Lyda Hill received the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award from the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility on Thursday, April 2, at The Pavilion at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas. The award, named in honor of the former mayor of Dallas, is given to individuals who epitomize the spirit of moral leadership and public virtue.

“My name and J. Erik Jonsson in the same sentence…I was stunned,” Hill said.

Hill, the granddaughter of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, has dedicated her life to always doing the right thing. She joined The Giving Pledge in 2010, and pledged to donate all her assets to charity before she passes away.

A breast cancer survivor herself, Hill was a founder of the Oklahoma Breast Care Center, as well as Remeditex Ventures, which supports biomedical research and institutions. She also pledged $50 million to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Moon Shots Program, which has a mission to eliminate cancer through cancer-detection techniques and therapeutic treatments.

“My goal has always been to make life count,” Hill said.

The crowd of about 250 people included current mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, and SMU President, R. Gerald Turner.

“She has been a very important citizen of Dallas,” Turner said.

Also in attendance were past recipients Wiliam Solomon, Caren Prothro, Roger Staubach, Michael Boone, Ronald Steinhart, Walter Humann and Gail Thomas.