University of North Texas 
A Legacy of Generosity, Art and Community in Denton
Paul Russell Voertman (April 30, 1929-June 21, 2017) asked people to remember him as fair-minded. But he was so much more to many people and organizations.
Paul was born in Denton on April 30, 1929, to Roy Fredrick and Helena Jacobson Voertman. He grew up with the Voertman Bookstore, established near the University of North
Texas by his father in 1925. While Paul worked there during breaks from school, he
never intended to run the store in adulthood ― he had planned to become a teacher.
When his father died unexpectedly in 1951, Paul was 23 years old, in the Army and
stationed in Germany. He returned home intending to run the store just long enough
to make it saleable. Still, his retailing philosophy of providing outstanding service
and high-quality goods at reasonable prices for customers made the store a great success.
Under Paul's direction, the store became more than just a bookstore. The beautifully
designed fine arts and housewares he also offered for sale made the store an iconic
and cultural Denton landmark. He also operated a store near the Texas Woman's University
campus. Paul was generous to his employees; some worked at the stores for decades
before Paul sold the Voertman's enterprise in 1990.
Paul had a partner in operating the stores and in life. While on vacation in 1954, Paul met Richard Mathew Ardoin, who became Paul's life partner until Richard's untimely death in 2002. During their 48 years together, Paul and Richard shared many wonderful interests and experiences, including a love of travel, the arts and Bouviers. Paul commemorated their relationship with the gift of the $1.5 million Richard Ardoin-Paul Voertman Concert Organ in Winspear Hall of the Murchison Performing Arts Center at UNT. The concert organ was formally inaugurated in the fall of 2008, putting the College of Music's organ program on the national map.
For more than 60 years, Paul strongly supported the arts in Denton. In 1986, he received
the Greater Denton Arts Council Recognition Award for bringing a sense of design to
the city through his store, commissioning locally produced artworks, sponsoring prizes
for Texas art organizations, and establishing juried art competitions for students
at UNT and TWU, which were believed to be among some of the oldest privately sponsored
competitive student art exhibitions in Texas. The Voertman Art Competition in UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design just completed its 57th year.
Paul's bond with the university began in kindergarten and continued through 12th grade in the university's Demonstration School, where he received his education. The Demonstration School also served as a training program for future teachers. Paul described the campus as his "playground." As a child, he swam in the university's pool in the summer, roller-skated across campus and went to ʼFessor Graham's stage shows. His childhood dog, Snooker, also was a frequent visitor to campus.
Paul attended the university through his first two years before transferring to the University of Texas in Austin, where he completed his bachelor's degree in economics. He returned to Denton every summer to take classes and work at the family store, where generations of students purchased textbooks.
Paul was deeply committed to UNT and is among the university's most generous benefactors. His longstanding support has helped students fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree and becoming world-class performers, artists and scholars — his support helped the university make great strides in the arts and academics. His Voertman-Ardoin Memorial Scholarships are transforming lives by providing funding for first-generation college students. Excellence funds that Paul provided UNT's colleges have helped elevate the reputation of academic programs and address pressing needs.
In 2011, Paul made an $8 million bequest to UNT, creating the Ardoin-Voertman Endowment funds, which will be shared equally among the College of Visual Arts and Design, College of Music, and College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
In 2009, Paul was presented with the UNT Outstanding Alumnus Award for his loyal support of the university. In 2010, the university named a newly renovated performance space in the Music Building the Paul Voertman Concert Hall in his honor. In 2016, Paul was awarded an honorary doctorate -- Doctor of Humane Letters -- from UNT for his devotion to creativity and artistic excellence. He added substantial knowledge to the community and society through his extraordinary achievements. He was a member of the UNT McConnell Society and 1890 Society and a lifetime member of the UNT Alumni Association.
For over three decades, Paul supported TWU through donations to the Chancellor's Circle, athletics and student scholarships.
Paul's generosity was a mix of wanting to help make things better for individuals who were in difficulty, particularly those disadvantaged by society, and wanting to help places like UNT be the best they could be. He was also generous to many needy organizations and often as an anonymous donor. He supported the Denton Christian Preschool, Fred Moore Day Nursery School, Monsignor King Outreach Center, and PFLAG.
Many students have benefited from the work and generosity of Paul Voertman, and his legacy can be felt most strongly in Denton's thriving fine arts community and at UNT.