Marvin Tate, Former Athletics Director and Mayor of Bryan, Passes Away
Dec 08, 2023 | General
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Marvin Tate, a three-year (1952-54) Texas A&M football letterman, a Junction Boy and a former mayor for the City of Bryan, passed away Thursday, Dec. 7. He was 90 years of age.
Tate was a football and baseball standout at Abilene High School. He was a two-time all-state selection in football and an all-state catcher for the state finalist team. He signed on to play for Texas A&M football head coach Raymond George.
The 1954 fall training camp for Texas A&M football was Tate's senior season and a new football head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant decided to take the team to Junction, Texas. The players who managed to survive the grueling camp have been forever linked as "Junction Boys".
Tate graduated from Texas A&M in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Personnel Management. Upon graduation he spent the next 12 years in business in the Houston area working with IBM as well as Paine, Webber, Jackson & Curtis.
In February of 1967, he came back to Aggieland to serve as an associate athletics director. In October of 1978, Texas A&M President Jarvis Miller tabbed him as interim athletics director and formally named him athletics director in May of 1979. Tate held that title until he stepped away for business interests in September of 1981. During his time in the athletics department, he helped oversee the Kyle Field expansion in 1967 as well as the 1979 expansion to three decks, the construction of the athletic dorm Cain Hall and the baseball stadium Olsen Field.
Tate was a Bryan councilman in 1983 and became mayor of Bryan in April of 1985 and held that position until May of 1995.
He had five children: Marvin II, Gary, Jana, Tracy and Kristin. He considered his greatest gift the 36 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the great-great grandchildren with 20 family members being Texas A&M graduates.
Tate was a football and baseball standout at Abilene High School. He was a two-time all-state selection in football and an all-state catcher for the state finalist team. He signed on to play for Texas A&M football head coach Raymond George.
The 1954 fall training camp for Texas A&M football was Tate's senior season and a new football head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant decided to take the team to Junction, Texas. The players who managed to survive the grueling camp have been forever linked as "Junction Boys".
Tate graduated from Texas A&M in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Personnel Management. Upon graduation he spent the next 12 years in business in the Houston area working with IBM as well as Paine, Webber, Jackson & Curtis.
In February of 1967, he came back to Aggieland to serve as an associate athletics director. In October of 1978, Texas A&M President Jarvis Miller tabbed him as interim athletics director and formally named him athletics director in May of 1979. Tate held that title until he stepped away for business interests in September of 1981. During his time in the athletics department, he helped oversee the Kyle Field expansion in 1967 as well as the 1979 expansion to three decks, the construction of the athletic dorm Cain Hall and the baseball stadium Olsen Field.
Tate was a Bryan councilman in 1983 and became mayor of Bryan in April of 1985 and held that position until May of 1995.
He had five children: Marvin II, Gary, Jana, Tracy and Kristin. He considered his greatest gift the 36 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the great-great grandchildren with 20 family members being Texas A&M graduates.
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