A Legacy of Giving

Taylor and Grayson Moffatt on Friday, Oct. 13 at Texas A&M University Mays Business School – CityCentre in Houston, Texas. (Abbey Santoro/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications)

THE POWER OF MULTIGENERATIONAL GENEROSITY AT TEXAS A&M

Grayson ’12 and Taylor Moffatt ’12 redefine what it means to extend a legacy of giving for the next generation.

Grayson ’12 and Taylor Moffatt ’12 aren’t new to the legacy of generosity that underwrites major development at Texas A&M University year after year. As a third-generation Aggie, Taylor had a front-row seat watching his grandfather, Ray B. Nesbitt ’55, continuously give to Texas A&M. Nesbitt’s commitment to the university took shape in more than $2 million over the course of his lifetime in scholarships, faculty endowments and an endowed chair to the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering. In 2021, the Moffatts stood proudly as Nesbitt was posthumously awarded the honor of Distinguished Alumnus for the Texas A&M School of Engineering. Both reflected on that moment as kindling the desire to give back to Texas A&M in a more substantial way. “As we considered the legacy my grandparents left behind,” shared Taylor, “we felt a tugging to give back in recognition of all the good that has come from the gifts of previous generations.” Just two years later, they became donors to the university in their own right with a $250,000 gift to help fund the new Wayne Roberts ’85 Building — part of the Business Education Complex (BEC) at Mays Business School.

Among the youngest donors to the new Roberts Building, the Moffatts, fittingly both Class of 2012, are echoing the call of the 12th Man with a readiness to step out in support of their fellow Aggie. The Moffatt’s support is financial and academic in nature, but the Spirit of Aggieland holds. The most impressive facet of the couple is not how young they are to be giving such a significant gift to the university, but rather the spirit of selfless service and generosity they so readily embody. Theirs is an others-first outlook often considered uncommon among younger generations and – despite their considerable collective success – both cast an air of humility and kindness.

The Moffatts are quick to deflect the credit for their desire to support Texas A&M to what was modeled before them. They maintained a steady focus on the priority of making sure others of their generation recognize the importance of giving back. Both spoke to the fact that it’s easy to take for granted the giving of previous generations and the compounding impact that generosity has on the education of future Aggies. “When you invest in a university like Texas A&M, it’s not a one-time impact,” shared Taylor, “it’s impactful for years to come. Gifts like my grandparents’ act as an annuity benefiting the university.” Grayson elaborated on their desire to set the pace for their contemporaries. “We hope that by setting a precedent of giving back from an early age, we can encourage others to do the same.”

Taylor may have been bleeding maroon from birth, but Grayson ran against the grain in a family of Baylor Bears to go all in for Texas A&M. “As an incoming student and onward, I was always so impressed with the resources of the university and Mays Business School,” noted Grayson. “But more importantly for me, Mays made a big school feel small.” Each of the Moffatts shared anecdotes of high-impact courses, professors, job fairs and advisors who helped to shape their ultimate career trajectories. In many ways, the Moffatt’s time in Aggieland looked a lot like the typical overachieving coed experience. Taylor was involved with freshmen leadership organizations in addition to Fish Camp and Greek life, while Grayson was a Kappa Alpha Theta and a Muster Host. Both thrived in the Mays academic landscape and think very fondly of the time they enjoyed on West Campus.

But Taylor shares more than a spirit of generosity with his grandfather. His tireless work ethic and entrepreneurial instincts have led to early career acceleration that belies his age. Nesbitt – who left his family’s dairy farm to secure his engineering degree in just three years at Texas A&M – spent the length of his career at Exxon, eventually retiring as president of the oil and gas corporation. Taylor, equally eager to earn his professional development chops, launched his first foray into real estate while just a sophomore at Texas A&M. As a student, Moffatt and his buddies recognized a market opportunity for more refined housing nearer to campus. They set about buying up properties in College Station’s southern historic district, building new homes and renting them out to other students. “You could say I got the entrepreneurial and real estate bug in college,” he shared. Now a managing director at Trammell Crow Residential, he’s built his career in the commercial side of the residential real estate industry.

Grayson, meanwhile, began working with Travelers Insurance after a chance encounter at a Mays job fair. “I originally took the job to grow my business experience with ultimate plans to continue on to law school,” she remembers. Now a major case specialist with an 11-year career at Travelers Insurance, Grayson works with environmental lawsuits and associated claims. “My job has given me the opportunity to learn from and collaborate extensively with attorneys,” she said. “I ended up loving this aspect of my work so much that I decided not to pursue law school after all.” Mays played a key role in helping Grayson find her fulfilling career.

“My time at Mays was key to putting me on that path and equipping me to succeed when I got here.” – Grayson Moffatt ’12

As they planned their gift with the Texas A&M Foundation, Grayson and Taylor met with Mays Business School Dean Nate Sharp. Both were impressed with the goals and vision Sharp laid out for Mays. “Dr. Sharp’s goals for the business school really aligned with the ethics and values we believe in and have come to expect from Texas A&M and, more specifically, Mays Business School,” shared Taylor. “We are excited to have the opportunity to support his vision for the future of a place that has meant so much to us.” In the expansion of west campus through the Wayne Roberts ’85 Building, they found the perfect project.

The Moffatts have always loved Texas A&M’s Aggie traditions and Core Values. “The foundations and pillars behind the school, and the willingness of Aggies to stand up for what they believe in, that resonates with our personal values of family and faith,” shared Grayson. “It really grounds you with all the noise going on in the world.” When asked what his grandfather would think of their involvement with Texas A&M, Taylor, demurred a humble response. “It would take decades to carve out a legacy that deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as his,” he stated. “We love Texas A&M and admire his generosity. We just want to try and do our part for future generations of the school – whether our kids ultimately get to experience it or not.”

With some confidence, we think we can answer this question by saying he’d be proud. Really, really proud.