Texas A&M booster Artie McFerrin passes away at 74

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Artie McFerrin, a prominent chemical engineer whose name is draped across the Texas A&M campus, died on Tuesday morning in MD Anderson Cancer Center following a long fight with leukemia.

The indoor football complex and the indoor track stadium together are named the McFerrin Athletic Center. The basketball teams also practice in the Cox-McFerrin Basketball Center. In addition, A&M's department of chemical engineering bears the name of McFerrin, 74.

Twelve years ago the McFerrin family donated $9 million toward the construction of the track and football complex, which has housed NCAA indoor track championships and is home to A&M football practices. McFerrin lived in Humble and was raised in Beaumont.

"What a great, selfless servant and friend," former 12th Man Foundation president Miles Marks posted on Facebook. "He loved A&M so much."

Incredibly and according to the 12th Man Foundation, "The McFerrins were lead gift donors for the McFerrin Athletic Center, the Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball, the R.C. Slocum Nutrition Center, the Kyle Field Redevelopment Campaign, the construction of Blue Bell Park and the Watts Cross Country Course."

According to a Twitter account bearing McFerrin's name: "After a long and courageous battle with CLL & all its complications, Artie is now at peace. Funeral details will be provided in a future post."

Artie McFerrin, a prominent chemical engineer whose name is draped across the Texas A&M campus, has passed away at the age of 74. Artie McFerrin, a prominent chemical engineer whose name is draped across the Texas A&M campus, has passed away at the age of 74. Photo: Texas A&M Corps Of Cadets Photo: Texas A&M Corps Of Cadets Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Texas A&M booster Artie McFerrin passes away at 74 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

CLL is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. McFerrin graduated from A&M in 1965, began his career with Shell Chemical and in 1975 founded KMCO, a chemical processing and manufacturing company with its headquarters in Crosby. Fifteen years later he established KMTEX, a distillation company, along the way amassing millions in the chemical business and impacting lives and Texas A&M in the process.

"If you walk through our facilities, you can see the McFerrin name literally stamped on almost every facet of our program, and yet he was very unassuming," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin told 12thManFoundation.com. "Artie has been a special friend to me, and his personality and smile are always something I looked forward to seeing."

McFerrin and his wife, Dorothy, have two children, Jeffrey and Jennifer.