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Ernie R. Reese Memorial Golf Tournament

THE GOLF TOURNAMENT

THE GOLF TOURNAMENT

Ernie R. Reese Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic

Ernie R. Reese (August 10, 2005) was an avid golfer whose passion was to mentor and assist Houston area minority youth with their educational endeavors. Ernie's love for the game
inspired him to travel all over the state to play with other avid and novice golfers. It was through those outings that Ernie forged deep and lasting friendships.

Ernie's devotion to the well-being and the uplift of others inspired him to establish this golf tournament to raise funds to provide scholarships for students in the Houston community
that were working to attend a college or university after their high school graduation.

In 1985, the first golf tournament, sponsored in partnership with Ernie's corporate, college, and business associates, set the stage for the legacy we celebrate each year since that inaugural event. Ernie worked for many years growing the tournament to one of the premier scholarship events in the city of Houston, Texas. Tragically, on August 10, 2005, Ernie Reese lost his life in an automobile accident while traveling on a Texas highway. Shortly after his death, Ernie's supporters renamed the tournament "Ernie R. Reese Memorial Golf Tournament" in honor and memory of the founder and organizer of this event.

The Ernie R. Reese Memorial Golf Tournament continues to thrive and grow each year. The proceeds from this annual event benefit the Ronald E. McNair Scholarship Fund.

In honor and in memory of Dr. Ronald E. McNair the Ronald E. McNair Scholarship Fund was established and dedicated to the high standards of achievement inspired by Dr.
McNair's life.


Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. (October 21, 1950 - January 28, 1986) was an African American physicist and NASA astronaut. He attended North Carolina A & T State University where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. degree in physics in 1971. McNair then enrolled in the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1976, at the age of 26, he earned his Ph.D. in laser physics. NASA selected Dr. McNair for the space shuttle program in 1978 and he was a mission specialist aboard the 1986 flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger. McNair perished during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.

Ronald E. McNair Scholarship Fund

The Ronald E. McNair Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to college-bound students in the metropolitan Houston area. The fund awards scholarships in two categories: 

  • The Ronald E. McNair Scholarship – A four-year scholarship awarded to outstanding students each year.

  •  The Leon Flowers Scholarship – A one-time award given to college-bound students.

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