Texas Tech Alumni Association Hosts 2007 Homecoming Dinner: “A Matador Evening”

Alumni Highlights

Pete and Nelda Laney

Pete and Nelda Laney will be honored with the Lauro F. Cavazos Award.

James E. “Pete” and Nelda Laney will be honored with The Lauro F. Cavazos Award at the Texas Tech Alumni Association’s 2007 “A Matador Evening: The 47th Annual Homecoming Dinner. ”

This year’s event will be held Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

As always, “A Matador Evening” is both a fund raiser and a friend raiser, with proceeds benefiting academic scholarships at Texas Tech. This year’s focus will be, once again, to raise scholarship funds for the Texas Tech Honors College. All proceeds from this year’s event will be presented to the Honors College in the name of Pete and Nelda Laney.

The Lauro F. Cavazos Award is presented to individuals who have made a positive impact on the university through outstanding accomplishments, acts of service and/or financial support.

The Laneys have provided both countless hours of public service and financial support to Texas Tech University, West Texas and Texas as a whole. Pete Laney, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Texas Tech in 1965, served for 34 years as a state representative. Mr. Laney matched his predecessor, fellow Democrat Gibson D. "Gib" Lewis of Fort Worth, serving five terms as speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Laney was known for his bipartisan approach to politics, always appointing committee chairmen based on their abilities and not their party affiliation.

Mr. Laney is married to the former Nelda Kay McQuien, who earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1965. They have three children and five grandsons. The Texas Tech legacy is alive and well in the Laney Family, as all three of the their children graduated from Texas Tech University.

Nelda Laney taught school in Hale Center once she graduated from Texas Tech. She then went on to establish herself as a dynamic volunteer, not only in West Texas, but in Austin as well. Mrs. Laney was the co-chair of the Capitol Fund Drive and served as vice-chair of the Texas Capitol Restoration Celebration. She raised millions of dollars for the preservation of the Capitol.

Mrs. Laney is also involved with many organizations where she designs ornaments for fund-raising campaigns. To date, she has had a hand in designing 24 ornaments. She is a member of the Texas Tech Alumni Association National Board of Directors, where she holds positions on the Membership Committee and Nominating Committee.

The Distinguished Service Award, which will also be presented during the event, recognizes outstanding service rendered to the Alumni Association or Texas Tech University. The Texas Tech Alumni Association will announce the recipient of the award that evening.

The highly acclaimed stars of The Cactus Theater's Lubbock Texas Rhythm Machine will provide the entertainment in a thrilling concert of nostalgic hit music produced by Don Caldwell.

Tickets for “A Matador Evening” are $50 per person and are still available. Table sponsorships are as follows:

Matador                       $1,000
Red & Black                $750
Double T                      $600
Masked Rider              $400

For more information regarding “A Matador Evening,” please call 806.742.3641.

Related

For more information about the accomplishments of Nelda Laney, read our Alumna Designs 10th Anniversary Official Ornament story.

Jan 15, 2020