Robert Lawless, who led as president at Texas Tech and Tulsa, dies at 87

Former Texas President Robert Lawless, who led a decades-long career in academia before serving as Tech’s 11th president and later President of the University of Tulsa, died Saturday in Lubbock.

He was 87.

Lawless was a Texas native who served as Tech’s president from 1989 to 1996 following a career in academia and time as Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines, and is being praised for leading Tech through a time of change and advancement.

Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec issued a formal statement expressing his condolences to the family for their loss and reflecting on Lawless’ impact on not only Texas Tech but also on him.

“The Texas Tech family is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Robert W. Lawless, the 11th president of Texas Tech University,” read Schovanec’s statement. “Dr. Lawless was a man of impeccable integrity who left a legacy of excellence, tirelessly working to raise the university’s national academic profile and pushing it toward fully realizing its immense potential. He was a dear friend and a personal mentor. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Marcy, and his family during this time of loss.”

Texas Tech Alumni Association President Curt Langford took to social media to share his sadness about Lawless’ passing, and offering prayers for Lawless’ wife, Marcy Lawless.

“One of his successful objectives was to get the University in the Association of Research Libraries and he elevated Tech’s endowment from $40 million to $150 million,” Langford wrote. “Dr. Lawless began the ‘Service Plus’ program at Texas Tech, challenging us all to be more service minded with students. Proud to still have my certificate of completion signed by Bob.”

Lawless, who earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Houston and a Ph.D in industrial engineering (Operations Research) from Texas A&M University, had an academic career spanning 32 years.

During his career, Lawless served as a faculty member at Texas A&M University, the University of Houston. He also served as an executive vice president and COO of Southwest Airlines until 1989, when he was selected to serve as the 11th president of Tech and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

For context, TTU and TTUHSC were originally the same institution until TTUHSC became its own institution in 1996. Lawless was also the last president before the creation of the Texas Tech University System thus serving as the Chief Executive Officer for both institutions — a role that is now fulfilled by the system chancellor.

During his seven-year tenure as president, Lawless oversaw growth in the school’s endowment from $40 million to $150 million. Enrollment numbers held steady at around 24,000 students at Texas Tech, with a drop in undergraduate enrollments but an increase in graduate and law students.

Near the end of his tenure at Texas Tech, Lawless oversaw the establishment of the International Cultural Center. The center houses resources for international students and faculty, Tech’s study abroad programs and TTU Costa Rica Campus.

In 1996, Lawless stepped down as president at Texas Tech, taking the position of president of the University of Tulsa, where he served until he retired in 2004. He would later move back to Lubbock, where he was active in the community, including at First Christian Church.

Even though he left Texas Tech, Lawless’ legacy and impact can still be felt on campus, not only through the ICC but also the Honor College, which he helped grow during his tenure. The Honors College’s Lawless House is named in honor of the former president, carrying the motto “Integrity,” according to an Honors College description of its namesake. The College stated that Lawless lived by the adage, “To thine own self be true.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Robert Lawless, former president at Texas Tech and Tulsa, dies at 87