At the consensus of past Texas Exes presidents, the Distinguished Service Award is given to an individual who made a profound and positive impact to the university. The prestigious award has been presented only eight times in the last 18 years.

Bill served as the 28th president of the University of Texas at Austin, the second-longest serving president in the school’s history. During his tenure as president, he founded two schools: the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Dell Medical School. Bill led a $3.1 billion capital campaign and oversaw the construction of 13 new buildings on campus. He joined the university as a professor in the School of Law in 1977 and later held the position of Dean of the School of Law. He was appointed as the chair of the committee investigating Enron which resulted in the “Powers Report.” Bill is considered one of the country’s most respected legal scholars, authoring dozens of articles on tort law and legal philosophy, including co-reporting for the Restatement (Third) of Torts Apportionment of Liability and the Restatement (Third) of Torts Liability for Physical Harm.