From left, me with UT deans Greg Fenves of Engineering,
Tom Gilligan of Business, and David Laude of Natural Sciences

Many of you, especially in the Houston area, know how much fun the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is.

But you might not realize that it’s also a huge supporter of The University of Texas. Over the years, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has awarded scholarships enabling 1,289 students to attend UT Austin. These scholarships total more than $15.5 million. Currently, there are 390 students on campus receiving $785,000 because of the generosity of this organization.

In addition, I was surprised Tuesday night, during their annual UT Day reception, to receive $285,000 worth of donations to UT from five past chairmen of the livestock show and rodeo: Louis Pearce, Don Jordan, Mike Wells, John O. Smith, and Paul Somerville.

In addition to them, I want to thank the current chairman, Steve Stevens, for his support and for hosting many of us Tuesday night.

For 80 years, this has been far more than just a rodeo and livestock show. It’s an event that really makes a difference, and not just in Houston but across the state and around the world.

Thank you again, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Hook ’em Horns!