Scholarships

Sarah and Ernest Butler Scholarship

This $6,000 annual Butler Scholarship was endowed by Sarah and Ernest Butler in 2016. Longtime Headliners Club members and Austin civic leaders, the Butlers have been generous benefactors of education initiatives including the University of Texas Butler School of Music for more than four decades. The Butlers are avid travelers who have viewed firsthand a variety of cultures and governments.  They are stalwart advocates of freedom of the press as a fundamental requirement of modern democracies. Learn more.

George Christian Scholarship

The Christian Scholarship ($6,000) is awarded annually to a University of Texas at Austin student who exemplifies a commitment to news reporting, with preference given to candidates with experience at The Daily Texan. Christian, former press secretary to President Lyndon B. Johnson, was a founding member of the Headliners Club and former president.  He also served as chair of the foundation.  His storied career took him from the Statehouse to the White House and many points in between. His daughter, Elizabeth Christian, currently serves on the Foundation’s Board of Governors. Learn more.

Jack Keever Scholarship

The Keever Scholarship of up to $750 is awarded each semester to the managing editor of The Daily Texan, the student-run newspaper at UT Austin. The summer semester scholarship is valued at $500, and the fall and spring semester scholarships are valued at $750 each. Keever, longtime Associated Press journalist and Austin bureau chief, was a founding member of the Headliners Club. After retiring from the AP, Keever continued his commitment to the industry as a journalism professor at Austin Community College. Learn more.

Stuart Long Memorial Scholarships

Two Long Scholarships ($9,000 in total) are awarded to students attending a college in central Texas. Long’s journalism career began during the early 1930s. In the mid-1940s, he founded the Long News Service, a leading state capital news agency he operated until he passed away in 1977. Originally administered by the Austin Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, this scholarship is funded by money raised from the sale of tickets and program advertisements for Gridiron Shows staged almost every year from 1978 to 2000. Learn more.

Verne Lundquist Scholarship

The Lundquist Scholarship ($6,000) goes to a student attending a Texas college or university who demonstrates an interest in pursuing a career in sports journalism. The scholarship is partially funded by the Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute, created in 2019 by the Headliners Foundation to provide programming and support for high school and college students interested in sports media. Lundquist has been at the forefront of covering major sporting events for more than 50 years. He began his career at KTBC-TV in Austin and later became the long-time voice of the Dallas Cowboys. Lundquist joined CBS Sports in 1982 and has covered more than 20 sports for the network. Learn more.

George A. McElroy Scholarship

The McElroy scholarship ($6,000) is awarded annually to a deserving undergraduate journalism or communication student attending a Texas college or university. McElroy was a longtime columnist for the Houston Post. He was an award-winning Texas journalist who broke barriers during his 58-year career as a Black man in a predominantly white industry. His daughter Kathleen McElroy heads the journalism program at the University of Texas and serves on the Foundation’s Board of Governors. Learn more.

Ellen and Mark Morrison Scholarship

The Morrison scholarship ($6,000) was created in 2021. The Morrison’s met in a Houston high school journalism class in 1965 and spent their careers in journalism and communications. Ellen was a medical writer and communications specialist. Mark was a newspaper and magazine reporter who served in several top editor positions during a 32-year career at Business Week.  When they retired from active communications careers, the Morrisons served as instructors at UT Austin—Ellen in business communication, Mark in journalism. Mark served as Chair of the Foundation from 2013-2019 and currently chairs the Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute. Learn more.

Darrell K. Royal Scholarship

The DKR scholarship ($3,000) goes to a Texas undergraduate student preparing for a career in sports journalism. Named for the legendary head coach of the Texas Longhorns and Athletic Director of UT, this scholarship was established in 1988 to honor Royal’s many years of service to the University of Texas and as a valued member of the Headliners Club. Learn more.

Bess Whitehead Scott Scribes Scholarship

The Scott Scribes Scholarship ($3,000) is awarded annually to a professional journalist wishing to return to higher education to enhance their journalism career. Ten or more years of professional experience is preferred. Scott, who was one of the state’s pioneering women in journalism, had a celebrated career in newspaper reporting, teaching, and advertising. She continued writing as a freelancer past her 100th year Learn more about Bess. This scholarship has different criteria and a separate application from the Foundation’s other awards. View the criteria and access the special application here.

The Sam Wood Scholarship

The Wood Scholarship ($3,000) is awarded annually to a Baylor University student in memory of the former editor of the Austin American-Statesman. Wood worked his way through Baylor’s journalism school as a reporter for the Waco News Tribune, eventually becoming executive editor of the paper. He was a founding member of the Headliners Club. Learn more.

Headliners Founders’ Scholarships

The Founders’ scholarships of up to $6,000 per academic year are awarded annually to Texas-based undergrads preparing for a career in journalism. These scholarships are named for the following benefactors whose early support provided the funding vehicle for our scholarship program:

Jimmy Banks, longtime Austin correspondent of The Dallas Morning News and founder of The Texas Star magazine.
Barry Bishop, journalist for The Dallas Morning News in the Mexico City and Washington D.C. bureaus.
Paul Bolton, co-founder of the Headliners Club and former Austin bureau chief for the Associated Press.
John "Brick" Elliott, geologist and associate professor of petroleum technology at Stanford University.
Wilbur Evans, sports editor of the Austin American-Statesman and executive sports editor for The Dallas Morning News.
George Moore, longtime accountant for the Headliners Club and decorated WWII veteran.