Hobson gift to benefit undergraduate scholarships for students from Edna, Sealy

William “Bill” Hobson and Loma Hobson have made a gift of nearly $350,000 to Texas State University in support of the William and Loma Hobson Endowed Scholarship.

The Hobsons established the endowed scholarship in 1998 to financially assist undergraduate students who have graduated high school from Edna or Sealy high schools and have been accepted to Texas State. Eligible students must be enrolled full-time and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. Scholarships are awarded to two qualifying students from each high school annually.  

The Scholarship Committee in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is responsible for selecting the recipients and administering the funds distributed from the endowment.

The gift adds to the Hobsons’ legacy as Texas State Heroes. Heroes are those individuals or organizations who have donated one million dollars or more to the university. It is the most prestigious honor bestowed on Texas State supporters.

Their generosity has given many students the opportunity to become Bobcats. The couple is also responsible for the William and Loma Hobson Endowment in Agricultural Science Research, an estate gift to fund scholarships for agricultural students, graduates of Sealy and Edna high schools, and a fellowship matching fund to support graduate researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Both are 1964 graduates of Texas State. Bill earned his B.S. in education majoring in speech pathology and audiology. He is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and was president of both his junior and senior class. Loma earned her B.A. in English, was a member of the Strutters and is a member of Alpha Delta Pi.

The Hobsons both began careers as teachers, but after four years Bill’s interest turned to investments. One investment company offered him a job on the condition that he gain military experience, so Bill joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and trained as a cook while continuing to work with PaineWebber. He would eventually retire as a senior vice present of USB Wealth Management USA.