Our Namesakes
The Becky Gates Children’s Center was established 1998. In 2006 the center was named in honor of Becky Gates, wife of former U.S. Defense Secretary and Texas A&M University President Dr. Robert Gates, after a generous donation from Dorothy J. and Arthur McFerrin Jr. ‘65. While at Texas A&M, Becky Gates was active throughout the university. She was involved with the Texas A&M Women’s Club and the Federation of Texas A&M University Mothers’ Clubs. She was an honorary president of both organizations as well as a honorary member of the Texas A&M Extension Service Club, serving and supporting all three of these groups in their activities.
On August 21, 2023, the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center officially became part of Texas A&M University. With the incorporation of this second facility, the collaboration between the Children’s Centers and the Texas A&M University Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education offers students in the Texas A&M College of Education and Development a practical learning environment, while also granting children at the centers access to cutting-edge early childhood education best practices.
Our namesake, Charlotte Sharp (1953-2020), spouse of John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, was a renowned philanthropist and was involved in many community and humanitarian efforts, particularly for women, children and young people.
The Statue
Outside the Becky Gates Children’s Center sits a statue in the figure of Becky Gates. The figure of Becky Gates represents a teacher leading children into the realm of education, represented by the gates.The children are Brad and Eleanor Gates, children of Becky and Bob Gates, and Alexandria McFerrin Bohner, granddaughter of Dorothy and Arthur McFerrin ’65. The statue is a gift from the McFerrins to Texas A&M University and the Becky Gates Children’s Center.
Symbolism
The support panels attached to the gate posts contain numbers and the alphabet, the foundation of all learning. The gates includes items that children first use to express their vision and knowledge of the world; paintbrushes, scissors, crayons, etc. A world has been placed in the center of the gates because it is the world of education which provides the foundation and skills to the diverse student body of Texas A&M University, allowing students to become a steward of the world. The children at play represent that learning is fun and that it is just as important to condition the body as the mind. The teacher reaching for the gates at the level of the stars symbolizes the responsibility to teach the students that the future is limitless and they too, should reach for the stars. The gates are topped with possibly the highest art form, music, and this music happens to be the first two measures of the Aggie War Hymn.
Artist
Bill McGlaun (1948 – 2015) was an award-winning sculptor from Cleveland, Texas. He has been featured in several art magazines including “State of the Art News,” “Southwest Art,” and “Wildlife Art News.” McGlaun’s public displays include a sculpture in the Pope’s personal collection at the Summer Palace in Rome, a sculpture for the Texas Education Agency in the William B. Travis Building in Austin and the “Shaping the Future” statue for the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. In addition to these sculptures, in 2001 he also created a bronze statue commemorating 9/11.
