Ernest H. Cockrell

Ernest H. Cockrell is President and Director of the Cockrell Foundation, a private family charitable foundation, oversees grantmaking in education, health care, and medical research, youth activities, and cultural institutions. Major portion of funds is given to the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. He is also Chairman of Cockrell Interests Inc., a diversified asset holding company, oversees a diversified portfolio of assets including public securities; a sponsored venture capital fund that invests in seed- and early-stage life and physical science technology companies; a sponsored growth fund that invests in the growing Hispanic market; an oil and gas exploration and production company; a farming company; and a real estate development company. He serves or has served as Chairman on the boards of many major nonprofits, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors, the Methodist Hospital Research Institute and the Methodist Health Care System, the Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Trustee of the Cullen Trust of Health Care; Director and Past Chairman of the Greater Houston Community Foundation; Member and Past Chairman of the University of Texas College of Engineering Foundation; Director and past Chairman of the Welch Foundation; Director and Founding Chairman of Reasoning Mind, Inc.; Director of the Fremont Group; and Director Emeritus of the Pennzoil Company. He was elected to the American Academy in 2011 and is a member of the Academy Trust.