Kent Hance, Texas Tech Chancellor

Kent Hance of Texas Tech is the notable Chancellor of his Alma Mater, representing one of many challenging and successful positions this West Texas legend has held. Kent Hance exemplifies that with age and a maturity nurtured by lifelong experiences come wisdom and reflective decision-making.

A former member of the United States House of Representatives (1979 – 1985) and former Texas Senator, Kent Hance is the only individual to have defeated the young Republican businessman from Midland, Texas, who later became the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.

Over the years, while serving his fellow Americans through numerous public offices and committees, he has found the time to also become a legal expert in the oil and gas field.  Kent Hance has attended several OPEC meetings to expand his knowledge in this international arena. He even authored and won passage for President Ronald Reagan’s tax bill in 1981, which became one of the greatest tax cuts in American History.

As Texas as a whole changed political leanings from Democrat to Republican in the 70s and early 80s, it should surprise no one that he re-evaluated his party affiliation and switched to the Republican Party in 1985.  It also came as no surprise when Republican Governor, Bill Clements, appointed Hance to the Texas Railroad Commission in 1987.

What this says is that like-minded men of great understanding knew that Hance would respond to the call, not only by accepting the requests, but also by responding with the vitality of focus these positions demanded.  The history and reputation of dynamic and respectful leadership that Kent Hance has demonstrated for several decades is one of the many reasons Kent Hance was selected as Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System in 2006.

About Texas Tech

Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a major research university with over 30,000 students that was founded in 1923.  The school was created by the Texas Legislature and is the only campus in Texas that includes a major university, a law school, and a medical school.