2015 Distinguished Alumnus Awards

In the 57-year history of the Distinguished Alumnus Awards, a vast range of people have been recognized for their achievements. The 2015 roster was no different, as six accomplished Longhorns were honored at the LBJ Library. Their successes are as varied as they are awe-inspiring, with a lifesaving cancer researcher standing next to a renegade filmmaker.

Considered the university’s highest honor, the award was also presented to a civic leader, an energy attorney, an astronaut, and a business executive. Whether it’s helping to save lives or to enrich them, each recipient has affected many. At a ceremony last November, the awardees, clad in their burnt-orange jackets, gushed about the university’s undeniable impact on their lives. —Alex Vickery

m> – Bill Cunningham, Former UT Chancellor and UT President

James C. Langdon, Jr.

BBA ’67, JD ’70, Life Member

Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and Leading Authority on International Energy Law

“Clearly what they say about the University of Texas is true: What starts here does change the world. But let me also add that what happens here can change your world, if you allow it to do so.” 

Photographs by Wyatt McSpadden.