Anne & David Dunlap '83
2023 E. King Gill Award Honorees
Ivy Robinson '20
On a cool, wintry night in New Orleans, David Dunlap '83 prepared for a New Year's Eve reunion with friends.
The young petroleum engineering major had endured a strenuous first semester in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and was back home for a hard-earned holiday.
Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle before him, David had chosen to attend Texas A&M University with unwavering certainty. The Louisiana native felt the pride of continuing a family legacy each time he donned his Corps uniform and played in the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band. The Corps' rigid discipline he had grown accustomed to now stood in stark contrast to the laid-back rhythms of the Big Easy.
“It was New Years Eve 1979,” David recalled with an infectious grin. “Everybody else had dates, but I had been out of town and out of touch for a while, so I did not have a date.”
Luckily, one of David's good friends was a charismatic matchmaker and stepped in to help the single Aggie cadet. This friend was also the big brother of Anne Capella.
“My brother said, 'You need to go with us because the group is going on dates this year,'” Anne said. “So, it was a blind date. Dave was like a knight on a white horse — an incredible gentleman who was kind, quiet, serious and smart.”
“I remember she was beautiful, fun, smart and outgoing,” David said. “We laughed a lot.”
The rest is history.
Two months later, David had returned to Aggieland and the normal routines of life on the Quad. However, a portion of his heart remained in Louisiana.
“January and February are hard months in the Corps,” David said. “I just remember being lonely and here comes Valentine's Day, so I decided to send her a card in the mail.”
“Anne & David Dunlap represent the best of Texas A&M. Their servant leadership to our institution is so appreciated by all of us, and we are a better organization because of them.”
Anne, who at the time was finishing her senior year of high school at Mount Carmel Academy, learned about the Valentine's card from her mother.
“She called me while I was at school to tell me and she was all giddy,” Anne recalled. “Even that one little card, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, how sweet.' It was all foreshadowing a planner, a thoughtful man and a purposeful man.”
THE BELT LOOP
The couple started dating that summer. Though 454 miles kept them apart, they were determined to make the long distance work.
Anne's first visit to Aggieland came during David's senior year at A&M, where under a star-filled Texas sky, she experienced one of the Corps of Cadets' most sacred traditions — Midnight Yell Practice.
“Back then, the band would form behind Duncan Dining Hall to march over to Yell Practice,” David said. “There were 300 people in the band and 300 dates, so 600 people were just standing around about to make their way to Kyle Field and it is dark, of course.
“I said to Anne, 'This is going to be a bit chaotic, so the best thing for you to do is hold on to my belt loop. When the drum major blows the whistle, I am stepping off and I do not want to lose you.'”
“I told him, 'I think I will be okay,'” Anne said, recalling her initial reluctance.
However, Anne quickly took David's advice upon the abrupt lunge of Aggie Band members responding to the drum major's command.
“I now tell everybody that I will hold on to his belt loop all the way through life,” she said.
BUILDING A LIFE TOGETHER
David graduated from A&M with his petroleum engineering degree in 1983, and Anne earned her history degree from Tulane University in 1984. The couple married in 1985, just two years after David began his very first role with BJ Services in southeast Louisiana, a leading worldwide provider of pressure pumping and oilfield services for the petroleum industry. It marked the beginning of a 25-year journey that would take him from the marshes of Louisiana to the heights of corporate leadership.
“We gained a very clear understanding early on that it could be a great career path and life for us,” David said. “But there would be sacrifice that goes along with it.”
Those sacrifices became apparent during David's 12-year tenure as president of BJ Services' international division. Though based in Houston, his responsibilities spanned across the globe, requiring him to spend an average of 120 nights per year outside the United States for work.
Meanwhile, Anne remained busy back home with raising their six children: Maggie, Emily, Grace, John, and twins Mary and Tess.
“We played very well together, and we made a great team,” Anne said.
The sight of David rushing from international flights to soccer fields in Houston became a regular occurrence, often leaving him no choice but to appear at their kids' events in business attire and trench coats.
“There was always a lot of chatter from the other children, and they would ask our kids, 'Is your dad in the CIA?'” Anne said with a laugh.
“When I was home, I was dug into being a dad and doing those things like chasing kids around and taking them to the soccer games,” David added.
In 2010, David entered a new era of his career as president and CEO of Superior Energy Services, a position he would hold until 2021. Amid his expansion of professional responsibilities, his commitment to family and service never wavered.
