College Baseball Foundation names Forrest Hoglund as recipient of the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The College Baseball Foundation (CBF) has selected former University of Kansas baseball captain and longtime business leader and philanthropist Forrest Hoglund for the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award.

¡°The College Baseball Foundation is honored to recognize Forrest Hoglund with the 2025 George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award,¡± said Tom Jacobs, CBF chief executive officer and executive director. ¡°Mr. Hoglund was a team captain and standout at Kansas before embarking on a truly remarkable business career in the oil and gas industry. Along the way, his ardent support of numerous causes made a meaningful impact in his community and a difference in the lives of millions of people who have been touched by his generosity. He joins an illustrious list of previous recipients.¡±

Hoglund was born in Lawrence, Kan., and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1956 with a degree in mechanical engineering. While at KU, he played baseball from 1954-56, including serving as team captain as a senior. His options after graduation from Kansas were to play Minor League Baseball with the Yankees or to get married and go to work. He chose the latter but has enjoyed following the Jayhawks baseball team in the years since.

¡°I'm honored and humbled to be given the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award,¡± said Hoglund. ¡°College baseball has always been special to me, as is this award."

Hoglund Ballpark, the baseball home of the Kansas Jayhawks, opened in 1988, is named in his honor. Hoglund will be formally honored with the Geoge H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award at a banquet in Overland Park, Kan., on April 14. Additional information regarding the event, including opportunities to purchase a ticket or a table, will be made available soon.

¡°As a former baseball student-athlete and team captain, Forrest is an exceptional representative of the University of Kansas with a lifetime record of giving back,¡± said University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. ¡°We are honored to have his name on our baseball stadium, giving those student-athletes someone to emulate as they navigate their collegiate experience. He deserves this significant honor from the College Baseball Foundation as his impact has reached further than sport. I know everyone at the University of Kansas and Kansas Athletics is overjoyed for Forrest and the Hoglund family.¡±

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, honors the accomplishments of college baseball players who achieved greatness off the diamond, is named after its inaugural recipient, George H.W. Bush, who played at Yale from 1946 to 1948 and was elected the 41st President of the United States. Bush, called "Poppy" by his teammates, played first base for the Bulldogs' teams that played in the first two College World Series. He also served as the team captain for the 1948 squad.

Hoglund is a veteran of the oil and gas industry. He served as V.P. of Worldwide Natural Gas Liquids for Exxon Corporation. He was founding Chairman and CEO of EOG Resources and President and CEO of Texas Oil and Gas. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of a Houston start up, SeaOne Holdings, LLC, which has a new, low-cost technology for transporting natural gas and gas liquids together.

Along with his successful business career, Hoglund has numerous philanthropic interests. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Hoglund Foundation was created in 1989, and he currently serves as Trustee Ex-officio. He also serves on the boards of the National Petroleum Council, the SMU Maguire Energy Institute, and the Center for Brain Health.

Over the years, Hoglund has raised more than $1 billion for educational, civic and charitable causes, two of which are the funding for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Endowment Association of the University of Kansas. He has also been instrumental in advancing the game he loves, including serving as an early advocate and supporter of the College Baseball Foundation and Hall of Fame.

Hoglund has been given many awards in his career. The University of Kansas awarded him their top honor in 2005 with the Distinguished Service Award and then again in 2023 with the Lifetime Athletic Service Award. He was named to the Philanthropy World Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Texas Legend Award from Texas Oil & Gas Association in 2009. In 2014, he was honored to receive the Linz Award, Dallas¡¯ highest recognition for community involvement. In 2016, he received the SMU Maguire Energy Institute Pioneer Award and in 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Past Recipients of the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award

Year: Recipient, City Honored, Schools Played Baseball

2014: George H.W. Bush, Houston, Yale

2015: Dr. Bobby Brown, Fort Worth, Texas, Stanford, UCLA, and Tulane

2015: Congressman Roger Williams, Fort Worth, Texas, TCU

2015: Vin Scully, Los Angeles, Fordham

2016: Dr. John Olerud, Seattle, Washington State

2020: Judge Thelton Henderson, Virtual, California-Berkeley

About the College Baseball Foundation

The purpose of the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) is to preserve, elevate, and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us, and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.

The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Support for the College Baseball Hall of Fame will help preserve the rich history of the sport for future generations. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible and can be made via this link on the organization¡¯s website.

The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation¡¯s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence Award.

About the College Baseball Hall of Fame

Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.

The College Baseball Hall of Fame will establish a physical location in Overland Park, Kan., in early 2026. Located within the iconic Museum at Prairiefire, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will serve as a shared community asset, deepening connections to the nation's favorite pastime through a dynamic and ever-evolving space for college baseball enthusiasts to celebrate the sport's rich past, present and future.