November 3, 2004
McCombs Hall of Fame Inducts Four Prominent Texas Leaders

On Nov. 5, the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame inducts four prominent Houston business leaders whose contributions have had a positive impact on both Texas and the nation.

The honorees for 2004 are all graduates of The University of Texas at Austin: Peter R. Coneway, advisory director of Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Gary T. Crum, president of CRP Foundation; Robert H. Graham, chairman of AIM Management Group Inc.; and James J. Mulva, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips.

Collectively, the four inductees have led some of the largest companies in Texas and the United States and served on the boards of an array of educational and civic institutions, including The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The Texas Heart Institute and The University of Texas Board of Regents.

Honorees are nominated by McCombs faculty and Advisory Council members and chosen by a select committee of McCombs leadership. The committee seeks individuals who have contributed significantly to business practice and “by their exemplary civic, philanthropic, and educational activities, have advanced humanity.”

Induction into the Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors the school can bestow upon its alumni and friends.

Peter R. Coneway (BBA '66) remains actively involved in Houston-area and statewide causes, in addition to his work for Goldman, Sachs & Co. Reflecting a personal interest in advancing health care, he currently serves as chairman of the Board of Visitors for The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and is a trustee of the Texas Heart Institute and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.

Coneway has also dedicated significant time to UT Austin, serving on the Commission of 125 and on the McCombs School Advisory Council. He was the recipient of the 1983 Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award, was appointed to the UT System Board of Regents in 1993 and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University in October 2003.

During his time at UT Austin, Coneway built relationships that would “change the direction of [his] life,” as he succinctly put it. He earned his BBA in 1966, after which he obtained an MBA from Stanford.

Shortly after graduation, Coneway joined Goldman, Sachs & Co., founded the Houston office in 1975 and was named a general partner in 1978. He established the firm’s equity division in Tokyo in 1987-88 before returning to manage the Houston office, where he remains active as an advisory director with client relationships and in setting Goldman Sachs’ strategic direction.

Gary T. Crum (MBA '72), president of the CFP Foundation and co-founder of AIM Management Group Inc., is an active member of the educational community. Currently, Crum serves on the McCombs School Advisory Council as vice chair, on the UT MBA Investment Fund Board of Directors, on the Commission of 125 and on the Boards of Trustees of Southern Methodist University and SMU’s Cox School of Business. His volunteer service includes trusteeship of Episcopal High School and the Memorial Endowment Fund of St. John the Divine.

“Over the last 10 years, I have been a part of the advisory team that has worked to create and perpetuate the MBA Investment Fund. I believe we have created one of the top academic programs in the U.S. for those seeking a career in the investment management industry,” Crum said. Crum has been in the investment business since 1972, when he earned his MBA in finance from the McCombs School.

In 1976, Crum co-founded AIM Management Group Inc., along with Ted Bauer and fellow MBA graduate Bob Graham, with a vision to establish one of the leading investment advisory companies in Houston. Before stepping down, Crum was CEO and director of investments for AIM Capital Management, a member of the AMVESCAP Executive Management Committee and member of the Board of Directors of AMVESCAP PLC.

Robert H. Graham (B.S. '68, M.S. '72, MBA 73) dedicates significant time to educational causes, including serving on UT Austin’s Commission of 125, the McCombs School Advisory Council and the Board of Directors of the University of St. Thomas. He is also a Life Member of Texas Exes and a long-standing member of the Chancellor’s Council, President’s Associates and the Littlefield Society. Stanch supporters of the McCombs School, Graham and associate Gary Crum generously endowed the AIM Investment Center to the school.

Graham received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1968, an M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1972 and an MBA in finance in 1973, all from UT Austin. “I have many fond memories of my time there. In addition, the education I received both in engineering and business at UT have been invaluable to me in my career,” he said.

Graham co-founded AIM Management Group Inc., one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies, soon after graduation and currently serves as the chairman of the company. He is a member of the Executive Management Committee and is vice chairman of AMVESCAP PLC, of which AIM is a subsidiary.

Active in the broader professional arena as well, Graham has been a member of the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of the Investment Company Institute. He has also served as chairman of the Board of Directors of ICI Mutual Insurance Company.

James J. Mulva (BBA '68, MBA '69) is committed to giving back to the community through his efforts on the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Board of Trustees of the Boys and Girls Club of America. Underscoring his dedication to UT Austin, Mulva also serves on The University of Texas Development Board and the McCombs School Advisory Council.

After graduating with an MBA in finance in 1969, Mulva served as a U.S. Navy officer until 1973, when he began his career with Phillips Petroleum. Mulva moved through the company ranks, becoming chief financial officer in 1990, chief operating officer in 1994 and eventually chief executive officer in 1999. He assumed chairmanship of ConocoPhillips, the third-largest integrated energy company in the U.S., on Oct. 1, 2004, after the 2002 merger.

“My experience at The University of Texas taught me the value of prioritization and teamwork and helped me develop a disciplined approach for handling the challenges of a changing business world while balancing the personal demands of raising a family,” Mulva said.