The Donald D. Harrington Fellows Program
The Donald D. Harrington Fellows Program is the most prestigious fellowship program at The University of Texas at Austin. The Program was created by Sybil B. Harrington as a tribute toher late husband, Donald D. Harrington. She envisioned a program that would support gifted and ambitious young scholars of all disciplines at UT Austin with the support and prestige of programs such as the Fulbright Scholars and Guggenheim Fellowships. The Harrington Fellows would, in turn, share their knowledge and success with future generations, perpetuating the legacy and memory of Don Harrington for all time.
Harrington Fellowships are awarded annually to the most highly qualified applicants from universities throughout the United States and around the world. Visiting faculty fellows are chosen based on the originality and creativity of their work, the anticipated benefit of the award to their discipline, and the potential to make significant contributions to the global community. Graduate student fellows are selected on the basis of their academic performance, character, and leadership.
The first Donald D. Harrington Fellowships were awarded for the 2001-02 academic year. Since then, scholars from 104 universities in the United States and 10 other countries have received 54 faculty fellowships and 108 graduate fellowships.
The program has a considerable impact on the university. It brings bright, young scholars to campus, establishes relationships with their universities, and enhances UT Austin's reputation among the world's outstanding universities. The generous support provided by the program enables the fellows to dedicate themselves to their scholarly research.
All Harrington Faculty and Graduate Fellows become lifetime members of the Harrington Society, which is designed to build a sense of community among the scholars through special events. The receptions and informal luncheons foster collaboration and a sharing of ideas. Fellows also share the results of their research at individual symposia funded by the program, and some of the fellows attend the Harrington Symposium each April in Amarillo, Texas.
Don Harrington was born in Illinois in 1899 and moved westward after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War I. Mr. Harrington took a position as a landman with Marlin Oil Company in Oklahoma. When the Texas Panhandle oil boom hit in 1926, he moved to Amarillo, where he met Sybil Buckingham - the granddaughter of one of Amarillo's founding families. They married in 1935 and went on to build one of the most successful independent oil and gas operations in Texas history. Their legacy of philanthropy is far-reaching, not only in Amarillo and Austin, but across the nation. The University of Texas at Austin is privileged to be the home of this preeminent program and to host these outstanding scholars.
Current Harrington Board Members
Ex Officio Members, The University of Texas at Austin
- Dr. Gregory L. Fenves, President
- Dr. Judith H. Langlois, Executive Vice President and Provost,ad interim
- Dr. Marvin L. Hackert, Dean, ad interim, Graduate Studies
- Dr. Daniel Jaffe, Vice President for Research
External Members
Mr. Mark Bivins, Member of The Don & Sybil Harrington Foundation Board of Directors
Mr. Wales Madden, Jr., Member of The Don & Sybil Harrington Foundation Board of Directors, Former Regent of The University of Texas System
Term ends 2018
Dr. Cherise Smith, Director, Academic Program, Center for African and African American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
Vacant