MavsDay is UTA’s annual day of giving. It brings together alums, faculty, staff, and students to support programs that directly impact student success. At UTA Libraries, that support helps provide the resources, spaces, and services students and researchers rely on every day. 

As MavsDay approaches, we spoke with former dean of UTA Libraries Gerald Saxon, whose decades of leadership helped shape the Libraries. His perspective highlights why support matters and how it makes a difference for the entire campus. 
 
UTA Libraries: Can you introduce yourself, tell us about your time as dean of UTA Libraries, and your time as a faculty member? 

Saxon: I was at UTA for 38 years. My positions included Assistant Director of Libraries for Special Collections, Associate Director of Libraries for Special Collections, Branch Libraries and Programs and Dean of Libraries. I was the first person designated as the Dean of Libraries. 

After serving as a library administrator for 25 years, I transitioned to the History faculty full-time. I had always taught one History class every semester while I was a library administrator. I served on the History faculty for 13 years, teaching Texas History, U.S. History, Oral History and Archival Enterprise and publishing several books, mainly on Texas history. I also wrote about the centennial history of UTA in 1995. I retired last year, in 2025, and am now Dean and Professor Emeritus. 

UTA Libraries: What is MavsDay, and why is it important for UTA Libraries? 

Saxon: MavsDay is an opportunity for me, as well as all UTA alums, faculty, staff and students, to make a difference for the users of the UTA Libraries. We can do this by donating to the Libraries. 

Of course, you don’t have to wait for MavsDay, but it is a day when the university focuses on building support across all disciplines and colleges at UTA. The nice thing is that a gift to the Libraries helps all students, faculty and other library users because the Libraries are at the center of the academic enterprise, whether you are a student or faculty member in Biology, History, Art, Engineering and the list goes on. 

UTA Libraries: What is the impact of donations on students, faculty, staff and researchers, beyond what can be done through our regular budget? 

Saxon: As a former Dean of Libraries and History faculty member, I can attest that the Libraries need funding well beyond what the State of Texas and tuition provide. I could write a book on the subject. Still, I’ll mention only some of the funding issues the Libraries face: declining state support, rising costs of resources like journals, databases and books, acquisition budgets that are flat or reduced, pressure to keep tuition costs down, university-wide budget cuts that impact the Libraries’ funding, and federal policies that negatively impact enrollment and funding. And this list is just some of the issues. 

All of this is happening at the same time that UTA has become an R1, research-intensive university. At an R1 university, faculty and students require robust library resources to conduct groundbreaking research and push the boundaries of knowledge. The bottom line is that the Libraries will have difficulty meeting users’ needs without our active support. 
 
UTA Libraries: What are the reasons you and your wife decided to establish your endowment and continue to support it? 

Saxon: My wife and I established an endowment in Special Collections a few years ago, and we continue to add to it each year. We are both longtime library users, even as children; going to our hometown’s public library was a special treat, and we want to see the UTA Libraries flourish. We also wanted to leave a fund that will grow over time and be available in perpetuity. 

Our endowment supports the acquisition of archival and manuscript materials for Special Collections, such as personal collections, letters, diaries, photographs, and other historical sources that help us study and understand the past. As a historian and former archivist, focusing the endowment on archives made sense. 

UTA Libraries: What would you say to people who are considering supporting UTA Libraries on MavsDay? 

Saxon: We will be making a MavsDay donation. I encourage you to do the same. 

Support What Students Use Every Day 
 

MavsDay is a direct way to support UTA Libraries and the people who rely on them. From access to journals and databases to study spaces and expert guidance, these resources are integral to how students learn, complete assignments, and advance in their academic careers. 

Your gift helps ensure the Libraries can continue to meet those needs, even as costs rise and demand grows. It connects directly back to what MavsDay is about, supporting students in real, tangible ways across every discipline. 

Make your MavsDay gift to UTA Libraries and be part of what supports every Maverick. Together, we are UnsToppAble.