With so many colleges and universities across Texas, it can be special when one family sends a handful of its members to one school. There's a sense of comradery and shared experiences that help deepen the ties within the family and to the school.
For the Doyle family, those ties run especially deep. Since 1980 and across two generations, the Doyles have sent 17 family members to Texas Tech University, 15 of whom earned or will earn business degrees at the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business.
The five initial branches of the Doyle Red Raider family tree include Matt, David, Denise, Patrick and Chris. Of these branches, Matt, David, Patrick and Chris earned their degrees at Rawls College while Denise earned her degree in education.
This is the (condensed) story of how Matt, David, Patrick and Chris built their Rawls College legacy and how the Rawls College legacy impacted their families.
Matt Doyle's Rawls College Legacy
“I went to visit Texas Tech with a friend of mine from high school, to visit his older brother, and I had a fantastic time,” said Matt, recalling what drew him to Texas Tech. “I loved the campus and the people, and it was 680 miles away from my front door.”
After entering Texas Tech, Matt decided to earn his degree in finance, largely because of his father.
“My dad would not stand for me being a park ranger,” joked Matt. “My father had always been an entrepreneur with the support of my mother, and the business school was a logical source to become a banker or any type of businessperson at that time.”
While working toward his degree, Matt met his future wife, Debra Faulkner, in one of their real estate courses.
“The fact that we both attended Rawls College is important to both of us,” he said.
Both Matt and Debra graduated with their finance degrees in 1980. Coincidentally, graduation day turned out to be the first time their parents would meet one another.
Fast forward a bit, and Matt and Debra now have two kids: a daughter, Erin, and a son, Sean. While Sean earned a communications degree at Stephen F Austin, Erin followed her parents' footsteps to Rawls College, earning her bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting in 2013.
“When our daughter, Erin, went to Texas Tech to become a CPA, I could not have been prouder,” said Matt.
As Matt sees it, tradition is a big aspect of the Doyle family and having so many Doyles attend Texas Tech and Rawls College exemplifies the consistency that comes from tradition.
“Having all of us graduate from Texas Tech and my daughter and a lot of my nieces and nephews too has been very special,” he said. “I believe Texas Tech taught us that our business is our family and our family is our business because that is the kind of people you meet at Texas Tech and Rawls College.”
David Doyle's Rawls College Legacy
For David, coming to Texas Tech was a process of elimination.
“I had no interest in attending UT or A&M,” he said. “OU, my parents' alma mater, was too expensive and my older brother, Matt, was already at Tech.”
Where David differed from Matt was in his major. Rather than study finance like his older brother, David opted for accounting.
“I was decent at math and chose accounting due to the number of job opportunities after graduation,” said David.
David has remained connected to Texas Tech and Rawls College since graduating with his accounting degree in 1982. He currently serves on the Rawls Advisory Council and helps with DFW-area fundraising events.
“My wife Allison and I continue to support the growth of the college and university,” said David, “and I'm hopeful that, because of the roots we've established, numerous successive Doyle generations will attend Tech and benefit from a quality education there.”
Already, David and Allison are seeing the fruits of their labor.
Together, David and Allison have four children: Natalie, Connor, Ryan and Megan. Natalie attended Texas Tech's College of Human Sciences, while Connor and Ryan followed their father's path and earned their bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from Rawls College. Megan may not have attended Texas Tech or Rawls College, but she is engaged to someone that Ryan and Connor knew through their fraternity and accounting courses.
As a parent to Red Raiders, David now has a whole new appreciation for what Texas Tech and Rawls College can offer families.
“My experience as a parent was less stressful and more rewarding than I remember as a student. Onboarding and other services are much more comprehensive,” said David. “It was neat to experience sporting events while they were students as an interested alum. We have many memories of great experiences over the years at sporting events.”
Patrick Doyle's Rawls College Legacy
For Patrick, the decision on Texas Tech and Rawls College was pretty straightforward.
“Matthew went that way, and we all followed,” he said. “I also loved the people and university setting.”
Much like his older brother, Patrick went on to study finance and real estate, graduating in 1986. However, he deviated from his older brother by going on to earn his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1990 and starting his own law firm in Galveston, Texas.
Patrick and his wife, Stephanie, now have four children, all of whom attended Texas Tech: Allie, Shannon, Thomas and Andrew. Allie was the only one to not major in business, while Shannon majored in marketing and Thomas and Andrew both majored in management.
“I pressed all four of our kids to enter the college of business like I did to get the proper foundation,” said Patrick.
Patrick saw Rawls College as a vital step in preparing his kids for the future.
“All of my kids are better adults for going to Tech,” said Patrick. “Three of my kids – Shannon, Thomas and Andrew – work for me in the title business. That's what I am most proud of.”
Patrick is also eager to see what the future holds for the Doyles and Texas Tech.
“I don't know the exact number of graduates, but I will guarantee you there will be a whole new set [of Doyles] coming in 10 to 15 years.”
Chris Doyle's Rawls College Legacy
Being the youngest, the decision on Texas Tech and Rawls College could not have been any simpler.
“As the last sibling, I dare not attend any other university than Texas Tech,” joked Chris, “which was fine by me.”
Much like his older brothers Matt and Patrick, Chris opted to study finance.
“From age seven or eight, I always wanted to follow my dad into the banking industry,” he said. “Business was where I wanted to be.”
Chris graduated from Rawls College with his finance degree in 1988 and is currently on the advisory council for the Excellence in Banking Program.
Chris and his wife Stephanie have four children: Corbin, Christopher, Charles and Cullen. Of the four, only Corbin did not attend Texas Tech. Christopher and Charles both followed their father's path and earned their degrees in finance through the Excellence in Banking Program. Cullen will enter his junior year this fall and is working toward a management degree.
While Chris loves seeing so many of his sons at his alma mater, he most appreciates experiencing Texas Tech and Rawls College as a parent.
“It's a little more laid back,” said Chris. “Having to hit the books on a Sunday was always tough after a fun weekend. A leisure plane ride home is much better.”
Legacy. Built on Rawls.
“My mom and dad built our legacy,” said Chris. “It's the family bond that they built between us that created that extension of their legacy at Tech. I will say, although they did not attend Tech, they are true Red Raiders.”
Since Matt Doyle's first day on campus in the 70s, the Doyles have had 15 family members to Rawls College. It may be a while before the third generation of Doyles enters the doors of Rawls College, but Matt is sure of one thing: the college will always be a part of the Doyle family.
“The legacy of Rawls College is the foundation it provides on which to build a career, a family and a lifestyle,” said Matt. “The business school provides the tools for success and teaches you how to use them to benefit not only yourself, but your family and your community.”