David's continued service to his alma mater through various leadership roles, including positions on the 12th Man Foundation's Board of Trustees, the College of Engineering's Advisory Council and the President's Board of Visitors for the Corps of Cadets, earned him recognition as both a member of the A&M Petroleum Engineering Academy of Distinguished Graduates in 2017 and a Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus in 2024. The couple's contributions toward the John D. White '70 - Robert L. Walker '58 Music Activities Center led to the naming of the Dunlap Drill Field, a perfect one-to-one replica of Kyle Field that serves as the practice drill field for the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.
Additionally, David has served on advisory boards for The Woodlands Children's Museum and the National Petroleum Council. Today, he is president of Crystal Beach Oil & Gas, LLC.
The Dunlaps remain deeply engaged with Texas A&M through their extraordinary service and support of the 12th Man Foundation, David's lifetime membership in the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association and his service on the Texas A&M Foundation Board of Trustees, College of Engineering's Advisory Council and the President's Board of Visitors for the Corps of Cadets.
THE GATEWAY BACK HOME
The Dunlaps' strong affinity for Texas A&M University began with one phone call in 1990 when the couple moved to The Woodlands. At that time, David reached out to the 12th Man Foundation in search of four Aggie Football season tickets.
“It was really the catalyst for my reconnection back to Texas A&M,” David recalled. “We had been away for some years while working and raising our family, but that initial phone call to the 12th Man Foundation opened up a whole new chapter for us.”
David discovered what many have come to realize — athletics provides a natural pathway back to Aggieland.
“I think for a lot of people, their first opportunity to reconnect is through buying tickets,” David said. “As a young professional, athletics gives you that opportunity and reason to go back to the university, reengage and support.”
As Diamond Champions Council members, the Dunlaps have generously contributed to multiple capital projects, including a lead gift for the historic redevelopment of Kyle Field and the recently completed $120 million Centennial Campaign. But perhaps their most significant contribution came during an unprecedented and challenging time for Texas A&M Athletics. David's steady leadership as Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2020 helped the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Athletics successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was the worst year in 12th Man Foundation history, yet it was the best year,” David recalled. “None of us knew what was going to happen when we had the lockdown. The entire athletics department is significantly powered by football season ticket revenue, and we had already completed football season ticket renewals.
“We offered season ticket holders a refund yet made a plea for people to transition that money into a donation to keep Texas A&M Athletics afloat and operating. It was a critical moment when we needed Aggies to stand up and that they did.”
Resulting from the collective efforts of the 12th Man Foundation staff, Board of Trustees and the remarkable generosity of donors and season ticket holders, $50.1 million of $64.7 million was retained to help sustain Texas A&M Athletics throughout the reduced stadium capacity athletic year. Without this remarkable support, the COVID-19 pandemic would have been detrimental to Texas A&M Athletics.
“It was such incredible teamwork and camaraderie,” David said. “We all had to pull together, and we really found out just how special our donors are.”
While they would never admit it, the Dunlaps are a prime example of those special donors who loyally answer the call to support.
THE SURPRISE
On a peaceful, November night in College Station, the Dunlaps made their way to Midnight Yell Practice after attending the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Gala at Reed Arena. Dressed in their black-tie attire, the couple looked forward to enjoying the rest of the night through the cherished Aggie tradition that sparked their love story.
As the two entered their Founders suite at Kyle Field, a crowd of colleagues, friends and family members took them by surprise with shouts of celebration and congratulations. Travis Dabney '96 and Jacob Green '80 then followed by presenting the couple the 2023 E. King Gill Award.
“Anne and David Dunlap represent the best of Texas A&M,” said Dabney, 12th Man Foundation president & CEO. “Their servant leadership to our institution is so appreciated by all of us, and we are a better organization because of them.”
“They are just good people,” added Green, 12th Man Foundation vice president of principal gifts. “If you look at all the core values of Texas A&M and what defines an Aggie, that is what they live by.”
The Dunlaps' decades of service and philanthropy culminated in that moment.
“It was truly surreal,” Anne said.
And for the former cadet, the recognition meant the world.
“I think what is special to me about this award is when reflecting on the man and legend E. King Gill, it is all about standing up and being ready to serve,” David said. “Recipients of the E. King Gill Award are not one dimensional with their investment at Texas A&M. They have served the 12th Man Foundation and the university holistically. To be included in that company is the most incredible honor.”