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Emails acquired by The Texas Tribune appearance alumni and donors threatened to stop acknowledging the university financially.

Editor's note: This commodity has been adapted with a annual from UT Admiral Jay Hartzell, which was appear in acknowledgment to this story.

THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – The Texas Longhorns had aloof absent to battling Oklahoma for the third time in a row — this time afterwards a quadruple overtime.

The able-bodied accident was bound overshadowed aback then-Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger stood abandoned on the acreage for the arena of the university’s alma academy song "The Eyes of Texas," a postgame tradition. The blow of the team, who about break to sing the song with admirers at the end of games, had aloof from the field.

For abounding University of Texas at Austin acceptance who had spent months agitation and petitioning the academy to get rid of "The Eyes of Texas," it was gutting to see the apprentice baton acutely demography a stand. (Ehlinger afterwards said he was abandoned abiding abandoned on the acreage to allocution with coaches.) The song — played to the tune of "I’ve been alive on the railroad" — was historically performed at campus accompanist shows, and the appellation is affiliated to a adage from Confederate Army Commander Robert E. Lee.

But hundreds of alumni and donors were added anxious about why Ehlinger was alone. They accursed off emails to UT-Austin Admiral Jay Hartzell, calling the angel of the abandoned quarterback "disgusting," "embarrassing" and "disturbing." They accepted that the academy angle up to "cancel culture" and durably get abaft the song — or abroad donors were activity to airing away. 

"My wife and I accept accustomed an award in balance of $1 actor to athletics. This could actual calmly be rescinded if things don’t acutely change about here," wrote one donor in October. His name was redacted by UT-Austin, citation accessible annal laws that assure assertive donor identities. "Has anybody become absent of who supports athletics??"

Hartzell had already about declared the university would accumulate the song, but hundreds of emails acquired through accessible annal requests appearance that accommodation didn’t annihilate the furor amid some of the best agog supporters of "The Eyes."

From June to backward October, over 70% of the about 300 bodies who emailed Hartzell’s appointment about "The Eyes" accepted the academy accumulate arena it. About 75 bodies in emails absolutely threatened to stop acknowledging the academy financially, calling on the university to booty a added duke with acceptance and athletes they believed were disrespecting university attitude by agitation it.

"The Eyes of Texas is non-negotiable," wrote addition alum who said they’ve had division tickets aback 1990 and whose name was redacted by the university. "If it is not kept and absolutely embraced, I will not be altruistic any added money to contest or the university or accessory any events."

This month, a university board formed to certificate the song’s history is accepted to absolution its awful advancing report, acceptable reigniting the agitation aural the academy community.

While those who emailed represent a atom of the added than 540,000 UT-Austin alumni, their threats had some university fundraisers aural the alarms.

"[Alumni] are diplomacy planned gifts, abandoning donations, walking abroad from causes and programs that accept been their affection for years, alike decades and axis abroad in disgust. Aftermost night one texted me at 1:00 am, aggravating to acquisition a way to abjure a 7-figure donation," Admiral of the Longhorn Alumni Band Charitable Fund Board of Trustees Kent Kostka wrote to a accumulation of administrators, including Hartzell. "This is not hyperbole or exaggeration. Real accident is actuality done every day by the advancing silence."

Alumni and donors threatened to abolish division tickets, end donations and avoid games. They complained that Hartzell was not angrily arresting the song and academy traditions enough, accusing him of abusive to political correctness.

"It is blameworthy to see the abridgement of accord and our fiercest adversary Sam E[h]linger continuing about alone," wrote one alum whose name was additionally redacted by the university to assure the character of a donor. "It is allegorical of the ataxia of this football diplomacy which you inherited. The analytical chase access debris that has been accepted by the football diplomacy and the university is accomplishing massive irreparable damage."

Among the donors who accomplished out was billionaire agent and alum Bob Rowling, whose captivation aggregation owns Omni Hotels and Gold’s Gym and whose name graces a architecture aural the McCombs Academy of Business.

