Celebrating Texas

Matt Turner, B.A. ’83, Plan II, has a passion for native Texas flora. As the son of Billie Turner, a beloved University of Texas at Austin professor and botanist, plants were always a large part of Matt’s life. Thanks to his father, so is the importance of giving back.

"My father never really cared about being rich, but he wanted to be important and give back to the world," Matt said. This shared belief led Matt to include the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in his estate plan and designate his gift to the area of greatest need.

"Times change and needs change, and I cannot anticipate the future needs of the Wildflower Center. I trust them to know the best way to use my gift when the time comes," Matt said.

A Gift for People and Nature

When Matt graduated from UT's Plan II Honors program, he headed East and earned a master's degree from Harvard and a doctorate from Yale. But he couldn't escape the draw of Texas.

"Austin is the greatest town in the universe," he said. "The people are friendly, the sun is always out and you have open spaces, including the Wildflower Center. It's a place that promotes the state flora. It promotes Texas pride. So, why would I not give to it?"

While Matt hopes his estate gift will inspire a love of nature and Texas flora for future generations, he is influencing this generation as well. He is a marketing researcher for the McCombs School of Business and a lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts. Matt’s favorite class to teach? The Human Place in Nature, of course.

Grow the Wildflower Center's Vibrant Future

Learn more about how you can inspire the conservation of native plants through research and education by making a planned gift to the Wildflower Center. Contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team for no-obligation help at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu.