The endowment will fund research and student fellowships benefiting rural and farm communities. The "Always on My Mind" singer has raised more than $70 million for family farm owners through Farm Aid, according to the school, which also plans to honor the Texas native at a May gala.
BRYAN CRANSTON WANTS TO PLAY WILLIE NELSON IN A BIOPIC: 'PHYSICAL RESEMBLANCE'
"Willie Nelson is a national treasure who gained fame through his sheer musical talent and won hearts as someone who truly cares about the lives of his fellow Americans," Larry Temple, Chairman of the LBJ Foundation Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
Willie Nelson performs at the Village Studio in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 6, 2019. Weeks after winning more Grammys, Nelson is being honored with a university endowment in Texas. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
At the Grammys last month, Nelson's won best country album for "A Beautiful Time" and best country solo performance for "Live Forever." He has won a dozen Grammys over the course of his career.
He will receive the LBJ Foundation’s Liberty and Justice for All award, joining a list of recipients that include former U.S. presidents, members of Congress and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.