Lexa Creamer

Lexa Creamer

Lexa Creamer

An outstanding student from UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, Bauer College of Business. More info on our 10th recipient following soon.

Savannah Beverill

Savannah Becerril

Savannah Becerril

“My interests include music, people, volunteering for my local church, and outdoor sports/activities. I am currently a certified audio engineer who runs sound at live concerts/events. I am also a full time student at the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship and the Bauer School of Business. Originally, I did not get accepted at the Wolff Center for Spring 2013. However, with determination and faith, I pled my case and was accepted at the start of the 2013 Spring Semester. With this acceptance, came sacrifice of time and monetary resources. Therefore, I am extremely grateful for the Smith-Phares Scholarship!

Being involved at the Wolff Center has been a large blessing in my life. I have acquired knowledge that most entrepreneurs take a lifetime to learn. With the knowledge and training I have gained at UH, I intend to open a business in the entertainment industry involving my passions for music and people.

Again, thank you for choosing me to represent the Smith-Phares Scholarship for 2013. It has been a large financial blessing that will be used wisely.”

Best Regards, Savannah Becerril

Jacob Hines

Jacob Hines

Jacob Hines

“­­I am very grateful for the generosity of the Fund. Thank you for your investment in my entrepreneurial education and your willingness to offer advice. One of the greatest things in my college experience is having mentors. I would really enjoy having the opportunity to meet with members of the Board of Directors. I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors and a lot of time on the computer.

Today I am still passionate about nature and technology, including how businesses can utilize mobile devices and internet services. I see the potential in these industries to make businesses more efficient at being profitable and eco-friendly at the same time. I moved from Illinois to Houston in hopes of being accepted into the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, the number two Entrepreneurship Program in the nation. I am currently a senior in the Wolff Center at the University of Houston offering social media and website services for professional service firms. These services are inspired by research for my senior honors thesis on why professional service companies should outsource their social media presence.”

Preston Boyer

Preston Boyer

I am so grateful to be a recipient of the Smith-Phares scholarship. This money will help me in my current entrepreneurial endeavors and allow me to continue chasing my dreams. I launched my own clothing company in January of 2016 and have been working hard every day since then to make my dream of being the next great American designer a reality. The fashion industry is difficult to break into, especially being from Houston, but my hard work and dedication has landed me some amazing opportunities, such as being invited to NYC by Vogue and showing a 5 look presentation in partnership with Capsule, Highsnobiety, and the CFDA.

It is difficult being a full time student and running my own company, but it’s worth it. My business gives me purpose and brings true joy into my life, and many others. The Smith-Phares scholarship is a blessing and I am so thankful for the award. Thanks to the team at Smith-Phares, for everything!

Click here to donate

Other Donations

The Memorial Scholarship Fund also donated $500 to UH ‘Turning Point Fund’ managed by David Cook, director of mentoring at the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business. This fund offers support and immediate access to cash to College of Business School students, providing them with the means to cover a sudden emergency or extreme hardship, ensuring they continue on with their education at UH.

We are able to accomplish all of this purely form your generous contributions – thank you! We look forward to your continued support.

The Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Frightseeing Bus Tour certainly put the Fun back in Fundraising! Our intrepid group of Ghostbusters boarded the ghostly white Sierra Trailways luxury coach at 10:00 am and was spirited away for a tour of some of Houston’s best-known haunted places. Although it was a bright and beautiful day, our group came prepared with Ghost Radar apps on cell phones, digital cameras at the ready to catch ‘orbs and rods’ from the spirit world, and vivid imaginations primed for tales of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night.

Click here to view photos from the 2013 Frightseeing Fundraising Tour

Our first stop was the Julia Ideson Library downtown, a handsome Spanish Renaissance-style building opened in 1926. Volunteer library guide, Pat Vandenburg, gave an excellent tour of the library, telling us about its history, renovation, and the ghost of Jacob Cramer and his faithful dog, Petey, said to roam the 3rd floor library hallways. While Pat instructed us about some of the library’s architectural details, eyes probed dark corners and ears strained for sounds of Jacob playing his violin and the scratch, scratch, scratch of Petey’s toenails on the wooden floors.

After lunch, next stop on the Frightseeing Tour was Glenwood Cemetery on Washington, ‘a romantic, rural cemetery park.’ We were fortunate to have Jim Parsons from Preservation Houston as our guide. As we strolled through Glenwood’s serene landscape, Jim pointed out the gravesites of the famous and infamous while regaling us with harrowing tales of murder and intrigue in the lives of some of the cemetery’s ‘notable interred.’

On the way to our next stop, board member Jill Hickman, enthusiastically hawked raffle items to the captive audience! Tickets to a Texans football game, guess-to-win-the-coins-in-the-jar, and a framed photo of the moon were among the prizes won on our way to ‘one of the creepiest spots in Houston.’

