Barry and Mary Gossett (right) have passionately embraced the vision of Maryland Athletics, as well as the rise of the University of Maryland. In addition to Barry serving in many leadership roles at the university, significant gifts from the Gossetts have led to the construction of the Gossett Academic Support and Career Development Unit in the Comcast Center, and the recent expansion of the Gossett Football Team House. The academic support unit (shown below) offers Terrapin student athletes the latest technological aids to further their academic success.

Martin '81 and Tricia Green have made significant contributions to Maryland Athletics for both capital projects and student scholarships. A native of Dublin, Ireland, Martin Green came to Maryland on an athletic scholarship and excelled in cross country and indoor track. He graduated with a business degree before pursuing a successful career in real estate development. The Greens have established scholarships in track & field, have supported renovations to the Gossett Football Team House, and recently made a significant gift toward the Byrd Stadium expansion project. "I gave to football," Martin Green explains, "because it is a highly visible program whose success will benefit the entire university."

Robert Taylor Jr., a pharmacist who also runs his family's farm near Spotsylvania, Va., recently made a significant gift to name the new softball facility in honor of his father, Robert Taylor Sr., and his son, Robert Taylor III. Taylor has been an avid Terrapin fan since the early 1980s, and is proud of touting all that Maryland has accomplished, both on and off the playing field.

As an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Erik B. Young '74 never missed a home football or basketball game. Currently involved in real estate development after retiring from a successful medical practice, Dr. Young still attends almost every Terrapin home game and many of the away games. As a lifetime member of the Terrapin Club, he has strongly supported scholarships for Maryland student athletes. Dr. Young also made a significant donation to the Building Partners Campaign for the construction of the Comcast Center, and was instrumental in helping with the Gossett Football Team House expansion. "After meeting Ralph Friedgen [in fall of 2001], I recognized that Maryland was on its way to having a first-class football program, and I wanted to assist in any way I could with that goal," he says.

John '47 (Jack) and Jacqueline '49 (Jackie) Heise have a long legacy with Maryland Athletics: as undergraduates in the 1940s, Jack managed the men's basketball team and played lacrosse, while Jackie was a cheerleader. They met and fell in love, and 60 years later, are still cheering the University of Maryland together. For 53 consecutive years, Jack and Jackie have contributed to the Terrapin Club. Donations to the Terrapin Club directly support the annual student athlete scholarship bill cost, which is currently more than $8 million. Additionally, in honor of Jack's service to the university-including as a trustee with the University of Maryland College Park Foundation-family and friends established the John I. Heise Jr. Endowed Athletic Scholarship, awarded annually to a hard-working, dedicated student athlete who contributes to civic or religious causes and activities.

In addition to being Top Terp level annual athletic scholarship donors, John '71 and Diane Alahouzos recently endowed a scholarship for the men's basketball program, further adding to their legacy of 25-plus years of active support for Maryland Athletics. The couple has previously made a significant gift toward the Building Partners Campaign for Comcast Center, and also funded a full scholarship for the Fear the Turtle Campaign for men's track & field. "The ACC is probably the most competitive league there is," says John Alahouzos, who is current president of the Terrapin Club Board of Directors. "And Diane and I recognize that most all of the Maryland student athletes are playing for the school colors, not for personal glory. That's why we are such avid fans and strong supporters."