Dedman Scholars
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Every year, more than 700 students apply to become Dedman Distinguished Scholars at The University of Texas at Austin. They rank in the top 5 percent of their classes, make exceptional SAT scores, and participate in exemplary extracurricular and volunteer activities.
The faculty, ex-students, and others involved in the program look forward to the day each spring when the 12 to 15 finalists culled from this group come to the UT campus for the qualifying interviews. Only 5 to 8 scholars are chosen by the selection committee, who find it exhilarating to meet some of the best and brightest students in America. "The committee dedicates an entire Saturday to the interviews, but you can't imagine a better way to spend a day," says Larry Carver, English professor and associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Liberal Arts. Carver, who oversees the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program, explains that the interviews "are not meant to be intimidating. We ask them questions that enable them to shine, to show what they know." It's an interview that many scholars will remember for the rest of their lives, he says. One of the most enthusiastic members of the selection committee is Nancy Dedman herself. In May 1986, she and her husband, Robert Henry Dedman, Sr., of Dallas, pledged $10 million to UT Austin for scholarships in the College of Liberal Arts. It was the largest scholarship gift ever given to UT. 
"My motive for getting involved in the interview process is actually personal gratification," Nancy Dedman acknowledges with a laugh. "It's so inspirational to talk to those students. Every one of them is a super kid. It makes me feel better about the future of this nation." Dedman says she relies partly on intuition when interviewing the scholarship candidates. "You can just feel it when you meet outstanding young people--you're struck by their deportment and lack of self-consciousness." Dedman and the other committee members give careful consideration to academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership, and important accomplishments. The scholarships are based on merit rather than need, although most of the applicants are from middle- to low-income families. Austin attorney Creekmore Fath (UT Law '39) is another person who enjoys serving on the selection committee. "I will continue to do so as long as they let me," says Fath, who also serves on the Liberal Arts Foundation Council. "I enjoy being part of a process that enables students of this caliber to come to UT. They're all so darned bright." In honor of the Dedmans' gift, then-President William H. Cunningham renamed the National Merit Scholars Program at UT Austin as the Dedman Merit Scholars Program. Each Dedman Scholar receives a scholarship from the Dedman endowment. 
The Dedman Distinguished Scholars, a subset of the Merit Scholars group, receive a $7,000 annual stipend for four years. The scholars are firmly committed to the liberal arts, even though they may wish to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, or the sciences. University of Texas faculty and staff say the program has made a significant contribution to classroom and campus life. Carver observes that the Dedman Distinguished Scholars "quicken the pulse of the community." He is especially pleased that the program, which offers participants an enriched academic experience, has enabled The University of Texas to compete with Harvard, Stanford, and Rice for the best students in the country. Academic enrichment includes personalized academic advising and counseling, exposure to a tight-knit community of faculty and scholars, and expeditions to sites such as the McDonald Observatory in West Texas, the opening night of a play in Dallas, and an art museum in Fort Worth to view a national touring collection. Despite the special treatment, however, the scholars are far from elitist, says Elaine Declerck, assistant to the dean in the Liberal Arts Honors Program. They get involved in the community and tutor in the Austin Adopt-a-School program. They also assist with the college's recruiting efforts. "They give back to the University in many ways," Declerck says. "They are our future leaders." The Dedmans, who are among the most generous philanthropists in the nation, chose to support the UT College of Liberal Arts because of their personal interest in the humanities. Nancy Dedman, a graduate of Southern Methodist University, explains that the family decided to endow scholarships in the UT College of Liberal Arts because they believe Texas and the nation need well-rounded citizens. "Some of the most successful business people we know have had liberal arts educations and are grateful for that training," she says. Robert Dedman, who holds two bachelor's degrees and a law degree (LLB '48) from The University of Texas, as well as a law degree (LLM '53) from SMU, maintains a personal and business philosophy that is shaped by the poets and philosophers he read in his youth, including Plutarch, Emerson, Longfellow, and Kipling. He has fond memories of his student days at UT even though he maintained a grueling schedule as a student. He put himself through law school by selling insurance and real estate and by serving as a commissioned Navy officer. Dedman practiced law in Dallas until 1957, when he founded ClubCorp International. As chairman of the board, he oversees the world's largest operator of private clubs, resorts, and country clubs, including Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas and Barton Creek Country Club and Conference Resort in Austin. ClubCorp also owns a real estate development company, a publications subsidiary, a membership billing subsidiary, and international subsidiaries for operations in Europe, Asia, and Canada. In addition, Dedman is chairman of the board of Franklin Federal Bancorp in Austin. Robert Dedman received the Pro Bene Meritis Award from the UT College of Liberal Arts in 1987 and was made a Distinguished Alumnus by the Ex-Student's Association in 1990. In recent years he has served as a member of the UT Development Board. He received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Texas in 1976, the Humanitarian of the Year Award in Dallas in 1980, and the Horatio Alger Award in 1989. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1987. The Dedmans' children, Patricia Brown Dedman Dietz and Robert, Jr., president of ClubCorp, also received degrees from UT Austin. "They both loved their years at The University of Texas," Nancy Dedman recalls. "Now that I think about it, I've never met a student who didn't like going there." By Carlos Farquhar Greth,
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