July 15, 2025
Although he proudly traces his family roots in Dallas back five generations, ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 Trustee Wilson Schoellkopf ’93 looked beyond the borders of Texas when applying to colleges.
Schoellkopf focused his search for a small, rural school, where he could get to know his professors, in Virginia—having spent time in the commonwealth with his mother’s family.
After touring ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹, Schoellkopf says it was love at first sight, thinking “Wow, this would be a good place to go to college.”
Once he arrived on the Hill, Schoellkopf signed up “on a whim” for Psychology 101 with Professor of Psychology Bob Herdegen and never looked back, majoring in psychology and going on to earn his master’s in clinical psychology from Southern Methodist University (SMU).
Schoellkopf was an officer in Beta Theta Pi and served on the ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 Volunteer Fire Department all four years. “I had a great ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 experience—tailgating at the football games, establishing lifelong friendships. The brotherhood at ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 is real. There was an expectation that you would greet everyone you passed on campus. It fostered a culture of respect and civility that still exists today.”
After graduate school, Schoellkopf decided to put his advanced degree to use in the advertising business. He was an account planner conducting consumer research through focus groups and writing creative and brand strategies. After a brief foray into aviation, Schoellkopf found his true passion: teaching. Returning to SMU, he received his certification to teach mathematics in the Dallas public school system.
“To quote John Lennon, ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans,’” laughs Schoellkopf. “Teaching was where I was meant to be. Working with economically disadvantaged students, I saw firsthand the transformative power of education. Nelson Mandela said it best: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.’”
Schoellkopf has been a faithful contributor to the ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 Annual Fund since graduation, staying connected to the College by reading the Record and Tiger News emails and attending Dallas alumni events. He jumped at the chance to join the board of trustees last year. “It’s one of the greatest honors I ever experienced,” he says. “Returning to campus was profound and powerful—all those wonderful memories came flooding back. My advice: Don’t wait 30 years to visit like I did!”
Profoundly influenced by the words written in the Gospel of Luke—“To whom much is given, much will be required”—Schoellkopf focuses his time and financial support on education. He is now a full-time “servant of the people,” volunteering with the Exchange Club of East Dallas; Dallas CASA; and the Dallas Independent School District, where he is an elementary- and middle-school math tutor. He has endowed a scholarship at a Catholic school, where he used to teach serving low-income students and supports his daughter’s school, which focuses on learning differences. “My father often talked to me about the importance of giving,” Schoellkopf says. “I admired how he modeled that practice in his own life.”
Recently, Schoellkopf made a generous gift towards the restoration of Venable Hall. “I can still remember walking into the basement in the West End for the first time. I lived in Venable for two years—it has a special place in my heart.
But much is still required. Schoellkopf says, “¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 is currently facing two challenges: Growing our endowment with alumni support and keeping the enrollment pipeline healthy, especially since more young women are pursuing higher education than men. College is expensive—90 percent of ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 students are receiving some form of financial assistance.
Schoellkopf is leading the charge in turning the vision of President Larry Stimpert into reality and making a ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 education possible for any worthy young man, regardless of his family’s financial status.
“¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹 played a huge role in who I am today, and I hope more young men will get to experience this unique place,” Schoellkopf says. “I’m bullish on ¼¯ÃÀÂ鶹.”