George Herbert Walker III is the first cousin of former president George H. W. Bush, a former ambassador to Hungary and one of Webster University's largest benefactors. In October 2007 he donated $10 million to be used for Webster's Business school.
The announcement ceremony was attended by Webster's top brass, members of the Board of Trustees and members of the Walker family.
But the real surprise came when the monitors set up around the stage beamed in two familiar faces. Former U.S. presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush congratulated their relative in short prerecorded video clips.