Tom Horton, a senior in the College Scholars Program, was the first UT student to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship in 1982. He was one of only two students from state universities to be offered one of the prestigious awards. The Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed by the United Kingdom’s Parliament on July 31, 1953, establishing scholarships similar to the Rhodes Scholarships, but governmentally funded and applied without distinction to gender, with a broader age range, and applicable at any university in the United Kingdom. The program was named for George C. Marshall, commemorating the Marshall Plan, to further relationships between the United States and the United Kingdom. Four regional United States Boards (now eight) were established to interview candidates and make recommendations for awards. Horton worked toward a British master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh, concentrating his studies in computer science and linguistics.