The Texas Bankers Hall of Fame on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville held its Annual Gala on April 25. Five iconic bankers—James E. Baine, the late Harlan R. Heitkamp, Carmen Angelle Jordan, Vidal H. Ramirez and Henry Wu—were inducted.
Established by the Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking at Sam Houston State University, the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame recognizes and honors the accomplishments of outstanding bankers who have made valuable contributions to the banking profession and pioneered the Texas banking industry. The inaugural Texas Bankers Hall of Fame was held in 2013 and has inducted 52 Texas bankers to date.
All inductees attended the gala to accept their honor except for Heitkamp, who was represented by his son Scott Heitkamp and grandson Andrew Heitkamp. Pictured above left are Ramirez, Jordan, Scott and Andrew Heitkamp, and Baine. Pictured above right are Wu (center) with Jill Sharp Vaughan, Smith-Hutson endowed chair of banking at Sam Houston State University, and Wu’s son James.
Click here to view profiles of the five 2024 inductees.
Proceeds from the gala support the Sam Houston State University banking program, as well as the executive MBA scholarship, which provides $5,000 to attend the program in banking and financial institutions at SHSU.