The Jefferson Scholars Foundation last week announced the establishment of the Horniman Prize, a new annual award honoring longtime University of Virginia Darden School of Business professor Alexander B. “Alec” Horniman, who retired in 2021 and died late last year.
Created through the generosity of E. Clorisa “Clo” Phillips in honor of her late husband, the financial prize will celebrate the qualities that distinguished Horniman throughout his 54-year career as a Darden professor: intellectual rigor, ethical leadership, generosity of spirit and an abiding belief in the transformative power of education.
“Alec absolutely loved teaching,” Phillips said. “Mentoring and helping others to see what’s possible also brought him indescribable joy. Our family and I are deeply grateful for, and truly thrilled about, this opportunity to continue his legacy.”
The new teaching award will honor the qualities that professor Alexander B. “Alec” Horniman espoused in his five-decade career at UVA. (Contributed photo)
Over a career spanning more than five decades at the Darden School, he earned a reputation as one of the University’s most respected teachers, mentors and leaders. He retired in 2021 as the Killgallon Ohio Art Professor of Business Administration and served as the founding executive director of the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics.
“Alec was an absolute legend at Darden,” Mike Lenox, interim dean at the school, said. “Across more than five decades, he helped shape the character of the school through his teaching, mentorship and pioneering work in business ethics. He helped generations of students and colleagues understand that business education is ultimately about judgment, responsibility and the human consequences of leadership. Clo’s gift is a beautiful tribute to a man who meant so much to this community, and we are profoundly grateful that the Horniman Prize will carry Alec’s legacy forward by recognizing others who invite, include and inspire.”
For those who knew him, Horniman’s influence extended far beyond the classroom. He challenged those around him to think critically, act responsibly and lead with integrity. He possessed a rare ability to recognize potential in others and help them realize it.
“Alec was my colleague and my friend, and I loved the man,” said Sankaran Venkataraman, the MasterCard Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean for faculty and research at Darden. “He was one of Darden’s master teachers, but that title only begins to capture who he was. Alec had a mesmerizing presence in the classroom, a wonderful wit and a rare gift for helping people become more fully themselves. He could take any question and elevate it into something larger, helping students think harder, reflect more deeply, and see new possibilities in themselves and others. To me, that was Alec’s genius: He did not simply teach people what to think, he helped them discover who they might become.”
The Horniman Prize – open to all members of the UVA community – builds upon the Jefferson Scholars Foundation’s longstanding commitment to recognizing excellence in teaching. Since 2010, the foundation has awarded $675,000 through a series of faculty prizes, honoring more than 90 faculty for exceptional contributions to student learning and development.
“We continue to invest in people whose talents and character enrich the University,” Jimmy Wright, president of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, said. “Professor Horniman devoted his life to developing others, cultivating thoughtful leadership and building communities where people could flourish. We are honored that Clo chose to celebrate his legacy through the foundation, and we hope this prize will inspire and recognize those who carry forward those same values.”
Nominations for the inaugural Horniman Prize will open in September.
