When it came time for the interview and luncheon, I was nervous at first. Different setting of events than I was used to. But I buttoned my suit up, made sure there wasn't anything in my teeth, and checked my breath! Then I was off, started shaking hands and introducing myself to board members. They all had interesting stories, and backgrounds. I made it through my interview, and was chosen to receive a scholarship. It was a great day. After we became scholars, we began going to Hatton Sumners events about policy and how it’s created. I started seeing what it takes to create policies and get them pushed through and was able to hear a lot of great speakers, that have been in different parts of government that did their part to make a difference. I learned what it takes to make a difference. During this time with the Hatton Sumner organization I learned more about how things really work on Capitol Hill and government than my previous thirty nine years on this planet. I appreciate the opportunity and knowledge they extended to me. I plan to carry it and pass it along to the next interested likeminded individuals. Thank you for opening my eyes. 

I dreamed that I could make the lives of others better. My career included public service in local governments, as well as in higher education. The Sumners Scholar program allowed me to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration, providing me with critical skills to prepare me for a career in public service. During my time as a Hatton Sumners Foundation Scholar I was able to become more deeply engaged in understanding public policy issues, to meet key leaders in public service, and helped to put me on the path to leadership. Without the support of the Sumners Scholar program I do not know that I would be where I am today.  

Laura's involvement with the Foundation began as a member of the first class of Sumners Scholars graduating from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1988.  She was elected to the Foundation's Board of Trustees on January 1, 1997, and was a dedicated Trustee who contributed greatly to all aspects of the Foundation's activities and to the accomplishment of its purpose.

Laura's participation on the Foundation's vision committee was instrumental in moving the Foundation forward in accordance with its fundamental mission as established by Congressman Sumners.  Her work on the Foundation's strategic planning process has continued to impact Trustees and beneficiaries of the Foundation's broad ranging programs.

She was a highly respected attorney, a nurse, a leader deeply involved in healthcare and ethics issues, an author, and a volunteer in numerous nonprofit endeavors and causes.  She epitomized the spirit of Hatton W. Sumners.

I practiced law as a solo practitioner for ten years, practicing primarily criminal law. I am board certified in criminal trial and criminal appellate law. I am also a member of the State Bar College. I was elected to the trial bench and served for six years as judge of a criminal district court in Tarrant County. I was the first woman elected to a felony bench in Tarrant County. In 1994 Terrie Livingston and I ran for and were the first women elected to the Second Court of Appeals. I was required to take senior status January 1, 2016. The Hatton Sumners foundation made it possible for me to attend law school. I was married and had three children in private school. We could not afford my law school tuition and expenses without a scholarship or grant to cover the costs. At that time, 1975, women were not encouraged to attend law school, but the trustees who interviewed me apparently were willing to risk trusting me with one of the five scholarships, even though stereotypical view of women in law school was that they were dilettantes. The Hatton Sumners foundation encourages public service, and the foundation's commitment to public service was in concert with my own beliefs and the values honored by my family.

Dara was a Sumners Scholar at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, ranked first in her class. While in law school, Dara served as Editor in Chief of the OCU Law Review and was a member of the Benton Moot Court Team. Before law school, Dara attended Vanderbilt University and the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics and minor in French.

Dara is admitted to the bars in Arizona and Oklahoma. Her career has been in both the public and private sectors. From a Clerkship for the Honorable Robert H. Henry with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Dara joined Crowe & Dunlevy as an Associate in the Litigation and Employment Divisions. She then served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, where she advanced to Chief Assistant Attorney General, and later Senior Deputy Attorney General; prior to her final position with the Attorney General, she was Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for Cox Communications in Oklahoma.

Dara and her husband Ed Evans live in Scottsdale, Arizona and have five children, Tristan and Ava Prentice, and Thomas, George, and Henry Evans. Dara is involved in her community as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Maricopa County, Arizona, and as a volunteer with her therapy dog Molly.

She was inspired to become a lawyer so that she could positively impact the lives of others.  She says, "The Hatton Sumners Scholarship created the opportunity to pursue this dream in my home state, and encouraged building my career around the value I place on public service and civic engagement.  The scholarship planted the seed that grew into a career that has woven between the public and private sectors."

