James Rick Swinney Memorial Scholarship

Though he entered higher education by attending Texas Tech University on a football scholarship, Rick Swinney earned his first college degree from South Plains College where he graduated with highest honors in 1988. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Wayland Baptist University in 1990. An employee of Gulf Oil (now Chevron) beginning in 1980, Rick realized that to advance in his career, he must complete his education so he became a full-time student while continuing in his full-time work. His academic achievements allowed him to move to Chevron’s procurement department, work in Angola as a Strategic Procurement Advisor, and ultimately to retire from Chevron and open Swinney Consulting. Rick passed away in June of 2022 and his widow Sundai established this endowment to honor his memory and support SPC students majoring in Business.