our scholarship endowment will open many doors for students who might have originally lacked the resources and support to attend school,” said Mike.
Mike and Louise have supported a wide variety of their interests in San Antonio including programs in the Jewish community, the arts, hospitals, health science, and education. Mike has chaired the Boards of the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the Alamo Colleges Foundation, among many others. On the medical front, Louise has always had a strong passion for nursing and has been highly involved in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Clinical and Translational Research Center. She also chaired the Nurses’ Advisory Council and remains highly engaged with AVANCE, a national non-profit organization that primarily serves Texas and assists hard-to-reach, low-income families.
“We try to give meaningful gifts that will make a difference. My wife and I believe that if you are fortunate enough to be successful, you should really try to help others, not because people pressure you to do it. You should want to give, knowing you can help people,” expressed Mike.
The Beldons’ gift follows another inspirational gift made by Carlos and Malú Alvarez, who gave $20 million to the university’s business school, which is now named the Carlos Alvarez College of Business. Mike expressed that the Alvarezes’ gift helped them recognize that UTSA is an institution that should have their support and that gifts made to support students can help them succeed both in the classroom and into their future careers.
“Although our own families did not come from much, they always worked to be successful and taught us great values, including the importance of helping those around us. We were fortunate to be so close and learn so much from them. We strive to pass these same values on to our children,” said Mike.
Founded in 1946, Mike began working at his mother and father’s business, Beldon Roofing Company, at the age of 12. After graduating from Rice University in 1960, he followed in his father’s footsteps, eventually taking over the role as CEO of the company. Louise also worked full-time at the company for over 20 years, heading both the Service and Purchasing Departments. Their oldest son, Brad, is now the president of the company and their youngest son, Jonathan, is the Company’s General Counsel. While Mike no longer works in the office on a daily basis, he remains heavily involved by sharing his guidance with his sons regularly.
Today, Mike and Louise reside in San Antonio on the same street as their loving family members. With four children, 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, they are passing on their conviction that giving back to their community is one of the most selfless and important things you can do for others.
The Beldons believe in the importance of higher education and hope to see UTSA continue on its trajectory of becoming a national model for student success. The Louise and Michael Beldon Endowed Scholarship for UTSA Students will be awarded to students who have the most pressing needs. Students can apply for this scholarship beginning in December of 2022, allowing them to continue growing in their chosen fields of study. The scholarship will not only improve students’ college experiences at UTSA, but it will impact the San Antonio community and beyond as students graduate and become contributing members of society.
“We hope our scholarship will make a significant difference in the lives of many people,” they both echoed.
-Jordan Allen
