Mission Ready: Time, Talent and Purpose

Timing Is Everything

Long before Hum calculated missile stress loads by hand or managed the Mars mission at NASA, his future was taking shape in quiet moments on the Forty Acres. He arrived at UT in 1953 to study aeronautical engineering, a field that wouldn't officially be called aerospace for years to come. But even then, timing was everything.

When asked about his favorite memory from UT, Hum doesn't hesitate.

"Meeting my wife," he says.

Virginia "Ginny" Lee Hurley was studying fine arts at UT. The two were set up on a blind date by mutual friends, and it didn't go well.

"She thought I was a horrible driver," he says. "I had a little Studebaker that I drove too fast. So she wouldn't go out with me again for a while."

When they crossed paths again a year later, the timing was just right.

"She turned out to be the mother of my children and the love of my life," he says.

Virginia Mandell was his sounding board, co-host and quiet force behind many of his accomplishments. When Hum founded the Texas Exes Clear Lake chapter, Virginia helped create a sense of hospitality and community that made the group thrive. Hum was later appointed president of the Texas Exes in 1990, a role that deepened his connection to the University that had long shaped his life.

Together, they raised three daughters. "She was the best mother in the world," Hum says.

After 45 years of marriage, Virginia passed away. To honor her memory, Hum established the Ginny Mandell Memorial Scholarship, which reflects the deep bond they shared and their commitment to giving back to the University they both loved.

In addition to this tribute, Hum created two additional scholarships: the Mandell Family President's Associates Endowment and the Humboldt C. and Evangeline S. Mandell Scholarship, which honors his parents.

Later in life, Hum met Sally Cowper, B.A. '60, at the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. He says she arrived at "just the right time" in his life. The two married, and together they traveled across seven continents. He affectionately calls her his "traveling wife." Her favorite trip was a Flying Longhorn expedition to photograph a safari in Tanzania. Her love and steady presence enriched his life, and her memory continues to do so after her passing a few years later.