The Haslam Scholars Program, UT’s most prestigious and selective scholarships for undergraduate students, was made possible in 2007 by a $2.5 million donation from Jimmy (James A. Haslam III) and Dee Haslam. That sum was then matched by Jimmy’s father, James A. Haslam II and his wife, Natalie. Jimmy Haslam, a 1976 graduate, is president and CEO of Pilot Travel Centers, and a 1986 graduate. Dee Haslam is CEO of RIVR Media. The scholars program is akin to the Jefferson Scholars Program at the University of Virginia and the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina. The Haslam Scholarships were first awarded to 15 students in 2008. In that first year, more than eleven hundred students met the eligibility requirements, and committees interviewed more than two hundred as part of the selection process.