Letter from the Executive Director: Busy Season

By Chuck Harris in Sept | Oct 2024 on September 1, 2024 at 1:21 am | No Comments

Earlier this summer, thanks to the Flying Longhorns, I was with a bunch of my burnt-orange brethren in St. Moritz, a jaw-droppingly beautiful alpine village in Switzerland (see lots more from this trip here). It was getting late, but because everybody needs a wingman, I went down to the hotel bar with several of our travelers for a night cap.

When I’m in a captive audience, there are always two questions alumni like to ask me. The first one is: “Can you get my grandkid into UT?” The answer is, sadly, I wield no such power. And the second question goes something like this: “I know what the Texas Exes is, but what do y’all actually do?”  

And this comes from folks who are Life Members, annual donors, and general die-hard Longhorns who travel with us to far-flung places all over the world. No matter how many times we print it in this magazine, or I say it from a podium, the contribution of this association is hard to wrap one’s head around.   

As I write this, we are gearing up to welcome record numbers of you to our famous tailgates for our first season in the SEC. At the same time, we’re planning our many fall celebrations, including the Distinguished Alumnus Awards. We’ve also awarded more than $4.3 million in scholarships to 700 students attending UT this year and have 150 chapters and networks around the world planning send-offs, game watches, and much more to bring Longhorns together. 

We keep the candle burning for the magic of what it means to be a Longhorn with time-honored awards, ceremonies, and traditions. And, as always, we are advocating for UT at the Legislature, supporting our entrepreneurs, and connecting you all around the world. To put it simply, with 580,000 living alumni to support and engage, there is no short answer to that second question. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.   

Hook ’em,

@chuckjharris
Chuck Harris, BBA ’86, Life Member
Executive Director & CEO, the Texas Exes

CREDIT: Matt Wright-Steel