The old Jefferson Davis Hospital, our next stop, once held that dubious title. Since its recent renovation and transformation, it is enjoying a new lease on life as the Elder Street Artists’ Lofts. On a bright, sunny day, at first glance, it does not seem in the least bit menacing …but what sends shivers down spines is the knowledge that the hospital was built on land that was once a cemetery. Actually built on top of the cemetery, headstones et al …cell phones were quickly checked for ghostly orbs, rods and any other evidence of the presence of angry spirits…

…and with spirits in mind, our last stop on the tour was La Carafe Wine Bar, thought to be the oldest commercial building in Houston. La Carafe is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a former barkeeper…but today, what we see is ‘a piece of living history, a cozy tavern that hasn’t changed much in 125 years.’

Many thanks to all who made the Frightseeing Bus Tour a success, especially the intrepid Ghostbusters who bought tickets for the tour! Thanks also to those who were unable to attend but who nevertheless donated to the Scholarship Fund.

Many thanks to Julia Ideson library volunteer Pat Vandenburg and to Jim Parsons of Preservation Houston for so generously giving their time on such a beautiful Fall day.

Click here to view photos from the 2013 Frightseeing Fundraising Tour

Hop on at 10 a.m. for a guided bus tour to these spine-chilling locations:

• Julia Ideson Library (disability access provided with elevator to 2nd and 3rd floor of building)
• Glenwood Cemetery (disability access provided with electric cart)
• Old Jefferson Davis Hospital
• La Carafe Wine Bar (Bring cash for a refreshing beverage of your choice at this most bewitching bar!)

Treats for all!

• Goodie bags for each ghoul and goblin
• Water and box lunch included!
• Raffle drawings – bring cash for raffle tickets to win prizes!
  $5 raffle ticket to guess correct amount of candy corn in jar
  $10 raffle ticket to guess exact dollar amount of coins in jar
  $20 raffle ticket to win framed photo of the moon (taken by the late George Phares)
  $20 raffle ticket to win two Texans football game tickets (value $135 per ticket)

Helpful tips:

• Wear comfortable walking shoes. We will be walking through the library and cemetery for extended periods of time.
• Watch the weather: layering is always a good idea to wrap up when a ghostly wind blows through or remove when the devilish sun heats up!
• Bring an umbrella -just in case!
• Water, a few treats, and a box lunch are provided on the bus, but if you have special dietary needs, it’s best to come prepared with your own ghoulish mix!
• For extra phantom fun: download the Ghost Radar app on your phone (Android and iphone apps available!). Bring your phone fully charged to read what the dead have to say on our tours!
• Scaredy cats beware! Look forward to ghost stories, spirit tales and opportunities to learn of other nearby haunts in Texas.
• Ghostbusters! Bring your digital camera to catch orbs and rods from the spirit world!

Proceeds benefit Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business.

Register and pay online:

Register and pay by clicking the Add to Cart button below, then selecting the number of tickets on the PayPal option screen. Your transaction is safe and secure with PayPal!

Houston, TX, April 18, 2011 – The board of The Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Fund announced the award of its first $1000 scholarship at its first annual fund-raising event on Thursday, March 31, 2011. The scholarship recipient, Brian Groce, is a senior at the University of Houston, Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, a double major in marketing and entrepreneurship.

The Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Fund, a Texas non-profit corporation, exists for the purpose of furthering education by extending opportunities for growth and development in a lasting impactful way to honor the memories of Reardon Smith and George Phares, two influential men in the Houston professional community. At the event, Joan Smith revealed the origin of the fund. “’I first heard about plans for establishing a Scholarship Fund in Reardon’s name at his Memorial Service. For the Smith Family, it was a bright spot in a very sad day, and we were thrilled that Reardon was to be honored in this way. It’s such a great tribute to a very special man; an idealist who was highly intelligent, kind, considerate, a great listener, chef extraordinaire possessed with a wonderful sense of humor, and an insatiable curiosity about the world around him.”

Gloria Rooney, Board President of The Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Fund says, “We believe that there is a positive benefit created by generosity, and by mentoring / nurturing the potential of others. Our first annual fund-raising event brought us one important step closer to our vision of providing scholarship funding to selected candidates demonstrating a strong work ethic, a passion for life and learning, and a commitment to better themselves and their community.”Over 40 attendees enjoyed an evening of fond remembrances, spectacular silent auction items donated by an incredible list of sponsors, and a smorgasbord of culinary delights provided by the Hess Club, www.hessclub.com, one of the many generous event sponsors.

The fund-raising event generated over $5400 to enable future scholarship awards to other deserving students such as the first year scholarship recipient, Brian Groce. “The Smith-Phares scholarship is so much more to me than money. This money is a major help, but the chance to experience the legacy of two great men and all of the support that the group gives is priceless. I’m honored to be chosen for this generous scholarship,” says Brian.

Debbie Phares was honored to be part of the event that evening and said, “The scholarship award presentation gave our family great pride. It is an honor to know that this board is working hard to pay forward the life purpose of George who was so generous and encouraged so many others in their own lives and careers.”

To learn more about the Smith-Phares Memorial Scholarship Fund or to make an online donation, please visit our website, www.smith-phares.org.

For more information, please contact Joan Smith, Treasurer, by email.

Event and Auction Sponsors

Many thanks to our generous sponsors:

Event Photographs

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