Father and Son Create an Aggie Legacy

Larry Bloomquist ’79 and his son, Randall Bloomquist ’15, share a passion for Texas A&M University, the Aggie spirit, and the Aggie core values. They have come together to give back by establishing the Bloomquist Family Endowed Scholarship in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Larry was inspired by his own father, Ed, who attended Texas A&M for two years. In his short time in Aggieland, the Corps of Cadets inspired Ed to praise the university, which left a positive impression on Larry. 

“The traditions and uniqueness of A&M always remained strong. So, when the time came to choose, A&M was the only place for me,” Larry said.

Because of his family's Aggie ties, Randall grew up attending Aggie football games. While he was raised to support the maroon and white, what drew him to attend Texas A&M was the core values and how those around him exemplify those values in their daily lives.

“My time at A&M not only taught me to work hard but gave me a common bond with other Aggies who share similar values and who have a similar vision for the future - starting with themselves, their families and extending to their workplaces and their university,” Randall said. “That bond has only strengthened as time has gone on and has had a very positive impact inside the workplace and in my career but also outside of it.”

Larry and Randall are mechanical engineering graduates, but that is not where their family connection to the school ends. Larry’s daughter and Randall’s sister Rachel Bloomquist Shell ‘20 is a civil engineering graduate, and Larry’s wife, Amy Peterson Bloomquist ‘83, graduated with a degree in accounting.

Both Bloomquist’s have put their mechanical engineering degree to use in the Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. After graduating, Larry joined his father Ed at his HVAC consulting firm. In 1987, he joined Mechanical Reps, Inc as a sales engineer and purchased the company with a partner in 1997. Larry served as chairman until 2015, when he sold the company to two employees and retired from the company in 2021. 

During his time at Mechanical Reps, Inc, the company was honored as an Aggie 100 recipient in 2008 and 2009, as well as being named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2010. Now Larry spends his time as a real estate investor as the owner of Narrow Road Interests, LLC.

Randall currently works in the HVAC industry in an engineering sales role. Following in his father’s footsteps, Randall joined Mechanical Reps, Inc after graduating in 2016.

“The things that intrigue me the most about my job are the new technologies and products that are always being produced and the people that make the industry run,” Randall said. “It's a relatively small world, and it takes a lot of different kinds of people to make things run smoothly, which makes it a fun, interesting challenge every day.”

A shared love for the school inspired Larry and Randall to come together to create their scholarship. The Bloomquists hope to help ease the financial burden of students so they can create their own A&M experiences.

“I wanted to help students who are working through an engineering degree because I know firsthand the difficulty of getting that degree,” Randall said. “I was helped in many ways during my time in school and couldn't have done it without financial assistance, mentoring, and encouragement throughout the whole process. I strongly believe in the value of the engineering profession, the value of the engineering degree, and even the value of a degree from A&M more broadly.”

Larry received a scholarship himself during his time at Texas A&M and recognized the impact it had on reducing the financial burden for him and his family.

“Even though my parents didn’t discuss it, I know they struggled at times paying for tuition, books and housing for three children to attend college. I recall when I was a student at A&M, I applied and was awarded a partial scholarship based on merit and need. I was so grateful that the scholarship could help supplement the investment that my parents made for my education,” Larry said.

Together, their goal is to help students finish their degree, leading to a successful career post-graduation. 

“I am hoping to provide some wind in the sails of a current student to help propel them in their journey towards an engineering degree and their future career,” Randall said.

Through this scholarship, the Bloomquist’s have created a family legacy, embodying what it means to live life through selfless service.