2019 Lamar Medal Recipient
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 24, 2019
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Longtime Texas businessman and Tarleton State University Distinguished Alumnus Mike A. Myers received the prestigious Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal yesterday in Austin.
Created in 1977 and named for the second president of the Republic of Texas, the medal goes annually to individuals, foundations and organizations for extraordinary contributions and service to higher education in Texas.
Myers, chairman and owner of Myers Financial Corporation in Dallas for more than 50 years, was nominated by Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio, UT Austin President Gregory Fenves and Chancellor Joe May with the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD). Members of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, and the Texas Association of Community Colleges bestow the honor.
“Mike Myers is a long-time supporter of Tarleton, UT Austin and DCCCD,” Dottavio said, “and it is a great honor to recognize his remarkable contributions to higher education in Texas. Mike is a valued partner in our shared passion for making higher education accessible and turning out graduates who are not only ‘job ready’ but well-prepared to lead in their professions and communities.”
The Mike A. Myers Foundation was established in 1982 to support higher education and human services organizations.
“One of the highlights of my life is to help young people with their education, advancing their self-esteem and building their confidence,” Myers said. “Education is the bottom-line to solving a great percentage of our problems.”
At DCCCD, Myers established the LeCroy Scholars Endowed Scholarship in honor of former Chancellor R. Jan LeCroy (1981-87), who passed away in 2013. Since then, the scholarship has provided full tuition and books to more 225 DCCCD students. Myers serves as a personal mentor for many of these scholars, advising them about work and college plans.
Myers’ many contributions to UT Austin include establishing numerous endowments spanning the McCombs School of Business, the College of Education, the Moody College of Communication, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Natural Sciences, the Office of the Provost, and several graduate studies programs. The UT Austin Track and Field Stadium bears his name.
In 1993 he established the Mrs. Harold Myers Presidential Honors Program Scholarship at Tarleton in honor of his mother, and in 2005 Tarleton track-and-field alumni honored him and legendary track coach Oscar Frazier with a scholarship in their names.
Myers attended Tarleton for two years before earning his bachelor’s and law degrees from UT Austin. At Tarleton he ran track and was on the first football team to win a conference championship since 1928. He was voted a class favorite and served as vice president of the student council.
He is a founder of the Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. and lifetime member of the Tarleton Alumni Association. In 2016 Myers donated $2.4 million to help renovate and expand Tarleton’s Memorial Stadium.
Tarleton honored Myers as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1978 and Ring of Honor recipient in 2004. He received the President’s All-Purple Award and was inducted into the Tarleton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012, and was presented the President’s Legacy Award for Excellence through Leadership in 2016.
Last November, the UT System Board of Regents gave Myers its highest honor — the Santa Rita Award — recognizing his contributions and commitment to higher education. Regents have bestowed the honor only 27 times since it was created in 1968.
Myers received the UT Austin Presidential Citation in 2004, UT Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1996, and the UT School of Law honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Community Service Award in 2010.
He has served in organizations such as the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Dallas Assembly, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas County Community College Foundation, Longhorn Foundation, Texas Interscholastic League Foundation and Parkland Hospital Foundation.
Myers’ successful business career includes owning and operating 13 community banks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and developing thousands of residential lots in multiple communities throughout Texas and Missouri. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2008.
About Tarleton
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
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Contacts:
Cecilia Jacobs, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications
254-968-1620
[email protected]
Dr. Rissa McGuire, Executive Director, Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors
512-923-8517
[email protected]
