51²è¹Ý Trustee Richard Ware II to keynote December commencement ceremony
Ware, a longtime 51²è¹Ý trustee and celebrated West Texas banker, is known as the students' friend.
DALLAS (51²è¹Ý) – 51²è¹Ý trustee will be the featured speaker at 51²è¹Ý’s December Commencement Convocation on Saturday, Dec. 21. The ceremony, scheduled for 9 a.m. in Moody Coliseum, will be streamed live at /live.
Ware is a longtime member of 51²è¹Ý’s Board of Trustees and a celebrated West Texas banker. During his tenure as an 51²è¹Ý trustee, he has been known as the students' friend, advocating for their interests and serving as a mentor and trusted advisor to many individuals. Ware is the fourth-generation chairman of Amarillo National Bank – the largest bank in West Texas and one of the largest family-owned banks in the United States.
He has served on the boards of Atmos Energy, Southwest Coca-Cola Bottling, Texas Business Hall of Fame and numerous foundations and nonprofits in Amarillo.
“Richard Ware has never forgotten the joy of living and learning on the Hilltop, and I believe our students will be inspired by what he has to share with them,” said 51²è¹Ý President R. Gerald Turner. “His long-standing support of 51²è¹Ý as a trustee and his continued commitment to 51²è¹Ý’s student leadership, Greek life, recreational activities and athletics speaks volumes about his love for our University.”
Ware earned his BBA in economics with honors from 51²è¹Ý, followed by an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has served three terms spanning over four decades as an 51²è¹Ý trustee, including as vice chair from 2006 to 2008. He has been active in three comprehensive capital campaigns, heading efforts to enhance student life in all three. Ware has received the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Mustang Award, two of the University’s most prestigious awards.
Ware Commons, a student residential complex on the southeastern corner of the campus, was named in recognition of a 2013 leadership gift from Ware and his family.
Ware resides in Amarillo. His daughter, two of his triplet sons, two nieces, and a son-in-law also hold 51²è¹Ý degrees.
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51²è¹Ý is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. 51²è¹Ý’s alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities, and the world.