Benefactors donate land to GCC Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Carrel of Bonham have generously donated 100 acres of land located at the juncture of U.S. Highway 82 and County Road 1545 to the Grayson County College Foundation as a site for the construction of a higher education facility for the citizens of Fannin County.         

Grayson County College has had an extension site in Bonham since 1985 and has outgrown each location where it has been housed.  The Rayburn Collegiate Center is presently located at 1909 State Highway 121 in a business center. 

The Center has only been open for one year and has already outgrown the facility.  A group of Fannin County leaders has been meeting for over a year to discuss the development of a permanent campus to serve the higher education needs of the citizens of Fannin County.       

In making the donation, the Carrels expressed their excitement about the gift by stating that they believe “the good Lord brought us to Bonham for a purpose, which was to make North Texas a better place in which to live and raise a family.”  They further related that “a good education and hard work prepared us and now it is payback time.  Our gift of a site for a higher education facility should start the process that will bring to this area more opportunity, economy and vibrancy than ever before.”         

The GCC Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Carrels and the board of directors thanks them for their significant gift to the Foundation. 

“With this gift we can further develop the concept of a college campus in Fannin County.  It is truly a blessed and rewarding day for the future development of Fannin County and all of North Texas” said Dr. Roy Renfro, executive director of the GCC Foundation.