That year, the trustees split into two panels for the initial interviews, and we all sat in the lecture hall and listened while Jimmie Thompson called out the names of those to advance to the final round of interviews. The final round of interviews was then held with the full panel of trustees. I was extremely surprised to be selected, because I had a pretty good idea that my beliefs in the areas of religion and politics did not line up with the beliefs of the majority of the trustees. I resolved to just be myself and be honest, and that, apparently, was the way to go. I vividly remember many of the questions in the interview and I attempted to keep a friendly and playful and calm demeanor.

I thank the panel of trustees very much for selecting me to be a Sumners Scholar for it truly changed my life. I would not have gone to SMU Law otherwise and would not have met my wife who was actually housed as an undergraduate in the room at Lawyers Inn which served as Hatton Sumners’ personal residence after he gave the school the money to build Lawyers Inn. My SMU law education and the connections I’ve made there are what enabled a long and fruitful career as a practicing transactional lawyer in Dallas and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I currently serve as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Matador Resources Company, the 30th-largest independent exploration and production company in the United States. Matador is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MTDR, and its focus is the unconventional reservoirs of the Delaware Basin. Matador has been often recognized as one of the exploration leaders in the Northern Delaware Basin in New Mexico for the development of these reservoirs.

Attending SMU as a Sumners Scholar was one of the most profound activities that I have been a part of. The association and friendships formed with trustees and fellow Scholars are some of the most satisfying scholastic, personal, and professional relationships that I have ever experienced. I know I would not be where I am today without the doors opened for me as a result of my fortuitous selection as a Sumners Scholar back in spring 1974. Hardly a day goes by without thinking how grateful I am to the trustees who selected me and to the professors who educated me. I also have appreciated their encouragement to give back to other young people like myself seeking to find their place in the community.

Since graduating in 2015, I've been teaching English as a foreign language in Eastern Europe. I spent two years in Bulgaria as a Fulbright English Teacher Assistant. Most recently, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia. I currently work as a freelance English teacher and spend most of my time in the Balkans.  The Sumners Scholars program was a key factor in where I am today. Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to study abroad in Serbia and in Kosovo. This program was a highlight of my undergraduate experience, and it wouldn't have been possible without the foundation. I was also fortunate to receive a scholarship for the TFAS program in Washington, DC. This was a second pivotal experience of my undergraduate years. The Sumners Foundation gave me the financial support to develop my academic and professional interests while at Southwestern, as well as opportunities to grow my network beyond the university.

Having served on the bench since the 1980’s, I’ve been responsible for overseeing changes in rules governing procedure in civil cases and the operations of the courts and the profession. In the past decade, I’ve also shared the responsibility for improving access to justice by providing basic civil legal services to the very poor, and through reforming bail practices and the imposition and collection of fines and fees in Class C misdemeanors. My father was a farmer and could not afford the cost of a legal education, so the Hatton W. Sumners Scholarship made it possible for me to go to law school. It was inspiring to learn of Congressman Sumners’ many contributions to the judiciary.

Hunter Jurgens graduated with honors from Southwestern University in Spring 2017 with a degree in international studies and political science. While in school, the Hatton Sumners scholarship provided unique opportunities to develop and nurture his interest in domestic politics, as well as meet professionals who were passionate about local politics. After graduating, Hunter moved to Austin, Texas, and accepted a research associate position with the Texas Senate Research Center. In the Senate, Hunter specializes in health care and human services policy. Due to his experiences in the legislature, as well as the formative opportunities provided by the Hatton Sumners program, Hunter intends on pursuing a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy degree.

As a name partner at Wick, Phillips, Gould & Martin, LLP, Brant has had a career that has spanned almost everything, from arguing (and winning) a case in front of the US Supreme Court, to arguing multiple jury trials across the country, and even helping in some transactions along the way.

Brant credits much of his success to the investment that the Sumners Foundation made in him at SMU Law School. “The Scholarship allowed me to focus entirely on my legal education, and to keep my focus in later years on what is important about the legal system and its fundamental role in American society.”  

Brant’s focus led to the honor of him being named the Valedictorian of the Class of 1997, and the Editor-in-Chief of the SMU Law Review. After law school, he clerked for U.S. District Judge Richard A. Schell of the Eastern District of Texas, practiced international law at Baker & McKenzie, and since 2006, he has helped build a first-generation law firm that now numbers over 80 attorneys across every business practice area. 

