Ernie H. Cockrell Inducted into American Academy of Arts & Sciences

HOUSTON (October 1, 2011) - Founding Chairman of the TMHRI Board of Directors Ernie H. Cockrell was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which recognizes leaders with expertise in technology policy, global security, the humanities and culture, social policy, and education.

Ernie Cockrell is chairman of Cockrell Interests Inc., and president and director of The Cockrell Foundation.  Ernie is an active community leader, serving on the boards of many major non-profits including The Methodist Hospital System and the Research Institute;  The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Sciences of Texas;  the Sam Houston Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America; The Children’s Museum of Houston; and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. He is also a trustee of the Cullen Trust for Health Care, a director and past chairman of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, a director of The Welch Foundation, and a director and current chairman of Reasoning Mind, Inc.

There were 178 influential scientists, scholars, authors, artists and institutional leaders inducted into the academy this year.  Other luminaries inducted in 2011 include Nobel laureate Ei-Ichi Negishi; Edward Felten Chief Technologist for the United States Federal Trade Commission; Cornell President David Skorton; Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos; singer-songwriters Bob Dylan and Paul Simon; and actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

The Academy was founded by John Adams, Robert Paine, John Hancock, and other visionaries, to bring together leaders in the learned professions, government and business leaders further the democratic interests of the republic. Current members include more than 250 Nobel laureates, 100 Pulitzer Prize winners, and recipients of the Pritzker, Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy awards.

To speak with a representative of TMHRI, please contact David Bricker, at 832-667-5811 or dmbricker@tmhs.org.  For more information on The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, visit our website. Follow Methodist on Facebook and Twitter.