Ben Barnes: Lifelong Commitment to Education
Ben Barnes, the former Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1969-1973) and author of the political memoir “Barn Burning, Barn Building: Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyond,” remains an active advocate of higher education despite his 13-year absence from elective office.
To honor Ben Barnes, politician, and his efforts at improving the state of education in Texas, a fellowship endowment has been named after him by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas. Ed Dorn, the School’s Dean, remarked that Ben Barnes did more for education in Texas than virtually any other state political leader. This reflects the magnitude of service that Ben Barnes, politician, has rendered to the cause of education while a member of the Texas House of Representatives and subsequently, as Lieutenant Governor. The endowment was established in order to attract top students from all over the country to pursue careers in public leadership.
Today, former Lt. Gov. of Texas Ben Barnes, is founder of EntreCorp, a lobbying and consulting firm he formed in 1989. As a businessman and philanthropist, Ben Barnes continues to support initiatives in education by partnering with nonprofits and setting up scholarship funds such as the Ben and Melanie Barnes Endowed Scholarship that supports the University of Texas’ athletics department.