The University of Texas at San Antonio mourns the passing of Joe R. Long, an extraordinary philanthropic leader whose generosity, together with that of his beloved wife, Teresa Lozano Long, transformed opportunity for generations of students at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio and strengthened health professional education in Texas.
Joe Long passed away Oct. 7 at the age of 96.
For more than a quarter-century, Joe and Teresa Long were the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s most consequential champions, advocates and friends. Their philanthropy advanced scholarships, faculty excellence, research and discovery. It reflected a deeply personal belief in the promise of students and education. The Longs’ names will forever be part of the institutions and places their extraordinary generosity made possible. But their greatest legacy extends far beyond the buildings that bear their names.
Through scholarships made possible by the Longs, hundreds of aspiring physicians, nurses, health professionals and biomedical scientists were given the opportunity to pursue their education, many without the financial burden that otherwise might have placed their dreams beyond reach. Those students went on to care for patients, conduct research, educate future generations and serve communities across South Texas, the state and the nation.
In 2008, the Longs made a transformational $25 million gift to UT Health Science Center San Antonio, establishing the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Scholarship, Research and Teaching Fund, creating permanent endowments for scholarships for students, medical research and the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. In recognition of that generosity, the institution’s flagship campus was named the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Campus.
Their philanthropy impacted across the disciplines of medicine, nursing, physician assistants, and biomedical scientists, expanding educational opportunity while strengthening the faculty and research enterprise that supports those students.
In 2017, the Longs made another $25 million gift, further expanding medical student scholarships and creating endowed support for faculty excellence and leadership in the School of Medicine. In recognition of their extraordinary cumulative impact, The University of Texas System Board of Regents named the medical school the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
By 2021, the Longs’ support to UT Health Science Center San Antonio exceeded $70 million.
Today, more than 444 Long Scholars have been supported across medicine, nursing, physician assistant studies, biomedical science, and the MD/PhD program. Eighteen new Long endowments, established through the Longs’ original investments, are held by Long School of Medicine faculty members to advance education, research and faculty excellence.
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