The Texas Exes have announced the 2009 University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients. The six alumni who will be given the award are being recognized for distinguishing themselves professionally and through service to the university.
The award recipients are:
- Vice Admiral Vivien Crea, B.A. ’72, Washington, D.C., is the vice commandant and chief operating officer of the United States Coast Guard. Crea is the first woman to be second in charge of a military service.
- Jack Crosby, B.B.A. ’49, Austin, is an international telecommunications pioneer and philanthropist. He serves as chairman of the Rust Group, a private investment partnership with interests in cable television, media entertainment, banking, and real estate development.
- James Dick, B.M. ’63, Round Top, is a renowned concert pianist who performs with symphonies worldwide and was named Texas State Musician in 2003 and Texas Medal of the Arts recipient in 2009. He founded The Festival-Institute at Round Top as a place for young musicians to study under scholarship.
- Lee Godfrey, B.A. ’66, J.D. ’69, Houston, is co-managing partner of Susman Godfrey LLP, a firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York. Godfrey has been named among the top 15 American commercial trial lawyers and often serves as lead counsel in high-stakes litigation.
- Edward C. Prado, B.A. ’69, J.D. ’72, San Antonio, is a distinguished U.S. circuit judge in San Antonio with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Prado has long served in government, participated in community and law-related organizations, and traveled extensively to teach others about our legal system.
- Darren Walker, B.S. and B.A. ’82, J.D. ’86, New York, is vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. He has been a leader in revitalizing Harlem and has served on numerous charitable boards in New York and internationally.
The six recipients will be honored at a presentation in Austin on Oct. 9. Created in 1958 by the Texas Exes, this award recognizes annually up to six alumni of The University of Texas at Austin. Recipients are chosen by a special Texas Exes committee from nominations submitted by alumni and other members of the university community. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest alumni award of The University of Texas at Austin.
The Texas Exes, the alumni association for The University of Texas at Austin, was founded in 1885. The mission of the Texas Exes is to unite, inform and involve alumni and friends for the purpose of promoting, protecting and preserving The University of Texas at Austin. Today there are nearly 87,000 members whom the association strives to connect to each other and to the university through career counseling, travel, reunions, continuing education, fellowship, legislative advocacy in support of higher education and The Alcalde magazine.
Note to editor: Recipient photos and bios are available upon request.
