Richard Castro donates $100,000 to Texas State scholarship fund

El Paso businessman and Texas State University Distinguished Alumnus Richard Castro has donated $100,000 to the university’s Bobcats to Bobcats scholarship fund to support students financially impacted by the coronavirus who enroll in the fall 2020 semester.

The university created the Bobcats to Bobcats scholarship fund with a goal of providing $1 million to help students pay for tuition and fees as they continue their education.

Castro is a Texas State University Hero, a title given to individuals and organizations that give $1 million or more to the university. He previously made significant gifts to the university in support of athletic and academic student scholarships. In recognition of his gifts, the Richard A. Castro Legacy Club in the University Events Center and the Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center were named in his honor.

“Now more than ever, students need the support of their Bobcat family,” said Texas State President Denise M. Trauth. “We are grateful to have donors such as Richard Castro, who understand the importance and the impact of scholarships on our students. His gift will go far to help students who need financial support to return to Texas State this fall to complete their education.”

Castro earned his B.A. in history from Texas State in 1970 and became a teacher in the Eagle Pass Independent School District. He later served as city administrator for Del Rio from 1972 to 1980 before becoming a McDonald’s franchise owner in 1983. Castro became the company’s largest Hispanic owner/operator with 27 restaurants in Texas and more than 1,000 employees. Sensing an opportunity to appeal to his West Texas clientele, he developed the breakfast burrito and convinced the chain to offer it nationwide. In 2020, he was presented with the Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award, given to the top one percent of McDonald’s owner/operators worldwide each year to recognize their dedication to customer service, business achievement and community involvement.

Castro was named 2005 Hispanic Businessman of the Year by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and won the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce Chairman’s Community Support Award that same year. He received the 2011 Faces of Diversity Award from the National Restaurant Association. In 1997, Castro was named a Texas State Distinguished Alumnus and in 2013 he received a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the College of Liberal Arts.