Paul Yetter recognizes the importance of a college education, telling students, “Your college education at UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) is an invaluable foundation for the rest of your life. If you work hard, accept new challenges, and have faith, your UTEP experience will be a springboard to a fun and successful career.” For Yetter, these are not just idle words. He believes in what he says and has backed up his belief with a lifetime commitment to higher education.

In 2005, as a Christmas gift for his wife, Patricia, who received her B.S. in Education from UTEP, Yetter established the Patricia Daw Yetter Endowed Professorship in the College of Education, which is invested in the Long Term Fund.

He created the endowment with the intent that it qualify as a match for UTEP’s Teachers for a New Era (TNE) grant. In 2003, UTEP was one of only 11 universities nationwide selected to receive a TNE matching grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The grant was designed to develop close cooperation among the colleges of Education, Science, and Liberal Arts and enhance teacher preparation. The Patricia Daw Yetter Endowed Professorship was the first endowed faculty position at UTEP dedicated solely to the College of Education.

Funds distributed from the endowment are used to attract and retain an outstanding teacher education faculty to prepare UTEP graduates to become teachers whose work will inspire students for a lifetime of achievement.

In addition to the professorship, the Yetters have also endowed four scholarships and a discretionary fund for the UTEP Library.

As the 2005 recipient of a UTEP Gold Nugget Award, which recognized him as a distinguished alumnus of the College of Business Administration, Yetter addressed alumni, saying, “Don’t forget the people, institutions, and city that paved the way for your future. UTEP is the best bargain in higher education. It deserves your support – in time, effort, and contributions. Your support will help shape countless new lives and careers in El Paso and around the state.”

Yetter himself is proof that a degree from UTEP provides the foundation for extraordinary personal and professional achievement. He graduated from UTEP with a B.B.A. degree and then attended Columbia Law School, earning a J.D. in 1983. He was a partner in the Houston office of the prominent law firm Baker Botts, LLP, until 1997 when he co-founded Yetter & Warden, LLP, a high-stakes business and technology litigation firm that has won more than $1 billion in judgments and settlements. He has been acknowledged for his work by the Texas Bar Association, and the National Law Journal has recognized him as one of the top 10 winning lawyers in the United States.

By supporting UTEP, Yetter believes he can have an immeasurable effect on the lives and careers of individuals in El Paso and the state of Texas. His vision and his dedication have created many opportunities for students and will continue creating opportunities for future generations – a gift in perpetuity that will build the future of UTEP and the El Paso community.

Paul and Patti Yetter