Texas Business Hall of Fame Announces 2014 Inductees

From Texas Business Hall of Fame:

DALLAS— This week, the Texas Business Hall of Fame announced its 2014 class of Business Legends, an all-star cast of Dallas businessmen including Harold Simmons, posthumously, Gerald “Jerry” J. Ford, Douglas Hawthorne, Trevor Rees-Jones, Kelcy Warren  and Donald L. Evans of Midland.

 “This year, there’s a special spotlight on Dallas,” said TBHF chairman, Jordan W. Cowman, a shareholder in the Dallas office of international law firm, Greenberg Traurig.  “I’m calling this year’s inductees the ‘titans of Texas’ because each has been instrumental in making Texas what it is today.”

Each year, the Texas Business Hall of Fame executive committee votes on five or six individuals who are inducted into its hall of fame. Induction is highly coveted and the roster of potential inductees is stacked with qualified candidates. Inductees are considered based on contributions to their field and the communities where they live. Since its inception, the Texas Business Hall of Fame has inducted more than 165 notable business legends from around the state.  Past candidates from Dallas include Ebby Halliday, Jerry Jones, Herb Kelleher and Ross Perot, Jr.

The 2014 inductees will be honored at the 32nd Annual Induction Dinner that will be held on November 5 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The event will host 1,000 of Texas’ past, present and potential future inductees as well board members and their VIPs.

The 2014 Texas Business Hall of Fame Inductees are:

From Dallas:

Gerald “Jerry” J. Ford

Mr. Ford is a business legend who owns stakes in many private and public companies. The namesake of Southern Methodist University’s football stadium, he is the chairman of Hilltop Holding, Inc.

Douglas Hawthorne

A health care visionary, Mr. Hawthorne is at the helm of one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States, Texas Health Resources. 

Trevor Rees-Jones

A name synonymous with entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Rees-Jones is founder and president of Chief Oil and Gas and an early leader in developing natural gas from the prolific Barnett Shale in North Texas.

Harold Simmons (Posthumously)

Mr. Simmons was a legendary businessman who grew his empire out of a single pharmacy across from Southern Methodist University. He is one of the greatest self-made success stories of all time. His passing in 2013 was a huge loss.

Kelcy Warren

Considered an influential force in the energy business, Mr. Warren is CEO and Chairman of Energy Transfer Partners.  The family of partnerships overseen by Mr. Warren own and operate one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States including approximately 65,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oil pipelines.

From Midland:

Donald L. Evans

Secretary Evans began his career as a roughneck on an oil rig for Tom Brown, Inc. in Midland. Ten years later, he took over as CEO. His career has been a storied journey from his time in the oil patch to his appointment by President George W. Bush as U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

To find out more information on the Texas Business Hall of Fame, its inductees or its scholarship program, please visit texasbusiness.org.

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About TBHF

The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation is a non-profit organization comprised of Texas business leaders. The organization’s mission, through the work of its directors and executive committee, is to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Texas business legends, to perpetuate and inspire the values of entrepreneurism, personal integrity and community leadership in all present and future generations of Texans. This mission is accomplished by inducting honorees at an annual dinner, and through awarding scholarships to outstanding students who are deemed “Future Texas Business Legends.” In 2014, 31 $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to students across 23 different Texas institutions of higher learning.