Letter From the CEO: Honoring Our Best

Longhorn pride radiated through the Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom at the Texas Union on Nov. 21, as more than 500 people gathered to celebrate the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Awards. In many ways, the event is our version of the Oscars on the Forty Acres: a prestigious ceremony recognizing the very best among us. It remains one of our most cherished University traditions, reminding us just how far a Texas education can carry someone.

Honoring this great University and its exceptional alumni is no small responsibility, and since 1958, Texas Exes has strived to do just that. Each year’s honorees reflects excellence across the full spectrum of human endeavor—groundbreaking researchers and explorers, global leaders, trailblazing artists and athletes, titans of business, and devoted public servants. And while the celebrated alumni always make the night extraordinary, this year the setting added its own significance.

The Texas Union was built during the Great Depression and opened in 1933 through an ambitious fundraising effort led by Texas Exes, then called the Ex-Students’ Association. In a time of extraordinary uncertainty, alumni rallied to create a true “living room” for campus—a place for connection, community, and a little good old-fashioned fun. Celebrating this year’s honorees in such a storied place on campus felt like a full-circle moment—honoring alumni who are shaping the world in a space shaped by those who came before them.

As the night came to a close, I was reminded that the Distinguished Alumnus Awards are about far more than accolades. They are a testament to the generations of all alumni who continue to make an impact on the world—and on this campus—through their vision, generosity, and belief in what Longhorns can achieve. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s celebration so special, from our dedicated staff to the alumni whose support keeps this tradition strong. I look forward to sharing more moments like this with our Longhorn family.

Hook ’em,  

Robert W. Jones, BBA ’87, Life Member  

Texas Exes CEO