Speaking at a recent luncheon at the Arizona Inn in Tucson, Ariz., to honor the Brown scholars and professors, foundation president Sarah Brown Smallhouse described the scholarship recipients as, "An amazing group of students for us to help on their path." She added, "Education is something we can't skimp on... especially economic education."

The foundations were established in honor of Tom Brown, who in 2001 was named technology executive of the year at the Technology and Management Awards, a collaboration between UA's College of Engineering and the Eller College of Management to recognize leaders at the intersection of business and technology.

Burr-Brown Research Corporation, the technology company started in 1956 by Tom Brown and his partner Page Burr, whom Brown later bought out, was eventually sold to Texas Instruments in a stock deal worth more than $7 billion, at the time the semiconductor industry's largest-ever acquisition.

It has become a tradition at the annual scholarship lunches to watch a recording of Tom Brown's acceptance speech, which many of the new scholars have never seen. Tom Brown's wisdom, humor, and business and engineering acumen are thus passed on every year to a new generation of entrepreneurial engineers.

In the recording, Tom Brown tells the award ceremony audience: "To be successful you need good engineering, good management, and a noble purpose for the good of mankind." And he warns, "You have to make enough mistakes to get your humility factor."

Brown said in 2001 that it was the combination of support from the UA College of Engineering, the state, the community, excellent management, outstanding employees and good customers that lead to the success of Burr-Brown. As Tom Brown put it: "Good engineering, plus a degree of serendipity."

Two students, one from each college, described to the audience how the scholarships affected them personally. "These gifts allow us to carry on and give back to the community," said Eller MBA student Jenny Yang. "We are honored to join in this partnership that is changing the world."

Chris Utter, who aims to graduate in May 2011 with a dual major in math and systems engineering, made the point that many of his peers held down part-time, even full-time, jobs while they sought degrees. "Thanks to the foundation, being an engineering student has been my full-time job," he said.

To honor Tom Brown and continue his legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship, the Brown Family Foundation generously supports several University of Arizona endeavors. The foundation's scholarships for students in the Eller College of Management and the College of Engineering reflect Tom Brown's own educational choices, which began with an undergraduate engineering degree from MIT and continued with an MBA from Harvard.

Gifts from the Brown Family Foundation to the two colleges are intended to foster an environment of creativity and enterprise that will produce the leaders of the future. In 2006 the Brown Family Foundation established two permanent endowments to support the Thomas R. Brown distinguished scholarships in perpetuity.