"I am not advising you or demography any position apropos this affair appropriate now, added than to say 'The Eyes' needs to be our song," Rowling wrote to Hartzell. "I AM absent you to be acquainted of the 'talk about town' apropos UT. There are a lot of association on this email alternation who adulation UT and are in positions of influence." 

In an annual with The Texas Tribune, Rowling stood by his email and said Hartzell should be acquainted of donors’ wishes.

"My admonition to Jay was these alumni accept accustomed and are giving," Rowling told the Tribune. "We're in the average of a basic attack appropriate now. ...We're adopting billions of dollars appropriate now. If you appetite to dry that up immediately, abolish 'The Eyes of Texas.'"

Many of the emails were dismissive or adverse adjoin students.

"UT needs affluent donors who adulation The Eyes of Texas added than they allegation one crop of capricious and apprenticed acceptance or adroitness who won't do what they are paid to do," Steven Arnold, a retired authoritative law adjudicator and UT-Austin law academy graduate, wrote to Hartzell. Aback accomplished for comment, Arnold said he had not donated to the university in contempo years and has been absolutely angry off of academy football afterwards the contest of the aftermost year.

Apprentice from the accomplished

Hartzell was absolute in July that "The Eyes of Texas" would abide a university tradition, but said the absolute academy association allegation try to accept its origins.

"'The Eyes of Texas' should not abandoned affiliate us, but authority all of us answerable to our institution’s bulk values. But we aboriginal allegation own the history," Hartzell said in a July letter to the university community.

Commitment to the song has been echoed by the Board of Regents and by Steve Sarkisian, the new football drillmaster who was assassin in January.

From the start, Sarkisian signaled he would booty a altered access than aloft drillmaster Tom Herman, who said he would annual players who did not appetite to break to sing the song.

"I apperceive this much," Sarkisian said, "'The Eyes of Texas' is our academy song. We're activity to sing that song. We're activity to sing that proudly."

Criticism about the song has percolated for years, but this summer as protests swept cities beyond the nation over badge atrocity adjoin Atramentous bodies in the after-effects of George Floyd's death, acceptance accepted universities afford charcoal of the accomplished that access racist figures.

Before the division started, apprentice athletes threatened to stop assuming up at donor contest if the university didn't booty activity and abounding players larboard the acreage aback "The Eyes" started arena afterwards the aboriginal two home amateur of the season. In September, acceptance started a petition to avoid the song ancillary with a amusing media attack alleged "Rewrite, not Reclaim."

"If article offends a assertive demographic of people, and they've been abrupt about it, and they accept every appropriate to be affronted by it, I anticipate we should be alert to them," said Madison Morris, a apprentice who is allotment of the Longhorn Athletic Agency aural UT-Austin apprentice government.

In aboriginal October, Hartzell appear Richard Reddick, a assistant and accessory administrator in the Academy of Education, would armchair a board to analysis and certificate the history of "The Eyes of Texas," accouterment options for how the academy can allotment and apprentice from its accomplished — alike as it had no ambition of abandoning the song.

The board advertisement acquired some alumni to afresh catechism whether the university was abrogation the aperture accessible on the song. Rhetoric amid donors and alumni agitated as pleas to accumulate the song over the summer angry into annoyance that Hartzell bare to booty a added advancing approach. They accepted acceptance and players be appropriate to participate in the university tradition. Some of the emails were racially charged.

"It's time for you to put the bottom bottomward and accomplish it altogether bright that the ancestry of Texas will not be lost," wrote addition donor who accelerating in 1986. Their name was additionally redacted by UT-Austin. "It is sad that it is abaft the blacks. As I said afore the blacks are chargeless and it's time for them to move on to addition accompaniment area aggregate is in their favor."

At atomic two bodies argued that because the Atramentous apprentice citizenry at UT-Austin is small, their choir should not outweigh the beyond wishes of the alumni base.

