Gilbert and Thyra Plass Charitable Trust Grant

The Gilbert and Thyra Plass Charitable Trust aims to enhance the quality of life for residents in Brazos County, Texas, by supporting diverse charitable initiatives. Established through the legacy of Dr. Gilbert and Dr. Thyra Plass, the trust focuses on areas such as arts, education, environment, health, human services, and religion. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) entities and maintain a local office, ensuring their initiatives directly benefit the community.

The Gilbert and Thyra Plass Charitable Trust was created under the Last Will and Testament of Thyra Nichols Plass. Dr. Plass was born on April 8, 1914. She grew up on a farm in Illinois where she took piano lessons and first discovered her love for music. She became an organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Delavan, Illinois at age 15 after only one organ lesson. The next year she won a scholarship competition at Illinois Wesleyan playing the organ. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in organ performance and sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York
Her husband, Dr. Gilbert Plass, earned a BS from Harvard and a doctorate in physics from Princeton. Dr. Plass was head of the Department of Physics at Texas A&M University from 1968-1977. He was the author of 6 books and more than 100 articles, including a series of papers on global warming. He was as knowledgeable and passionate about music and the arts as he was about physics. The couple remained in Bryan, Texas for the rest of their lives. Dr. Thyra Plass passed away on October 27, 2003, and Dr. Gilbert Plass passed away on March 1, 2004.
Program areas
Arts, culture, and humanities Education Environment, animals Health Human services Religion

Eligibility

To be eligible, organizations must qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Organizations must maintain an office in Brazos County, Texas.