Deborah M. Colton and William M. Colton were inspired to give to UH Libraries.

“We believe that supporting education at all levels is the most meaningful and impactful way to help our community. This is why we support the University of Houston, as it provides diverse and dynamic educational opportunities critical to the future for students and for our society.”

Deborah M. Colton is a patron of the arts in the United States and internationally. Over the past decade, she has served as Board Member of Exit Art, New York, the Advisory Board of Artadia in New York, and as a Board Member of the McKinney Art Contemporary (MAC), Dallas. Colton currently serves on the Advisory Board of Anthology Films Archives in New York, is a Board Member of Houston’s Sculpture Month and is on the Dean’s Cabinet of the University of Houston Libraries for Visual and Performing Arts. In Houston, in addition to supporting many performing and visual art non-profits over the years, she continues her mission through various endeavors to help make Houston a destination city for the arts, nationally and internationally. As part of this mission, Colton opened Deborah Colton Gallery in Houston shortly after she and her family moved back from Asia in 2000. Over the years, Deborah Colton Gallery has sponsored numerous exhibitions that featured artists from Asia, the Middle East – Arab world, Russia, Canada, Latin America and Europe, with the goal of encouraging more understanding and cross-cultural exchange through the arts. Additionally, a strong part of the gallery’s programming is to promote Houston artists and provide a forum to connect Texas, national and international artists to create active dialogue for positive change through the arts. The Gallery’s “FOUNDATIONS” projects focus on the importance of revering our Houston artists and art history. She is also the Co-Founder of OUTPOST NYC DCG, the Deborah Colton Gallery virtual arts initiative, and has received numerous nominations and awards including various Who’s Who, YWCA Women in Leadership, Texas Women of the Arts Award, and many others.

William (Bill) Colton retired as Vice President, Corporate Strategic Planning for Exxon Mobil Corporation. In this role, he directed the corporation’s strategic planning activities and the development of its Energy Outlook, ExxonMobil’s assessment of global energy trends.

Bill received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He joined Exxon Corporation in 1975, and his career has been spent in both upstream and downstream businesses throughout ExxonMobil, including project development, refining, lubes, synthetic fuels and natural gas marketing. Bill also worked in finance and planning positions, including eight years overseas in Tokyo and Bangkok, and he was Assistant Treasurer of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Bill lives in Houston with his wife Deborah. In retirement, he is involved primarily in supporting educational non-profit organizations and causes.