The University of Central Arkansas at its Saturday Commencement exercises will present the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Rush F. Harding III, chief executive officer of Little Rock investment banking firm Crews & Associates.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest honor for an alumnus of UCA. According to the award criteria, “A Distinguished Alumnus for the University of Central Arkansas is recognized for outstanding contribution to the university, community, state or society; outstanding achievement in a particular field of endeavor; possessing a reputation that enhances the reputation of the university and serves as an example to UCA students; and contributing to the goals or the welfare of the university.”
In 2002, Harding established the Holloway-Hicks Scholarship to benefit African-American students, and his generosity did not stop there. In 2004, he and Linda gave more than $1.4 million to UCA, the largest single gift in the university?s history. It was used to support student scholarships and to construct UCA?s signature landmark, Harding Centennial Plaza.
In 2006, Harding and his wife were named Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the Arkansas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The couple is also co-chairing UCA’s first major, comprehensive fundraising campaign, which coincides with the university’s centennial anniversary.
Harding graduated from Clarendon High School in 1972. He originally attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York before graduating with honors from the University of Central Arkansas in 1976 with a bachelor of science degree in Math and English.
As a UCA student, he was a member of the men’s basketball team, a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and a member of the Wesley Foundation.
Upon graduation he joined T.J. Raney & Sons and in 1979, along with Adron Crews and five other partners, founded the Little Rock investment banking firm Crews & Associates. He served as executive vice president from 1979 to 1996. He was named president in 1996 and chief executive officer in 2000.
Harding serves on the board of First Security Bancorp. He is president and a board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and has served as a board member of Pulaski Academy and the University of Central Arkansas for over a decade. He is also a member of First United Methodist Church in Little Rock.
Harding’s family has established a legacy of loyalty to UCA. His parents, Rush (Buddy) Harding Jr. ?50 and Martha Stone Harding ’52, are alumni of the university, as is his wife, Linda ’82. Rush and Linda also have three children: Shaylea ’06, Buddy, and Payne, who is currently attending UCA.
Harding is the 22nd individual in the history of the university to receive this distinction, joining the ranks of best-selling author Dee Brown, five-time NBA All-Star Scottie Pippen, J.B. Hunt Transport Co-Founder Johnelle Hunt and U.S. Department of Education Deputy Secretary Ray Simon.
