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Jody Grant Named 2010 Horatio Alger Award Recipient
Texas Capital Bank Chairman Emeritus to be Inducted in April 2010 in Washington, D.C., for Overcoming Adversity

WASHINGTON, December 10, 2010 – The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is pleased to announce that Jody Grant, founder and chairman emeritus of Texas Capital Bank and founding partner and senior advisor of BankCap Partners, will receive the 2010 Horatio Alger Award in recognition of his personal and professional success despite challenging beginnings and adversities in his business career.

Grant will be formally inducted into the association when he accepts the Horatio Alger Award on April 9, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Recipients of the award have overcome great adversity to achieve admirable accomplishments, to serve as examples of achieving the American Dream, and to offer their time and resources to help others in need.

“We are delighted to induct these individuals into the Horatio Alger Association and to honor their stories of success in the face of significant struggle,” said David L. Sokol, president and CEO of the Horatio Alger Association. “We believe that adversity builds character, and Jody Grant’s story is no exception. Grant’s life story of strength, resolve and achievement is commendable, and he will help fulfill our mission of helping other young people achieve similar success.”

Jody Grant was born in 1938 in San Antonio, Texas. His father was a brilliant lawyer who, unfortunately, became an alcoholic. By the time Grant was in his early teens, his father was asked to leave the law firm he founded because of his alcoholism. As a result, Jody’s mother worked to support the family. Jody majored in finance at Southern Methodist University, which he attended on a full swimming scholarship. Swimming at his level was a full-time job, but Jody worked during the summers to help his family. He believed his success in swimming enabled him to establish his own identity and to succeed in business where his father had failed. Grant earned an MBA and a Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin.

After several years of climbing the corporate banking ladder, Grant became chairman and CEO of Texas American Bancshares (TAB). He took office just as the Texas economy was caught in the vortex of the “perfect storm.” As a result, he lost his position and his entire net worth, a devastating event for Grant and his family, which he chronicled in his 1996 book, THE GREAT TEXAS BANKING CRASH. At age 50, he restarted his career as Chief Financial Officer of Electronic Data Systems. In 1998, Grant founded Texas Capital Bank, the largest startup bank in U. S. history. The bank went public in 2003 and is now worth $5.4 billion in assets.

Grant will be honored among 10 other remarkable individuals who will receive the 2010 award for their hard work, self-reliance and perseverance:

• Albert T. Annexstad, Chairman, Federated Insurance Companies
• William Alfred Cook, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cook Group Incorporated
• Tommy Ray Franks, Former Commander-in-Chief, US Central Command, and Chairman, Franks & Associates
• Jenard M. Gross, President, Gross Investments
• Lawrence Mead Higby, CEO (Retired), Vice Chairman and Advisor, Apria Healthcare Group Inc.
• Richard D. Holland, Philanthropist and Chairman (Retired), Rollheiser Holland Kahler Advertising
• Alan B. Miller, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Health Services, Inc.
• Condoleezza Rice, Former Secretary of State, US Department of State, and Provost, Stanford University
• James M. Seneff Jr., Founder and CEO, CNL Financial Group, Inc.
• Earl W. Stafford Sr., Chief Executive Officer, The Wentworth Group LLC, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Stafford Foundation, Inc.

In addition, the 2010 Norman Vincent Peale Award will be presented to Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. The Norman Vincent Peale Award is annually conferred on an association member who has made exceptional humanitarian contributions to society, who has been an active participant in the association, and who continues to exhibit courage, tenacity and integrity in the face of great challenges. The award is named in honor of Dr. Peale, who was an outstanding leader of the association for more than 40 years.

The 2010 members will receive their awards at the 2010 Horatio Alger Awards Induction Ceremonies April 8-10, 2010. Activities include three days of meetings and celebrations in some of the nation’s most historic buildings. The Horatio Alger national scholars, remarkable high school seniors who have excelled despite adversity, also will be formally honored during the three-day gathering.

A complete list of all of the Horatio Alger Members can be found at http://www.horatioalger.org/members.cfm.

About The Horatio Alger Association
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers three annual scholarship programs: the National Scholarship Program, state scholarship rpograms, and graduate grants. The association awards nearly $7 million annually in college scholarships and has given more than $70 million to deserving students since 1984. The association is a 2009 Combined Federal Campaign participant, ID# 77062. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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