Robert W. Lawless
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| President of Texas Tech University | |
| In office 1989–1996 | |
| Preceded by | Lauro Cavazos |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Haragan |
| President of the University of Tulsa | |
| In office 1996–2004 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Donaldson |
| Succeeded by | Steadman Upham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1937-02-13) February 13, 1937 (age 87) Baytown, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Lee College University of Houston Texas A&M University |
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Robert William Lawless (born February 13, 1937) is an American academic and executive.[1] He served as president of Texas Tech University from 1989 to 1996 and president of the University of Tulsa from 1996 to 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (1964) from the University of Houston and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1968) from Texas A&M University in operations research. Lawless has also served as executive vice president and chief operations officer of Southwest Airlines from 1985 to 1989,[2] after serving in various positions with the airline, including vice president for finance and chief financial officer.[3][4]
Lawless succeeded Robert H. Donaldson, who announced his intention to resign at the end of the 1995-1996 year, after an often contentious 6-year tenure at TU, during which he often clashed with both students and faculty,[a] according to a news article.[4] The same article noted that Lawless angered gay and lesbian students at Texas Tech in 1993 by a letter he wrote, calling their lifestyles "deviant...something that I can never condone, and hold in great contempt."[4]
During his tenure at Tech, Lawless raised the school's endowment. from $40 million to $150 million. Tech also had 24,000 students when he moved from Lubbock, compared to TU's 4,386.[4]
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Pound sign (#) denotes interim president. |
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Pound sign (#) denotes interim president. |
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