As part of the University of Houston’s virtual university-wide commencement ceremony tonight, the prestigious President’s Medallion will be awarded posthumously to the late William A. Brookshire.
The medallion is awarded at the sole discretion of UH President Renu Khator to deserving individuals or organizations. In addition to Brookshire, the John M. Quinn Foundation – whose namesake was a well-known attorney and philanthropist who died in 2009 – will also be awarded a medallion.
Earlier this year, the university renamed its existing department to the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, in recognition of his extensive and long-term gifts back.
Brookshire graduated from UH in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and later co-founded S&B Engineers and Constructors. He passed away in 2017, but the multiple endowments he established before his passing fuels the momentum of the Cullen College and helps it excel as an internationally recognized hub of research activity in the field of chemical engineering.
“The University of Houston held a special place in my father’s heart,” said J. W. “Brook” Brookshire, son of William Brookshire and current CEO of S&B Engineers and Constructors. “UH gave him an incredible foundation from which he built a career, a company and a life he was proud of. The University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering has cultivated a powerhouse program that provides world-class education and a unique connection to the heart of the world’s petrochemical industry.”
For more information about commencement, click here. All ceremonies can be viewed live here. The university’s commencement is Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. The Cullen College of Engineering celebration is Friday, Dec. 18 from 2-4 p.m., and is also accessible directly by this link. Ceremonies dating back to 2009 are also available on the UH website.