UT philanthropist, namesake of Moody Center, Robert L. Moody has died at 88
Philanthropist and nationally recognized businessman Robert L. Moody died Nov. 7 in his Galveston home, according to a press release from the University of Texas at Austin. He was 88.
Moody, known by many as "Bobby," was a longtime supporter of UT and left a permanent legacy at the university. While serving as the chairman of the Moody Foundation in 2013, he committed $50 million to establish the Moody College of Communication, the largest endowment for the study of communication of any public university in the nation at the time.
He was the grandson of renowned financier and entrepreneur W. L. Moody Jr. who studied Law at the University of Texas and chartered the Moody Foundation.
“We are incredibly thankful that the Moody Foundation, under Robert Moody’s leadership, chose to invest in our college, transforming the experiences of our students, faculty and staff in remarkable ways,” said Rachel Davis Mersey, interim dean of Moody College of Communication. “We, and the state of Texas as a whole, are mourning a tremendous benefactor and leader.”
The Moody Foundation also gave $20 million to reinvent the outside of the Blanton Museum of Art and established the Blanton's Free Day to help make the arts more accessible to the Austin community. Recently, UT’s new basketball arena and events center was named the Moody Center in honor of a $130 million grant from the Moody Foundation, the largest gift from a foundation in the university's history.
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Overall, the Moody Foundation has given more than $204 million to the UT to establish and support colleges, centers, institutes, programs and venues.
“Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for the tremendous philanthropic support of Bobby Moody and the lasting impact the Moody Foundation’s contributions will have on UT, our students, our campus and our city,” said President Jay Hartzell. “The unwavering commitment to education, research and a thriving community will continue to inspire and empower generations of Longhorns."
Founded in 1942 by W.L. Moody Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody, the Moody Foundation gave more than $1.7 billion in grants throughout Texas to organizations that "educated, healed and nurtured Texans." It is the largest philanthropic foundation in the state and contributes to various causes, including three major music venues in Austin.
Moody lost his father as a toddler and was sent to boarding school with his only brother, Shearn Jr. He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania in 1953 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army. There, he developed the discipline and work ethic that would serve him throughout his life. He later led the Moody family’s insurance, banking and hospitality businesses in Texas successfully for more than 60 years.
He was married to the late Ann McLeod Moody, and together, they parented their blended family of eight children. They set up their home in Galveston, where he also left a permanent impact. He established the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute for the rehabilitation of brain trauma patients. In 1992, he spearheaded the construction of the reimagined Moody Gardens to sustain and develop the economic health of the city.
“My father was an avid learner, always reading the news or meeting with experts in various fields to expand his horizons,” said Ross Moody, who began serving as a Moody Foundation trustee in 1986. “This trait was passed down from his grandfather, William Lewis Moody Jr., who strongly believed in the importance of education...the Moody family has had University of Texas graduates in every generation, and we are incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with one of the greatest institutions in the state.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: University of Texas philanthropist Robert L. Moody has died at 88
