Gerald E. Hawxhurst & Susan St. Denis Endowed Presidential Scholarship

Apr 8, 2008 | EPS/EPF

Jerry and Sue donated additional funds to their endowment and it was renamed the Gerald E. Hawxhurst and Susan St. Denis Endowed Presidential Scholarship at The University of Texas in 2013, to provide financial aid to students who did not graduate high school, but through perseverance are pursuing a college education. After learning about Horns Helping Horns, Jerry and Sue expanded their endowment to include independent students who are orphans or wards of the state. Jerry and Sue hope that these deserving students will find their path made a little easier by their endowment.

Jerry Hawxhurst was born in San Antonio and raised in the Texas Hill Country along with his seven brothers and sisters. He quit school in the ninth grade to help support his family. Through perseverance, hard work, and the encouragement of family and friends, Jerry completed his education and obtained a GED. He then attended community college at night and in the morning until transferring to the University of the Incarnate Word, where he earned a BBA, summa cum laude.

Jerry’s next step was to attend The University of Texas School of Law. He worked part time while attending UT and served as a briefing intern for former Texas Supreme Court Justice and current U.S. Senator John Cornyn. After graduating with honors, Jerry practiced law in Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s New York and Los Angeles offices before being invited to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. In 2006, Jerry and a partner formed their own law firm, Crone Hawxhurst LLP, a litigation firm based in Los Angeles.

Sue Denis was born and raised in Seattle. After graduating from the University of Washington, Sue moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a paralegal while attending Loyola Law School at night. Upon earning her JD, she practiced law at the Los Angeles firms Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro and Chadbourne & Parke.

Jerry and Sue split their time between homes in Palos Verdes Estates, California and Jonestown, Texas. They have four children: Kris, Jennifer, Christen, and John. Kris graduated from The University of Texas in 2002 with a degree in physics, and John currently attends UT as a member of the Class of 2017. Jennifer attended Texas Tech, and Christen is a member of the Class of 2015 at the University of Washington, Sue’s alma mater.

Jerry and Sue are Sheffield Fellows and members of the UT Littlefield Society and Chancellor’s Council. Jerry is serving a four-year term on the Executive Committee of The University of Texas School of Law Alumni Association and was recently appointed to the UT Development Board. Both are avid Longhorn football fans and do their best to attend all home games.

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