Don Sanders

Don Sanders is the Founder and Chairman of Sanders Morris Harris, the Houston-based manager of over $11 billion of client assets. A native of Mexia, Texas, Don graduated from Mexia High School, received his BBA degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and his MBA degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Don joined one of the nation's largest securities firms, E.F. Hutton & Co., in 1959. He later became Executive Vice President and a member of the company's Board of Directors. In 1987, he resigned to form Sanders Morris Harris, which today is one of the nation's leading investment firms and traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. SMH has 67 offices nationwide and provides contract/marketing representation to over 65 NFL professional football players. Don is a leader of a variety of civic, corporate and financial enterprises. He was an owner of the Houston Astros Baseball Club before founding the Round Rock Express with Nolan and Reid Ryan. With the Ryans, he is a principal owner of Ryan-Sanders Baseball which owns and operates the Triple-A Round Rock Express and the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks baseball clubs. An active community leader, Don served on the Houston Police Pension Board, and the University Of Houston Board Of Regents. He is the primary sponsor and a Board member of Friends for Life, a true No Kill animal shelter, rescue and adoption organization. Don was also the Founder and served as Chairman of the Houston Police Foundation. He is on the board of directors of the Nolan Ryan Foundation, the DePelchin Children's Center and a recipient of the Houston Interfaith Charities' "Sportsman of the Year." A noted art and photography collector, Don and his wife, Chris, funded a life-size bronze statue for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown that commemorates the accomplishments of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Away from family and his work, Don's love for baseball ranks at the top. He recently donated a world class baseball facility to Sam Houston State University and established a one million dollar endowment to support the baseball program at SHSU. As a result of this gift the stadium was named the Don Sanders Stadium. He was also honored as a Sam Houston State University Distinguished Alumni as well as being inducted into the Sam Houston College of Business Administration Hall of Honor.