Dear Brother:

Remember those great days playing intramurals at UT and all the success of the Acacia teams? Several years ago a friend and I set up an endowed scholarship honoring Tom Dison, who’s been with the Division of Recreational Sports for 35 years and has been the director since 1989. This scholarship is for students working for UT RecSports (it was called the Men’s Intramural Department in our days). Tom and his staff have done a tremendous job with RecSports and the division was recently recognized as the number-one program in the country. RecSports hires over 1,000 students each year and pays out over $2,000,000 in wages annually. It is one of the largest employers of students at the University. For any of us who worked during college, you know what a little extra money can mean. With the help of Joe Bill Watkins, a retired attorney in Austin, the scholarship idea has taken off and this year RecSports awarded five $1,000 scholarships with more to come next year.

Harry Craig, David Dunlap, Ed Knight, Steve Lappin and myself have donated $11,000 as seed money to establish an “Acacia Fraternity Endowed Scholarship" at the Division of Recreational Sports to honor Acacia’s intramural achievements. We need to raise a total of $25,000 in order to establish the scholarship. Other fraternities, such as the Delts and FIJIs, are working to establish scholarships to honor their intramural achievements. The contribution is fully tax deductible and will be managed by the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO). We will be able to set up specific parameters to qualify for the scholarship if we wish. Each year two or three of the contributors to the scholarship would attend the RecSports Fall Kick Off Luncheon where the Scholarship will be awarded. We think this is a great way for us to be remembered when we are all gone. On behalf of all of us, I am asking each of you to consider making a gift to the Scholarship fund.

Fraternally,

Scholarship Recipients

Funds distributed from the endowment will enable the division to provide scholarships annually. Occurring each spring semester, the selection process is open to full-time undergraduate students who have reached junior or senior status, with a 2.5 minimum GPA and who have been employed by Recreational Sports during one or more academic years. The Acacia Scholarship selection committee seeks candidates who:

• Demonstrate commitment to Acacia values – high scholarship, brotherhood and human service
• Provide beneficial, outstanding leadership to those around them
• Go above and beyond their responsibilities on a regular basis
• Represent the Division of Recreational Sports in a positive and favorable manner at all times

The recipient of the Acacia Fraternity Endowed Scholarship in 2011 is Philip Butler, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering from League City, Texas. Philip has worked for Facility Operations with the Indoor Satellites staff since Fall 2007. He believes that working in RecSports has helped hone his communication, time management and project management skills. All of these, he believes, will assist him in his professional career as an engineer. Philip is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Epsilon Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Previous Winners
2010 - Michael Deutsch

Make a Scholarship Contribution

It is the Co-Chairs' desire to increase the endowment principal in order to recognize additional student leaders. In order to achieve this goal, they hope to enlist the support of other Acacias and former Recreational Sports student employees and participants.

Your 100% tax-deductible contribution to the endowment is welcomed and planned giving opportunities are available. If your employer offers a charitable matching gift program, you can increase the size of your gift. Checks should be made payable to The University of Texas at Austin and mailed to:

Division of Recreational Sports
Attn: Development Coordinator
1 University Station D7500
Austin, Texas 78712-0395

Online contributions can be made through UT Online Giving. Please enter "Acacia Scholarship" in the special gift information field.

Click here for an Acacia Scholarship gift and pledge card to accompany your gift.

Acacia Scholarship FAQ's. Click here.