John was born and raised in Houston and recently returned after a decade spent in Austin and Washington, DC. John earned a B.A. from the Plan II Honors program at the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He currently works as an attorney at Vinson & Elkins, LLP. John joined the Legacy Council Executive Committee in tribute to his maternal grandfather, Harry M. Bettis, who passed away in 2011 after a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s. Harry grew up out in Young County, in Olney, Texas (current population: 3,285), and came of age during the Great Depression. He was as hard a worker as he was smart and graduated Valedictorian of his high school class, which was followed by an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1944. He loved West Point, and he loved the Army. He graduated in 1948 and joined the Army Air Corps, the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force; he was assigned to be a B-29 and B-50 bomber pilot. He did his pilot training and served in England before returning to Purdue University to get his masters in civil engineering. Harry was then stationed in Japan during the Korean War, where he lived until completion of his military service, at which point he was honorably discharged from the service with the rank of Captain. Harry moved to Graham, Texas in 1955 and lived there the rest of his life. He decided he’d get into the oil business and was one of the founders of Bettis, Boyle & Stovall, Inc., a local oil and gas company that remains in business today. Over the years, Harry served as Chairman of the Board of the Graham National Bank, Chairman of the Board of the Graham Hospital, president of the Graham Country Club, and Chairman of the Board of the Graham United Methodist Church. He served as president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, which honored him as Oilman of the Year in 2006. He was a leader in the Graham community and impacted countless lives through his service, leadership and philanthropy. John has dedicated his efforts for the Fund in his grandfather Harry’s honor.