Kelly L. Houston is a proud alumnus and football letterman of The University of Tulsa who earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1995 and subsequently launched a rewarding career. Kelly continues to appreciate the excellent education and mentoring he received in his electrical engineering studies under the guidance of caring professors.

Kelly has many wonderful memories of his TU days, including the camaraderie and first-rate coaching he experienced as a member of the Golden Hurricane Football Team under Head Coach Dave Rader. The Golden Hurricane enjoyed much success when Kelly was a defensive player on the team, with a victory over San Diego State in the 1991 Freedom Bowl, capping a successful 10-2 season in which the team also beat Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M. TU was ranked #21 in the nation in the AP Poll at the end of the season. In the fall of 1992, TU’s defensive secondary was ranked #10 in the nation by The Sporting News.

Kelly Houston was inspired to pursue his education by his beloved grandmother, Ora Lee Houston, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 93. He recognizes the overwhelmingly positive influence his degree and experience as a TU student-athlete are having on his life, and the fact that higher education can be an important factor in the success of any individual.

In appreciation for the loving support of his grandmother, and in recognition of the opportunities his TU degree and football scholarship have given him, Kelly Houston decided in 2021 to create a scholarship fund for students hoping to attend TU from his hometown of Houston, Texas. He named this need-based scholarship fund after his beloved grandmother, calling it the Ora Lee Houston Scholarship Endowment Fund.

The University of Tulsa is deeply grateful for this important scholarship program, which fosters opportunity among diverse students from Houston, Texas, while paying tribute to the life and legacy of Ora Lee Houston, a loving grandmother and inspiring role model.