Dear Advisory Council Members,
I am writing with the sad news that Meredith Long of Houston, a member of our Advisory Council since 1979, died yesterday at the age of 91. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Cornelia, and their family.
Meredith and Cornelia have been most generous, dedicated supporters of the College of Fine Arts. He and they, over the years, have also become personal friends, opening and sharing their homes, and family, and many loyal puppies with me. I hope you will have a chance to read my Dean’s Insider devoted to him.
Meredith leaves a wonderful legacy in our college through his generous endowments, beginning with his first, the Cornelia and Meredith Long Centennial Scholarship, in 1982. In more recent years, he created the Meredith and Cornelia Long Chair in Art and Art History and the Meredith and Cornelia Long Internship Fund. Their generosity has provided a hand up to many generations of our students and graduates.
Meredith was a model Advisory Council member. He unselfishly and steadfastly offered his time and talents to help with fundraising, advocacy, and advice. He educated me, as a new dean, about the art world in Texas, and he never faltered in his devotion to our college and to The University of Texas at Austin, his alma mater.
We’ve lost a great friend.
Sincerely,
Doug Dempster
Dean
