TCU's alumni chapters keep the Horned Frog spirit alive post-grad.
United by shared memories and their alma mater, TCU’s alumni chapters try to bridge geographical gaps and offer a support system no matter how far Horned Frog graduates roam.
As graduates leave campus, they can take comfort in knowing that there are 11 alumni chapter cities and 17 alumni club cities waiting to accept them into their new community with open arms.
Chapter cities include Austin, Chicago, Dallas/Dallas-Young, Denver, Fort Worth/Fort Worth-Young, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, San Antonio and Washington Metro.
If there are not enough active alumni to maintain an official chapter, devoted Frogs are still able to be involved in their community’s alumni club. These clubs can be found in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Midland, Nashville, North Carolina Triangle, Northern California, Oklahoma City, Orange County, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and Tulsa.
At the heart of these chapters are the spirited presidents that devote their time and energy to being the bridge that keeps the alumni in their community connected to the ever-changing campus that they all once walked.
Dallas-Young Chapter Co-President
Sam Baxter graduated from the Neeley School of Business as part of the class of 2017. As a third-generation Horned Frog, he knew he wanted to stay connected and involved with the university post-grad.
After serving on the alumni board for a few years, he stepped into the role of co-president, alongside Kristen Thomas, running the Dallas-Young alumni chapter.
“TCU is so good at providing that culture of connection while in school, and I wanted to try to maintain and replicate that energy for people post-grad,” said Baxter.
Remaining in close connection with the other alumni chapters is crucial to making sure strategies of running chapters remain relevant and effective.
In his time as co-president, Baxter has attended events in other chapter cities and has been introduced to innovative ideas by other chapter presidents he meets with. Experiences like this foster collaboration while also strengthening the alumni network as a whole.
In the coming years, Baxter aims to initiate collaborative events between the Fort Worth and Dallas chapters. Additionally, he prioritizes ensuring these chapters maintain regular visits to campus, acknowledging their significance as the closest alumni groups to the university.
Baxter urges graduating seniors and young alumni to stay engaged with the Alumni Association and their chapter cities' online platforms. This connection keeps them informed about local events and introduces them to TCU’s valuable alumni resources and benefits.
“When you get to a different city you are left wondering where you are supposed to go and what you are supposed to do,” said Baxter, “The alumni office almost always has an answer to this question and has ways for you to find people in your area that also want to celebrate TCU.”
AUSTIN CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Leveraging her strategic communication major, Sophie King, class of 2020, now serves as an account manager at HF Custom Solutions, where she gets to work directly with TCU.
King became involved with alumni relations even before she graduated, as she was the President of Student Foundation, a service organization that allows current students to work directly with alumni for on campus events.
She attributes her invaluable leadership experience and her current job, which enables her to stay connected to the university, to her status as a TCU alum and her enduring relationship with the Alumni Association.
“Staying connected to the Alumni Association and being a part of your chapter really helps ease the transition from college to adulthood,” King explains, “It’s not always an easy transition and having other Horned Frogs that have been there is really special.”
As King is still new to the role of president, she expresses great excitement to continue to work on improving her chapter and planning events that can be used to form meaningful connections and strengthen the Austin chapter’s bond.
“We should all be so proud to be Horned Frogs and I want to make sure our alumni have a place to celebrate that in Austin and make this city a Horned Frog home away from home,” she said.
Chicago Chapter President
Within just a few months of graduating in the class of 2022, Austin Flanagan quickly took on the responsibility of making the dormant Chicago chapter lively and more active.
Under Flanagan’s leadership, the Chicago chapter has made significant strides in member growth and engagement.
Looking ahead to 2025, Flanagan’s objective is to transform the chapter into an "all-encompassing" alumni community. This entails engaging not only recent graduates but also older generations of alumni and those residing outside of downtown Chicago.
“That’s the really fun part, when you have a TCU alumni class of ’70 connecting with a member that just recently graduated, and seeing that friendship grow organically,” said Flanagan.
During the year, the Chicago chapter convenes for watch parties covering football, basketball and baseball. They also engage in community service and networking events. Currently, Flanagan is collaborating with Thomas Brown, the director of alumni relations, to organize a chapter event featuring a boat ride for its members.
Brown is one of the several chapter liaisons who act as the communication bridge between the D.J. Kelly Alumni Center and chapters situated at more distant locations, such as Chicago.
“The alumni office does a great job of keeping up communication and providing resources for us,” said Flanagan.
As the university continues to grow and evolves toward becoming one of the larger branded schools, Flanagan emphasizes the increasing importance of our unique alumni experience. He stresses the importance of maintaining "organic networking and connections."
During TCU’s 150th celebration, the Chicago chapter held a semi-formal event at the Peninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago. This gathering brought out a wave of new alumni along with Chancellor Victor Boschini and President Pullin.
“As a 23-year-old at the time, it was truly special to just be in that environment and get to see the power and influence that TCU has had on the world and all that it’s done with just a limited amount of people that we’ve had historically,” said Flanagan.
Chapter Presidents Council (CPC)
Every year, the Alumni Association arranges a weekend conference that includes national alumni board members, the advisory board for Frog Club, the Clark Society board and chapter presidents from all across the country. This gathering provides a collaborative platform geared toward strengthening and improving the TCU brand overall.
During this, chapter presidents are able to represent their chapter members and re-connect with each other and the chapter liaisons at the Kelly Center to discuss in develop new plans for enhancing the overall alumni experience.
“When we’re in that meeting space and just tossing ideas back and forth it’s a really fun way to get inspired and revved up to welcome the new graduates to their new home as alumni,” said King.
In order to connect with and successfully get more young graduates involved, it is crucial that new events are being introduced and advertised widely.
Football tailgates and watch parties are key events that attract large groups of alumni, igniting a sense of Horned Frog pride and enthusiasm.
“The football national championship events made it easy to draw in alumni and gather them together out of excitement, because TCU was national new and was at the top of everyone’s mind,” said Flanagan.
Building memories beyond campus
What connects all alumni chapters, their presidents, the alumni board, and the wider TCU alumni community is the shared desire to uphold the sense of family TCU instills in its students. It's this bond that drives alumni to keep making memories with their fellow Horned Frogs, even after they’ve left campus.
While leading an alumni chapter poses its challenges, the presidents of these chapters find rich rewards in the form of lasting memories, lifelong friendships, and the satisfaction of witnessing connections form among those in their community.
King recalls her favorite memory as a TCU alum was putting on a drag show brunch for the alumni in her area, “we had a few older members show up and we all had the best time dancing, singing and just being silly and fun with a bunch of alumni”.
For Flanagan, he cherishes the time TCU’s head coach for men’s basketball, Coach Dixon, and President Daniel Pullin, attended a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field, with the Chicago alumni chapter.
“Seeing these guys that are very high ranked in the higher education and college athletic field sitting in the bleachers with young alumni, being rowdy, having fun, and sharing that experience with them is truly something you don’t see everywhere and something that most schools don’t get to do,” said Flanagan.
TCU’s Alumni chapters serve their goal in upholding the “Mem’ries sweet, Comrades true” values of the alma- mater.
To find an Alumni Chapter in your city, visit the Alumni Association website.
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