Don Buchholz (’52), 90, a longtime UNT supporter and former member of the UNT System Board of Regents, died April 30 in Dallas.
He served in the U.S. Air Force and attended North Texas thanks to the GI Bill. After Buchholz graduated from North Texas, he worked in several accounting firms before co-founding Southwest Securities, now known as Hilltop Holdings, an investment banking and banking services provider. He retired in 2011 after a career marked by innovation, with positions including Southwest Securities’ CEO and president, governor of the New York Stock Exchange, and board member for the Securities Industry Association, National Association of Securities Dealers, and the Texas Stock and Bond Dealers Association.
He served on the UNT System Board of Regents from 2007 to 2013 as the system experienced record growth. He also was a member of the UNT Foundation Board of Directors, the College of Business Advisory Board, the Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and The Campaign for UNT Executive and Steering Committees. He and his wife, Ruth, were members of UNT’s 1890 Society, McConnell Society and Diamond Eagles Society, and made numerous significant gifts for research, education and scholarship to benefit students, especially those in the field of education.
They established the Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education, a research center studying critical community college issues and developing future community college leaders. They also established the Southwest Securities Superintendent Certification Scholarship, the Mike Moses Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership, the Donald A. Buchholz Doctoral Program in Educational Administration Scholarship, and gave to the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, Athletics and Emerald Eagles Scholars.
Buchholz received numerous awards from UNT, including the Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 1999, the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001 and an honorary doctorate in 2015.
A memorial service will take place from 2 to 2:45 p.m. May 6 at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, with a reception following. Memorials gifts may be made for the Bill J. Priest Fund by mailing to the University of North Texas, University Advancement, 1155 Union Circle #311250, Denton, Texas 76203.
