Former UNT regent and donor dies at 92

E. Bruce Street Sr., 92, a friend and honorary alumnus of the university who served as a member of the UNT Board of Regents for almost 20 years (from the 1970s to the 1990s), died April 10. Funeral services were conducted in Graham April 13.

"UNT and Texas have lost a great friend of higher education. I can think of no one who has contributed more to improving higher education," President Norval Pohl says.

Street, a lifelong resident of Graham, was often known to say, "If I'm going to do any good in this world, it's going to be through helping education."

At UNT, he served as the regents' vice chair and secretary and was a member of the board's executive committee. He also was chair of the regents' facilities committee.

In addition, he helped create the UNT Foundation and served as one of the first three members of its board of directors. The foundation supports the university through the stewardship and acquisition of financial resources.

Street's service to the university extended beyond his years as a regent. In February 2002, he and his wife, Virginia Owens Street, gave the College of Education a deferred gift valued at $8 million to support the elementary education program. At the time they gave the gift, the Streets expressed their belief that the years between kindergarten and the fifth grade build the foundation for future educational achievement.

According to Chancellor and President Emeritus Alfred F. Hurley, Street's strong leadership as chair of the board's facilities committee in the early 1980s pointed UNT toward the installation of devices to cut electricity costs. "As a result, UNT's utility cost per-square-foot is still the lowest among large universities in Texas," he said.

Hurley also points to Street's helping in bringing UNT into the computer age by offering a subsidy to every faculty member seeking to purchase a computer in the 1980s.

According to Chancellor and President Emeritus Alfred F. Hurley, Street's strong leadership as chair of the board's facilities committee in the early 1980s pointed UNT toward the installation of devices to cut electricity costs. "As a result, UNT's utility cost per-square-foot is still the lowest among large universities in Texas," he said.

Hurley also points to Street's helping in bringing UNT into the computer age by offering a subsidy to every faculty member seeking to purchase a computer in the 1980s.

Street, an SMU graduate, was awarded an honorary doctor of educational leadership degree from UNT in 1991. In 2003, UNT honored the Streets with a Green Glory Award, annually presented to individuals whose assistance to the university has enabled it to have "a substantial margin of excellence in its endeavors."

In addition to his wife, Street is survived by a daughter, Virginia Street Smith; a son, Bruce Street Jr.; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Refined UNT brand to be unveiled April 27 at public campaign launch
• Regents pick construction managers for Denton, Dallas buildings
• UNT, Nuconsteel sign research agreement
• Work is under way to secure funds for 2005-06 faculty salary market adjustments
• Check UNT's policy before accepting a second job
• Six faculty recognized during UNT's annual Honors Day celebration
• Law school proposal moves forward
• Staff council reps elected
• English faculty member becomes first to fill ombudsman position

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