The University of Dallas has named a full four-year scholarship after Deacon Paul Wood, a graduate of both Bishop Dunne and the University of Dallas. President of the university, Thomas Keefe, was on the Bishop Dunne campus Jan. 28 to present the award to Deacon Wood and to the student body during Catholic Schools Week.

The surprise announcement came a month earlier, during a faculty meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Kate Leary, assistant director of admissions for the university, was introduced by Bishop Dunne President Kate Daily, who presented Deacon Wood with a framed copy of the scholarship letter named after him. The scholarship is worth about $40,000 per year and will be renewable annually.

Deacon Wood is a 1972 graduate of Bishop Dunne, where he had attended since seventh grade. While there, he played football, basketball and baseball, and in his freshman year, he also ran track. At the University of Dallas, he majored in psychology and had enough credits for a major in theology. While at UD, he played baseball and was a pitcher and first baseman. He returned to coach baseball part-time at Bishop Dunne as he was completing his college degree, and soon after, he became a full-time employee. Forty-two years later, he continues to work at Bishop Dunne and is now the Director of Technology at the school.

He serves as a deacon at Holy Spirit in Duncanville, where he and his wife, Diane, live.

The University of Dallas approached Bishop Dunne recently about naming the annual scholarship after someone, and “every response came back—it was unanimous: Deacon Paul Wood,” said Leary in her presentation to the faculty.

Bishop Dunne has four faculty on campus who graduated from the University of Dallas: Paul Wood; AP English teacher Eleanor Graham; Admissions Co-Director Gabriel Moreno; and Director of Community Outreach Judy Porter. 

Story and photo courtesy of Judith E. Porter, Director of Community Outreach, Bishop Dunne Catholic School