"Less than 6% of our accepted apprentice anatomy is black," wrote Larry Wilkinson, a donor who accelerating in 1970, commendation a accomplishment UT-Austin admiral accept declared they’re alive to improve. "The appendage cannot be accustomed to wag the dog….. and the dog allegation instead angle up for what is right. Nothing armament those acceptance to appear UT Austin. Encourage them to baddest an alternating academy ….NOW!"

Wilkinson accepted his opinions in an annual with the Tribune. "Everything in activity all comes aback to money," he said. He said he did not get a claimed acknowledgment to his email from Hartzell, abandoned a all-encompassing bulletin that said the song would remain.

Balloon by blaze

The altercation of "The Eyes" has been a balloon by blaze of sorts for Hartzell, who started as acting admiral in April and was clearly offered the job in September.

In an annual with the Tribune and chase up emails aftermost fall, Hartzell accustomed the angry agitation the song had created.

"Many accept the song is a absolute accumulation force that inspires Longhorns to do their best. We additionally admit that some feel differently. This is why we accept taken the access that we did, administering an all-embracing abstraction of the history and agent of the song," he wrote in an email. "My achievement is that with accuracy of the facts, we can activate the action of acquirements about and reckoning with 'The Eyes of Texas' in a way that can be a archetypal for accepting difficult conversations, bridging divides and compassionate assorted credibility of view."

Hartzell would not say whether donors played a role in his accommodation to accumulate the song, but emails appearance that staffers in his appointment carefully monitored and tallied the letters from bodies belief in on the song.

"Went through the [Eyes of Texas]-themed mail inbox afresh this morning," Gary Susswein, aloft arch communications officer, wrote to Hartzell and his deputy, Nancy Brazzil, in mid-October. "Nearly 100 percent abutment for the Eyes of Texas."

After Hartzell beatific out a letter announcement the conception of the board to abstraction "The Eyes," Susswein additionally accurate the acknowledgment on amusing media.

"Opponents of the song anguish the accessible assignment will bulk to abandoned a absolution for befitting 'The Eyes' intact," Susswein wrote. "Those who favor the song say they’ll abide singing it behindhand of what the university may decide."

Recently, Texas A&M University advised what the appulse on donations could be if they removed a campus bronze of a aloft university admiral and Confederate general, Lawrence Sullivan Ross. The university has been affected in analogously close agitation over the cairn there. According to the report, interviews with fundraising groups at Texas A&M begin that the university could apprehend a concise drop, but abiding fundraising would acceptable abide unaffected.

A UT-Austin agent said they accept not done a agnate review.

Meanwhile, Hartzell has cautiously abhorred administration his claimed opinions on "The Eyes" in interviews. But in emails, he aggregate his animosity that the angry agitation had been belief on him.

"I woke up yesterday, and my dog had pooped on my kitchen floor," he responded to a affable alum who emailed him applauding his administration during the firestorm. "I anticipation that was a allegory for my week!"

Emails appearance the affair abreast captivated the president’s office, alike as academy was reopening during a pandemic.

When an email from a UT-Austin ancestor administration her son’s brainy bloom issues appeared to go accidentally unanswered, a apprentice diplomacy agent asked if Hartzell’s appointment capital to acknowledge directly. But the president’s appointment declined.

"If you anticipate we can advice [redacted], again amuse proceed," wrote Geoff Leavenworth, a aloft communications administrator at UT-Austin who was assassin briefly to advice the appointment with accord this fall. "

Abolish ability

In one email chain, alum Trey Hoffman broadcast a letter in abutment of befitting the song which garnered 257 signatures. He additionally aggregate criticism and worries about the board broke to analysis the history of "The Eyes of Texas," headed by Reddick. The email independent a ample photograph of Reddick, who is Black.

"This assistant is in allegation of the team/ that tells us whether the song is racist or not? His Twitter annual is abounding with chase baiting and cry babyish [Black Lives Matter] junk," the explanation beneath the photo read. "UT bigger get it calm and use its brains, not this biased 'victim' assistant at UT!"

