Horn, Barry

Dates

• Existence: 1949-12-12 - 2009-10-24

Biography

Barry was born Dec. 12, 1949, to Lloyd E. and Louise Marie Stevenson Horn. His father, the valley's first stenographer, and mother, taught Barry the value of compassion, something he kept with him his entire life. Born and raised in Brownsville, his charismatic personality led him to Houston where he was an on-air host and producer of a morning news program at KTRK, the ABC television affiliate in Houston, from 1971 to 1993. At that time he moved back to the Rio Grande Valley and served as the executive director of the South Texas Symphony Association. In 2000, Barry joined the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College and served as manager of the Jacob Brown Civic Center. He oversaw the renovations that transformed the Jacob Brown Auditorium into a showcase for the performing arts. He also successfully launched the Arts and Entertainment performing season. His kind-hearted nature and natural ability for relating to all walks of life made Barry a perfect fit for leading the philanthropic arm of the university. In 2001, he became director of Development and in 2004, he was promoted to associate vice president for Development. Barry will be best remembered for his commitment to the thousands of students who benefited from the endowments and scholarships he helped to create. He worked closely with families and organizations to establish many of the current scholarship endowments. One of the last gifts Barry was involved in was his father's sizeable donation of palm trees to the university. Lloyd E. Horn donated 1,100 native palms valued at more than $100,000 from his palm tree farm in North Brownsville. In January of 2009, he joined the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art where he served as executive director. It was a position that brought together his passion for the arts and his desire to make the arts accessible to everyone. During his short tenure, museum attendance more than doubled. His dream of making the museum free of charge was realized shortly after his death. Barry was also involved in a number of civic projects: helping Brownsville earn an All America City Award in 2001, the restoration of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, and establishing Symphony in the Park that benefits the Brownsville Literacy Center.

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