Brant returns each year to both SMU Law School and OCU Law School to teach incoming 1L’s the correct study habits to allow them to succeed, and to serve as a proud trustee to carry on the Foundation’s legacy. “At the end of the day, supporting the Foundation and its mission are a critical part of the way I spend my time. Our society today is fragmented, argumentative and, all too often, uncivil. Through our scholarships and our grants, the Foundation attempts through every action it takes, and every grant, to remedy past injustices and provide a safe space for civil debate and discourse and to strengthen our democracy, and to oppose those who try to undermine it.”

My career in local government management now spans almost 40 years, eight Texas cities, and public management consulting - with an emphasis in finance, organizational development, performance improvement, planning, operations management, and economic development.

In 2024, after semi-retirement into consulting, I joined the City of Fort Worth executive management team as Deputy City Manager.  This has been a remarkable and rewarding experience coming out of retirement to serve the 12th largest and fastest growing large city in America with an annual budget of $3.6B and 8K employees, and something that was never on my rader after retirement.  But, after doing some consulting with the City for over a year, I was invited to join the team full time.  

Before joining the Fort Worth team, I served as city manager for Kerrville, Texas. Prior to moving to the Texas Hill Country, I served as assistant city manager for the City of Dallas.  Previously, I served as city manager for the City of Tyler, assistant city manager for Corpus Christi, city manager for Woodway, assistant city manager for Lake Jackson and budget officer for Denton.

Seeking to be a leader in my profession, I have served as President for the Texas City Management Association and Vice President for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), representing the central United States. Currently, I serve as chair of the University of North Texas Public Administration Advisory Board.

I came from modest beginnings, growing up as one of six children.  My parents worked hard to help pay for my undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas, but I worked several jobs to make ends meet during that time and became the first to graduate from college on either side of my family.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a philosophy minor, I was on my own.  This is when I was encouraged to seek a graduate degree and was first introduced to local government, learning for the first time what city management was all about.  I set out to find a way to pursue a master’s in public administration degree from the University of North Texas – not knowing how or if I would be able to find a way to pay for it.

The major reason I have had the opportunity to make a positive impact on several communities and the lives of many Texas residents is because of the generosity of the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation – which paid for most of my graduate education and launched my local government career.  The Foundation’s support has been the game changer for me and so many others who would have otherwise had limited their potential.  My story is about the American Dream which is still alive and well for those who work hard, are strong in your faith, and reach for the stars.  Indeed, I am evidence that anything is possible.
 

Receiving the Sumners Scholarship at SMU Law for the Class of 1975 has been a major lifetime blessing for me. During law school, the scholarship enabled me to focus on my studies, to receive a Resolution of the Faculty for the highest-grade average ever attained in the history of the law school, and to be named the Phi Delta Phi International Winner, Graduate of the Year. In the area of professional engagement, the education enabled me to practice as a corporate attorney for 41 years on significant corporate transactions, M&A matters and financings, and to be named the 2005 New Mexico Business Lawyer of the Year. The scholarship inspired me to be involved in a number of civic and church activities, the most important of which were 20 years as a trustee on the Sumners Foundation board and currently as the chancellor (legal counsel for the bishop) of the New Mexico Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The Sumners Foundation and those I met through the various programs and conferences inspired me to follow a career where I wanted to positively impact the lives of others.  When I graduated from college, I was not sure what form my career path would take.   As a two-time Fulbright Scholar and and four year cultural ambassador to Spain, I found my career -- teaching.  Every day, I am excited to share with my students the qualities of good citizenry -- responsibility, respect, tolerance, advocacy, civic pride, environmental and community stewardship and empathy -- and watch those qualities take root and start to grow.    Being a good citizen is universal and I am proud I get to play a part.

Hiram is a 2002 graduate of Oklahoma City University. He currently serves as the general counsel for First Liberty Institute, the largest organization in America dedicated to defending the religious liberty of all Americans. Some of his clients include a Native American sweat lodge, the Falun Gong, Catholic schools, synagogues, the National Association of Evangelicals, and clients of just about every Protestant denomination. He regularly comments on religious liberty issues in the media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, and CBS. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University School of Law and the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. “The Hatton W. Sumners Scholarship was much more than a financial aid package; it was like joining a family,” said Hiram Sasser. “The scholarship allowed me to graduate without any debt and focus on a career in public service. I have endeavored to carry on the Scholar ‘family tradition’ of giving back to our scholarship community with my time and effort to pass along the blessing of the program to a new generation.”