Two Texas Law alumni were among the four Longhorn legends honored on Friday, Feb. 21 with Presidential Citations, the highest honor The University of Texas at Austin can bestow. John Adams ’69 and the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison ’67 were each recognized in a ceremony that bridged two presidential administrations. Outgoing President Jay Hartzell, who oversaw the selection of this year’s honorees, served as host for the gala celebration, while Interim President Jim Davis also attended and toasted the newest inductees into this selective group of graduates who have truly lived up to the motto “What starts here changes the world.”
We share below an abbreviated version of the UT Austin story covering the event.
Members of the UT community have been recognized with Presidential Citation Awards for their dedication and support of the university:
- John Adams, a Dallas business executive and civic leader and Distinguished Alumnus of UT
- Amir Husain, a serial entrepreneur, AI technologist and author based in Austin who serves on the president’s Austin Innovation Board
- Kay Bailey Hutchison, former ambassador to NATO, three-term U.S. Senator from Texas and a Distinguished Alumna of UT
- Sam Susser, chairman and CEO of Susser Bank who also serves as president of Susser Holdings II, L.P., a private investment company, is a graduate of UT’s McCombs School of Business
“These are exceptionally accomplished individuals who have had a transformational impact on The University of Texas,” President Jay Hartzell said. “That input has truly changed the lives of thousands, as they have created opportunities for students, connected us with thought leaders around the world, and provided difference-making strategic guidance. They are all deserving of our university’s highest honor.”
To honor the recipients, UT will grant Presidential Citation Scholarships to students in each of the honorees’ names, extending their impact on the university in arts, academics, athletics, and health care.
Created in 1979, the Presidential Citation annually honors the extraordinary contributions of people who personify the university’s commitment to transforming lives.
About the 2025 Texas Law alumni honorees:
John L. Adams
Adams is a Dallas businessman involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations. He is the former chairman and CEO of Chase Bank of Texas and former vice chairman of Trinity Industries Inc. He has served on the boards of Group 1 Automotive, Trinity Industries, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and several private equity-owned companies.
In addition to supporting faculty, building initiatives, and helping to start the McCombs Scholars Program at UT’s McCombs School of Business, Adams and his wife, Susie, have also supported scholars and faculty members in the College of Education and the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory in College of Natural Sciences’ School of Human Ecology. He has chaired UT’s development board and is on the steering committee of the university’s What Starts Here Campaign.
Adams earned his B.B.A. in finance and J.D. from UT. Susie, with whom he has two children and five grandchildren, earned her bachelor’s degree in education from UT.
He has won the Outstanding Dallas Texas Ex Award and the UT Distinguished Alumnus Award and is in the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame. He has won the Institute of Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee and the Dallas/Fort Worth Father of the Year Award.
Adams has chaired many organizations including Children’s Medical Hospital, Dallas; Methodist Medical Center, Dallas; Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce; The Dallas Plan; Central Dallas Association; and Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series at Southern Methodist University. He and his wife, Susie, have chaired or co-chaired fundraising campaigns for the American Heart Association, YMCA, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Boys and Girls Club, Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas, and Highland Park United Methodist Church.
Kay Bailey Hutchison
From 2017 to 2021, Hutchison served as the United States Ambassador to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. During her term, she focused on the importance of U.S. leadership in the alliance and strengthening of the transatlantic bond that provides the security umbrella for Europe and North America.
Hutchison earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from UT and is a Distinguished Alumna of the university. Named in her honor, UT’s Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center is a collaboration between the McCombs School of Business, the School of Law, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Jackson School of Geosciences.
From 1993 to 2013, Hutchison represented Texas in the U.S. Senate. She was elected by her peers to the five-member Republican State Leadership Committee in the U.S. Senate, was the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and chaired the Military Construction Subcommittee on Appropriations. She also served as chair of the Board of Visitors at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
From 1991 to 1993, Hutchison was Texas state treasurer and proposed limits on state debt, which the legislature adopted. She is the author of three books, including the bestseller “American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country.” In 2013, the Dallas City Council named the city’s convention center in her honor.