On the afternoon of Aug. 22, several members of the university community and family gathered to commemorate the life of Suhail “C.C.” Hameed, BA ’94, who passed away in 2011, and to celebrate the scholarship put into place by his family in his name, to honor his memory and intentions: the Suhail “C.C.” Hameed History Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship will support students each year to continue in their studies of history at UD. UD alumni, especially those who studied history or were friends or classmates of C.C. Hameed, are invited to contribute to this endowed scholarship with gifts of their own.

“What I remember about C.C. is that he had a very bright smile and was a nice person to be around,” said Professor of History Tom Jodziewicz, Ph.D. “He was an interesting character; I enjoyed having him in class. He asked questions and was engaged in his education. You do remember him in part because of his smile; he was a happy person, a very bright and engaging young fellow. His senior thesis on the origins of the Nazis demonstrated imaginative research and clear writing; it was a good read.”

“I met C.C. when I was a dorm patron for Madonna and he was a freshman, and we developed a friendship that deepened until his untimely death,” said Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Theology John Norris, Ph.D., BA ’84. “He was an unquenchable catalyst for fun and shenanigans, constantly organizing groups of friends for entertainment. He was an especially enthusiastic supporter for our athletes, particularly the basketball team.”

"I met C.C. when he came into Campus Ministry to inquire about confirmation,” said retired Director of Campus Ministry Denise Phillips. "For over a year we had deep, serious conversations about what it meant to follow Jesus in everyday life. He was committed and passionate in his journey. Years later, when he became a father, that same commitment and passion flowed over into his love for his daughters. He was generous and loving and always had a smile on his face."

Hameed’s parents, who were at the ceremony, expressed that their desire is to commemorate his memory and keep it alive at the university. Hameed’s daughter Michaela, a student at Stephen F. Austin University, joins them in this sentiment.

“This scholarship, and the occasion of us coming together this afternoon, is a testament to the involvement of this community in the lives of our students but also in the lives of their families,” said President Thomas S. Hibbs, Ph.D., BA ’82 MA ’83. “We all come together to nurture and develop the minds and hearts of young people. We come together in times of tragedy to grieve but also to remember. Now, we do our little part to remember and acknowledge this life that impacted so many, the important impact this life had on our university and that this scholarship will have going forward. Thank you for entrusting C.C. to us in the first place, and for allowing us to support students, through this scholarship, to an indefinite time in the future.”

“I hope that the UD community will get behind this scholarship set up to remember C.C.,” said Patty Danko, BA ’90. “For anyone who knew C.C., he was a larger-than-life personality, a huge supporter of the athletics teams and student-athletes, and a person who would go above and beyond to help his friends. He loved the UD community. I’m so happy to be a small part of his family (as godmother to his daughter). His daughter Michaela carries on his selfless attitude, and I know he would be proud of her accomplishments!”

This endowed scholarship will enshrine C.C.’s memory in a permanent way, as year after year it provides necessary funds for dedicated students to progress at UD.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for history faculty to reward history students who show they appreciate the humanistic approach we have to history at UD,” said Associate Professor and Chair of History Susan Hanssen, Ph.D. “Many of our students get history degrees because history is their passion, but go on to have a variety of careers, from intelligence work or political speech writing to teaching. They can follow their passion, be well-rounded and get a job doing anything, but often they can be hamstrung by student debt, so this is just enormous. It’s really so exciting; I would like to see more scholarships like this.”

“Though I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing C.C., I was pleased to learn from his friends that he distinguished himself by his devotion to his daughters, by putting friendship above material things, and by celebrating the gift of life with a lively, sociable spirit,” said Hibbs.

“C.C. had the gift of curiosity,” said former UD President Monsignor Milam Joseph, a friend of the Hameed family. “He was very alive and full of life — that’s the virtue I put with him.”

Please contact Director of Major Gifts Ellen Rossini at 972-265-5846 or erossini@udallas.edu for more information or to make a contribution to the scholarship.