Donor Spotlight: Tom Schwenk and Jack Bell

The Bryan Museum is honored to count Tom Schwenk and Jack Bell as loyal supporters and friends of the Museum and its mission to preserve and promote the rich and exciting history of our great State of Texas and the American West. Their dedication to our shared community and its resources is humbling and appreciated more than words can convey.

Tom is the Owner-Broker of TGRE (Tom’s Galveston Real Estate) and well-known for his efforts to protect and develop what makes island life so special. A native of New Jersey, Tom believes anyone lucky enough to live by the sea is lucky enough! He earned his real estate license in 2003 after retiring as a Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing for an international home furnishings company. A former president of the Galveston Association of REALTORS®, Tom currently serves on the Texas Association of REALTORS® Political Action committee as its state liaison. He is Former Chair of the Landmarks Commission for the City, is a past President of the Galveston Historical Foundation and is passionate about preservation and conservation.

Jack is a proud TCU graduate and Native of Fort Worth Texas who grew up on a farm.

After TCU and Grad School at Drury College in Springfield Mo, he traveled the country with a Gospel Group the “Inspirationals” for a couple of years as vocalist and pianist playing back up for many singing groups at the time including Elvis Presley. Jack even cut a few albums.  After a few years of fun, he came back home to Fort Worth and started a banking career with United Savings.  After retiring in 1996 he became the business manager of the Metropolitan Community Church for five years before retiring again in 2001 when he and Tom moved to Galveston full-time after being weekenders since 1987.

As long-time residents of the San Jacinto neighborhood, Tom and Jack were delighted to see the former Galveston Orphans Home building find a new life as The Bryan Museum, and they are pleased and proud to see that it has become a tourist destination. They support many organizations on the Island and are passionate about improving the quality of life. “The Bryans could have opened the Museum anywhere in Texas. To share their personal collection and art with the public is just spectacular and we are so impressed they did it here in Galveston,” explains Tom.

We are very fortunate that Tom and Jack decided to call Galveston home and The Bryan Museum part of their extended family on the Island!