Lee and Joe Jamail
Philanthropists Lee and Joe Jamail, both UT graduates, have long been generous to The University. The Houston couple are major benefactors of the UT School of Law, having created numerous endowed chairs, an endowed library, an excellence fund and an endowed dean's fund. Their generosity has also funded endowed scholarships in business, education, fine arts, nursing and women's athletics. Most notably, in 1997, the couple pledged $5 million to the Longhorn Legacy to increase endowed funds for UT athletics and to renovate and expand the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and other UT sports facilities.
Joe Jamail is one of the country's leading trial lawyers. In a landmark 1983 case (Pennzoil vs. Texaco), he represented a client who received the largest jury verdict in history. He is a recipient of The University's Distinguished Alumnus Award and the UT Law School's Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Lee Hage Jamail is considered one of the state's foremost supporters of education, health care and the arts. She studied speech pathology in graduate school at UT in the 1940s and in 1952 began working in the Austin school district with children suffering from speech and hearing problems. She was instrumental in the creation of the Jesse J. Villareal Centennial Fellowship in Speech Communications at UT. In 1998, she received a UT Distinguished Alumni Award. |
Jamail Texas Swimming Center
Named in 1993 for benefactors Lee and Joe Jamail, the Texas Swimming Center provides The University with one of the world's first facilities for all known events in competitive swimming, diving and water polo. It is modeled after the pool used in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Completed in 1977, the center includes a competition pool with a separate diving area. The Center's diving area is known as the Skippy Browning Diving Facility in honor of David G. (Skippy) Browning, a 1953 UT graduate who won eight AAU national diving titles, four NCAA national championships, and the 1952 springboard Olympic gold medal. The Center's T-Lounge, the Alderson Room, is named in honor of Dr. Curtis J. (Shorty) Alderson, who introduced the sport of swimming to the Southwest Conference in 1931. He served as UT swimming coach for three years, winning three SWC titles.
Permanent armchair seating is provided for 2,056 spectators and approximately 1,100 portable folding bleacher-type seats are available on deck for additional spectators. The facility serves the needs of Recreational Sports programs and events; intercollegiate practices and competitions; Kinesiology and Health Education classes; and community programs, camps and special events.
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