Bryan Hunt to Be Special Commencement Speaker Saturday

Photo Submitted

Bryan Hunt

J. Bryan Hunt Jr. will be the special commencement speaker on Saturday, Dec. 14, when the U of A celebrates its graduates of the 2024 summer and fall semesters.

Hunt, a 1983 graduate from the U of A with a degree in marketing and transportation, will be the featured speaker at the second ceremony honoring graduates from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the College of Education and Health Professions and the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The ceremony will start at 12:30 p.m. inside Bud Walton Arena and is open to the public. It will also be streamed live on the U of A’s YouTube channel.  

Hunt and his family, collectively, have made a tremendous impact on the region and the state of Arkansas over the years, supporting education and giving back.

Recently, Hunt, along with his sister Jane, made a planned signature gift of $100 million toward the newly created Land of Opportunity Scholarship.  

The scholarship was established to support undergraduate students from Arkansas who exhibit strong academic ability and high financial need and helps further student success, a key priority of the university’s 150 Forward Strategic Plan.

Born in Little Rock to Johnelle Hunt and the late J.B. Hunt, founders of Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Bryan Hunt grew up in Northwest Arkansas and built a successful career along the way.

Before starting his personal businesses, Bryan held executive positions with J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. for 18 years. He is has served on the J.B. Hunt Transport board since 1991 and a board member of The New School, a private learning institution serving children from 6 months of age to high school, located in Fayetteville.

His spouse, Mandy Hunt, previously served as secretary on the board of directors for The New School. Together, they formed the Athlete Advocate Consortium and Friends of Basketball to support and guide college athletes in the arena of name, image and likeness (NIL). Bryan and Mandy Hunt are ardent Arkansas Razorbacks supporters.  

For more information about this weekend’s commencement ceremonies, please visit commencement.uark.edu. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.