On October 16, the Texas Tech University System’s Board of Regents announced the renaming of the Excellence in Banking Program Director Endowment as the F. Scott Dueser Chair for Excellence in Banking. Dueser serves as chairman, president and CEO of Abilene-based First Financial Bankshares Inc.
In May 2019, anonymous donors established the Excellence in Banking Program Director Endowment within the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business as a way to recruit a high-caliber individual with extensive banking experience to serve as director for the Excellence in Banking program. The gift will support the director’s salary. In September, the donors endorsed naming the endowment in Dueser’s honor because of his dedication to raising financial support for the Excellence in Banking program. This program will ensure Texas Tech University teaches best practices and West Texas community values to the next generation of bankers. Dueser’s tireless efforts helped the program surpass its goal, raising more than $11 million in just nine months.
“The Rawls College is honored that F. Scott Dueser’s name is now permanently associated with the college and the Excellence in Banking program,” says Margaret L. Williams, dean of the Rawls College of Business. “Scott pushed us to establish this program to provide a robust pipeline of talent to the banking industry, and he has put all of his support behind it. Working together, we expect this to become the premier banking program in the country; we know Scott will settle for nothing less.”
Dueser received his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Texas Tech University in 1975, then graduated from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in 1981. Dueser was named a distinguished alumnus by the Rawls College of Business in 2006 and the Texas Tech Alumni Association in 2019. He has served in various leadership capacities throughout the Texas Tech University System, including four years as a member of the board of regents and one year as board chairman. Dueser currently serves on the boards of the Texas Tech Alumni Association and Texas Tech Free Market Institute, and previously served on the board of the Texas Tech Foundation.
Dueser is active in the banking community and his local community of Abilene. He serves on the board of the American Bankers Association Foundation and is chairman of the board of the United Way of Abilene Foundation. He previously served as chairman of the Texas Bankers Association and its BankPac, United Way of Abilene, Cisco College advisory board and Day Nursery of Abilene. He has previously served on boards of the American Bankers Association, Abilene Industrial Foundation, Ben Richey Boys Ranch Foundation and Cisco College advisory board.
