Cecil C. Conner Endowed Scholarship

Cecil C (CC) Conner attended the IES Abroad Vienna program in the Spring of 1963 and continued to stay in Vienna to work as an IES Student Assistant for the 1963-64 academic year. A native of Greensboro, NC, Mr. Conner received his BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant. Of his time in Vienna, CC remarked, “Vienna changed my view of people and the world and opened my eyes to so much culture. As IES Abroad students, we traveled all over Europe and were really exposed to history and culture and how it impacts everyday life.” CC Conner served as Managing Director of the Houston Ballet, the senior administrative manager of the company from 1995-2012 and as Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet from 1992-1995. Mr. Conner is a leader in the arts community both in Houston and nationally, having served as chairman of the board of Dance USA, the national dance service organization; as chairman of the board of the Texas Institute for Arts in Education; and on the board of the National Association of Regional Ballet, among others. He currently serves on the boards of Dance Source Houston, the Houston Downtown Alliance, the Houston Arts Alliance, and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, and holds the title Managing Director Emeritus, of the Houston Ballet. Mr. Conner’s background in the arts is complemented by his extensive law background. His practice had an emphasis on not for profit law and representation of performing and visual artists and galleries, in addition to corporate and securities law. From 1975-1994, Mr. Conner was a member of the board of directors of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Inc. in New York City, serving in numerous leadership positions. He has served on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council for the Arts, the Division of Cultural Affairs of the State of Florida and the Texas Commission on the Arts and has lectured on dance at Rice University and University of Houston.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must: 

• Enroll in an IES Abroad Vienna semester program. 
• Have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $30,000 or less.