Six Join The Ranks Of Distinguished Alumni Of The University Of Texas

By randyramirez in Blog on October 22, 2010 at 2:29 pm | No Comments

It’s the most glamorous day of the year at the Texas Exes today. 

Distinguished Alumnus Awards day.

Our Oscars.

At 6 p.m., Texas Exes dressed to the nines will begin arriving at the LBJ Auditorium for the awards ceremony, followed by a reception at the Alumni Center.

Though our gameday tailgate opens at 8 a.m. sharp tomorrow for the game against Iowa State, tonight there’s not a burnt-orange sign in sight. The center looks much more sophisticated than spirited.

The Texas Exes’ in-house caterer, Catering by Rosemary, pulls out all the stops for this annual event, from flowers to lighting to, of course, food.

Come this evening, 660 alumni and guests will fill the building, sipping on cocktails, feasting on delicacies, and mingling with new and former Distinguished Alumni.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the Texas Exes’ highest honor, given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through professional successes and service to the University. The six graduates joining the ranks tonight are:

 

• David Beck, LLB ’65, founder and managing partner of Beck Redden & Secrest

 

• Ernest Cockrell, BS ’67, MBA ’70, chairman of Cockrell Interests and president and director of The Cockrell Foundation

 

• Hector De Leon, BA ’70, JD ’73, founder and managing partner of De Leon & Washburn

 

• Gary Kelly, BBA ’77, chairman of the board, president, and CEO of Southwest Airlines

 

• Elizabeth (Libba) Shatto Massey, BS ’61, education philanthropist and community leader

 

• Diane Wood, BA ’71, circuit judge on the U.S. court of appeals for the 7th circuit

 

A seventh person will be honored, as well. UT Men’s Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds will receive the Distinguished Service Award, given to a non-alumnus who has demonstrated exceptional service to the University. A selective honor presented at the discretion of past presidents of the Texas Exes, it has only been awarded five other times.

The seven will also be presented on the field of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday morning, 10 minutes before kickoff. They’ll be the ones in the burnt-orange blazers. 

Like the green jackets worn by Masters winners, the orange jackets given to recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award

are equally coveted. See who has one in their closet here, and keep working to live the University’s mission of changing the world. You, too, could be donning a burnt-orange blazer one day.  

Top: The 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award winners at a rehearsal Friday afternoon. From left — Beck, Cockrell, De Leon, Kelly, Massey, and Wood.