AUSTIN, Texas—The Texas Exes will present their 2003 Distinguished Service Award to an ardent supporter of education and will honor six former students from The University of Texas at Austin as recipients of the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award during a ceremony at 7 p.m., Friday (Oct. 3) at the LBJ Auditorium.
Peter O’Donnell Jr. of Dallas, a philanthropist whose efforts have focused on enhancing education in Texas, will be presented the 2003 Distinguished Service Award. O’Donnell is president of the O’Donnell Foundation and chairman of Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc. The Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes meritorious service to the university by a non-alumnus, was established in 1998 and has been presented only twice previously.
The six alumni who will be given the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award are being recognized for distinguishing themselves professionally and through service to the university. The award recipients are:
- Hal Box of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, bachelor of architecture, 1950. He is an architect and a professor emeritus and a former dean of the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin, 1976-92.
- Peter R. Coneway of Houston, bachelor of business administration, 1966. He is advisory director for Goldman, Sachs and Co., and a former regent of the University of Texas System.
- Jeffrey M. Heller of Dallas, bachelor of business administration, 1968. He is a retired chairman of Electronic Data Systems who returned as president and chief operating officer this year.
- Thomas G. Loeffler of San Antonio, bachelor of business administration, 1968, and juris doctor, 1971. He is an attorney with Loeffler, Jonas and Tuggey. He also is a former regent with the University of Texas System and a former United States congressman.
- Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin, bachelor of arts, 1961. She is the comptroller of the State of Texas and was the first female elected mayor of Austin and first female member of the Texas Railroad Commission.
- Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, bachelor of science, 1967, master of arts in 1970 and doctorate in communications, 1978. She is a Texas state senator and owner of Zaffirini Communications.
Note to Editors: A media availability session to photograph and interview recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday (Oct. 3) at the LBJ Auditorium, 2313 Red River St.
For more information contact: Taryn Deaton, Texas Exes, 512-471-3805,
or Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs, 512-475-7847.