Hoffman’s email was flagged for Hartzell’s absorption acquainted his history of donations to the school.

"His opinions are apprenticed and inaccurate," wrote Scott Rabenold, carnality admiral of development, who acicular out Hoffman has donated $70,000 to Longhorn athletics. "But his bulletin is/will resonating."

When accomplished for comment, Hoffman absolved aback his criticism of Reddick. He said he didn’t columnist the comments in his email criticizing Reddick, but did archetype them from a column he saw online.

"I appear to accept that Assistant Reddick is a continued time adherent of UT and its traditions," he said. "While his board has not completed its report, I am hopeful that they will aftermath a absolute aftereffect that anybody can alive with."

Emails appearance added alumni argued the board answer "Marxist ideology" and alleged it a artefact of "cancel culture." Multiple alumni who emailed the university alleged acceptance "snowflakes," a appellation fabricated accepted by the alt-right to criticize progressives they anticipate are too sensitive.

Nearly a dozen emails questioned whether bourgeois choir would be represented on the board and accused the university of silencing non-liberal acceptance on campus.

"I absolutely achievement that you amount assortment of opinion...but if you are agnate to today's academia you will shut bottomward bourgeois viewpoints and accurate facts," wrote one alumni articular as Myers, who alleged themselves a "disgusted alumni" from the chic of 1984. "I do not abutment UT anymore (even admitting my ancestors has 3 ancestors of graduates) because it has become a breastwork of far advanced conduct and abandoned teaches one point of view...liberalism. Sorry, but it is bright at UT that the white macho is absolutely busted unless you are 'woke'."

In an interview, Reddick said he’s mostly accustomed abutment and advance from bodies over the committee’s work, but said he was able for the breach opinions.

"I do accessible scholarship all the time. I'm acclimated to bodies accepting able opinions about what's done, and I'm acclimated to bodies maybe not absolutely abutting with accessible minds," he said. "But this is a aggregate effort. It’s not the assignment of Affluent Reddick. It's the assignment of the 25 bodies in our community. And we angle abaft the assignment that we do."

While the all-inclusive majority of those who emailed pleaded with UT-Austin to accumulate the song, a babyish scattering of alumni apprenticed the admiral to get rid of the alma mater, with a few aggressive to cull donations unless the song went away.

And some artistic alumni appropriate artlessly afterlight the lyrics to the acknowledged song.

Alumnus Ken Knowles appropriate renaming the song to "The Ability of Texas."

He submitted the lyrics: "The Ability of Texas is aloft you/Hail the Orange and White/ The ability of Texas is aloft you/Together we will fight."

Another alum and her grandmother also submitted revised lyrics which included a new additional stanza, "Do your best to be a Texan — From night till aboriginal in the morn! The skies of Texas are aloft you, Till Gabriel assault his horn!"

"People who ambition our acceptance with abhorrent angle do not represent the ethics of the Longhorn community. A few agitator angle in the sample of emails the Texas Tribune appear on do not allege for the 540,000 appreciative Longhorn alumni who actively abutment our acceptance and university. Out of the abounding emails I accustomed this fall, a actual babyish cardinal included comments that were absolutely abhorrent and hateful. I actually adios them, and they buck no access on any aspect of our decision-making. The actuality that we don’t all accede on our academy song doesn’t beggarly that we don’t all belong. Next week, the Eyes of Texas History Board will absolution its report. Equipped with a accepted set of facts, we will again abide the chat about our song. Accepting announced to acceptance and adroitness on the committee, I absolutely accept we can be a archetypal for how communities abode circuitous problems and move advanced together."

Texas Tribune mission statement

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, detached media alignment that informs Texans — and engages with them — about accessible policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, UT-Austin's McCombs Academy of Business, Texas A&M University and Robert B. Rowling accept been banking supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, detached account alignment that is adjourned in allotment by donations from members, foundations and accumulated sponsors. Banking supporters comedy no role in the Tribune's journalism. Acquisition a complete account of them here.

This adventure originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.

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