Jon and Rebecca Brumley
The Brumley NextGen Fellows program would not be possible without the generous support of Jon and Rebecca Brumley of Fort Worth, Texas.
The Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law joins The University of Texas community in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of I. Jon Brumley. Alongside his wife Rebecca, Jon’s generosity and kindness made a lasting impact on the lives of countless deserving University of Texas students.
At the Strauss Center, the Brumley legacy lives on through the Brumley Graduate Fellows and Undergraduate Scholars programs, which provide life-changing opportunities for a select group of elite UT Austin students. The Strauss Center’s Brumley programs train the next generation of leaders to confront the most pressing challenges facing our society.
JON BRUMLEY (1939-2025)
Jon Brumley had a distinguished career in the energy business. After earning a BBA from The University of Texas at Austin in 1961, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he served in leadership positions at a number of successful oil and gas companies.
Throughout his tenure in the energy sector, he listed eight oil and gas companies, six of which he founded, on the New York Stock Exchange. He co-founded XTO Energy (which established Cross Timbers Royalty Trust) after working almost twenty years in various positions, including President, at Southland Royalty Company. Mr. Brumley served as Chairman of Pioneer until co-founding Encore Acquisition Company and Encore Acquisition Partners with his son, Jon S. Brumley. He was Chairman and CEO of Bounty Investments.
Mr. Brumley received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from The University of Texas at Austin, was inducted into the Petroleum Hall of Fame and, with his son, recognized as Forbes magazine’s 2005 “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Due to his commitment to public education, Governor Mark White appointed him Chairman of the Texas State Board of Education. In addition to education, Mr. Brumley was involved in a multitude of philanthropic endeavors; most importantly to him, improving resources at children’s hospitals in Texas.
REBECCA BRUMLEY
Rebecca Brumley is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin with a master's degree and received a bachelor's degree from Baylor University. Throughout her career, she has been a leader and advocate for children and youth in education, children's protective services and the juvenile justice system. She has served as superintendent of the Waco State Home, a Texas Youth Commission facility, vice-chairman of the State Board of Education, member of the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards, the United Way of Texas Executive Board, Paul Quinn College Board of Trustees and the Texas Health and Human Services Coordinating Council.
In 1991, Mrs. Brumley and her husband established the Red Oak Foundation in Fort Worth. She serves as its executive director. The foundation encourages reading to young children through programs in non-profit agencies and pediatric clinics and provides scholarships to prospective teachers. Currently, Red Oak Books gives over 37,000 new, hardcover books each year to disadvantaged families.