William Powers Jr.

William Charles Powers Jr. (May 30, 1946 – March 10, 2019) was an American attorney, academic, and university administrator who served as the 28th president of the University of Texas at Austin, becoming the second-longest serving president in the university's history. He held the position from February 1, 2006, to July 2, 2015, when he was succeeded by Gregory L. Fenves.[1][2] Before his death, Powers held the Hines H. Baker and Thelma Kelley Baker Chair at the University of Texas School of Law.[3]

William Powers Jr.
Powers in 2014
28th President of the University of Texas at Austin
In office
February 1, 2006 (2006-02-01) – July 2, 2015 (2015-07-02)
Preceded byLarry Faulkner
Succeeded byGregory L. Fenves
Personal details
Born
William Charles Powers Jr.

(1946-05-30)May 30, 1946
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 10, 2019(2019-03-10) (aged 72)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley
Harvard Law School
ProfessionLawyer, academic

Powers was selected in November 2005 as the sole finalist for the position of president of the University of Texas at Austin.[4] In December 2005, he was officially named president of the university and succeeded Larry Faulkner when he left office in February 2006. Prior to his appointment, he had served as dean of the University of Texas School of Law since 2000. Powers resigned the presidency in June 2015, partly as the result of external pressures regarding admissions practices at the university.[2]

Education

Powers obtained his B.A. in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. During his undergraduate years at Berkeley, he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and at Harvard he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review.[5]

Employment

Powers also worked at Southern Methodist University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington.[6] Powers was a former member of the Enron Corporation board of directors and chaired the Special Investigative Committee to investigate the causes of Enron's bankruptcy. He was also a member of the board of trustees of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary from 2004 to 2010.[7]

Powers has authored several law texts, including:[8]

  • Cases and Materials in Products Liability
  • Cases and Materials in Torts
  • Texas Products Liability Law

Powers was a member of the American Law Institute and served as the Reporter on several of the Restatements of the Law, Torts:[9]

  • Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Apportionment of Liability
  • Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Liability for Physical Harm
  • Restatement of the Law Third, Torts: Concluding Provisions

In 2008, Powers was appointed to the rank of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in France's orders of chivalry.[10] In 2012, he became vice chair of the Association of American Universities[11] and became chair of the organization on October 22, 2013.[12] He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin.[13]

University of Texas at Austin

While president, Powers oversaw the reform of the undergraduate curriculum and the founding of both the school of undergraduate studies and the Dell Medical School. An eight-year fundraising project he spearheaded called the Campaign for Texas raised $3.12 billion for the university.[14] During his tenure the University also completed or began construction on 13 new buildings.[15]

Despite his successes, Powers's final four years were marked by growing opposition to the status quo in higher education in Austin. A group of regents appointed by then-Governor Rick Perry attempted to instantiate the "Seven Breakthrough Solutions" of Austin entrepreneur Jeff Sandefer.[16] Sandefer's ideas for the restructuring of the University were thought by many to be inimical to its research mission.[17] Perry had endorsed the "seven solutions" at a private meeting attended by two of his appointed regents at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in 2008.[18] In the face of mounting pressure from the Board of Regents to implement Sandefer's program, Powers remained steadfast in his support for the University's traditional role and shape. Such actions made him a target of various reformers, and at the same time an admired figure within the higher education community: Powers was elected to Chair the Association of American Universities in 2013.[19]

Soon after the 2011 appointment of regent Wallace L. Hall Jr., a college friend of Sandefer's, Powers became the focus of multiple investigations by Hall.[20] Hall's interests as a regent centered largely on Powers's role as leader of its flagship campus in Austin, even though the University of Texas System includes fourteen institutions. Having probed accounting procedures in its capital campaign and a forgivable loan program administered by a private foundation in support of its law school faculty, Hall turned his attention to external influence on admissions at the University. A series of document requests revealed that powerful individuals often sought to obtain favoritism toward various applicants, and sometimes succeeded. In May 2014, a blog post reported that various regents had asked then UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to fire Powers.[21] Almost immediately, a grassroots campaign arose in his support. A Facebook group named "I Stand With Bill Powers" attracted nearly 10,000 members.[22]

Resignation
Main article: University of Texas at Austin admissions controversy

On July 4, 2014, an anonymous source reported that UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa had asked Powers to resign, prior to the impending meeting of the Board of Regents, or face termination.[23] The Board meeting agenda indicated regents would discuss Powers in an executive session. Cigarroa attributed the request to a "breakdown of communication, collegiality, trust and a willingness to work together for the good of the university."[24] Powers at first indicated he would not resign, saying it would "cast the university and our state in a highly unfavorable light." However, on July 9, 2014, Cigarroa released a statement that Powers nevertheless agreed to resign effective June 2015.[25]

On February 12, 2015, an investigation ordered by the University of Texas found that Powers had helped certain applicants, including those with lesser academic credentials, gain admission if they had been recommended by legislators and influential people.[26] According to the report, from 2009 to 2014, well-connected students flagged by university officials were admitted 74% of the time compared to an overall admission rate of 40%.[26] President Powers and his Chief of Staff "each failed to speak with candor and forthrightness expected of people in their positions of trust and leadership," the report stated.[26] Powers agreed to step down in June 2014. He told the Wall Street Journal that he had "intervened on behalf of a relatively small number of students" but denied that it was "undue influence."[26] Subsequently, the Austin American-Statesman determined that, as Chancellor, Cigarroa had participated in this selfsame aspect of the admissions process, sometimes making notes on the letters about the status of the individuals requesting special consideration in admissions.[27]

Personal life

Powers was first married to Karen Devendorf. They had two children and the marriage ended in divorce. He then married Kim Heilbrun, his wife of 36 years; they had three children together. He died on March 10, 2019, in Austin from complications from a fall several months earlier and from oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, a rare adult-onset muscle disorder. He is survived by all five children, as well as 6 grandchildren.[28]

References
  1. Home | Office of the President The University of Texas at Austin Archived 2014-02-19 at the Wayback Machine U.Texas official Presidential biography. Accessed August 4, 2015.
  2. Matthew Watkins, "Fenves Named Next President of UT-Austin" Texas Tribune April 20, 2015. accessed August 4, 2015
  3. "UT Law Faculty - William C Powers Jr". Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  4. "William Powers is finalist for UT Austin presidency > UTSA Today > University of Texas at San Antonio". Archived from the original on 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  5. Haurwitz, Ralph K. M. (November 28, 2005). "UT president finalist is a man of eclectic tastes". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on July 21, 2006. Retrieved February 1, 2006.
  6. "William C Powers Jr. | Texas Law Faculty | Texas Law". law.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  7. Daily Texan "UT expands on available space instead of acquiring important community buildings" Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine(October 28, 2013)
  8. "[WorldCat.org]". www.worldcat.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  9. "In Memoriam: William Charles Powers Jr".
  10. Archived 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, statesman.com
  11. UT News, "Powers Elected Vice Chair of Association of American Universities" Archived 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine(October 26, 2012)
  12. Daily Texan, "Powers elected chair of Association of American Universities" Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine(October 22, 2013)
  13. "UT Mourns Former President William C. Powers Jr., Who Fought for the University's Soul". UT News. March 10, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  14. "UT Giving | The University of Texas at Austin". campaign.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  15. "William C. Powers Jr. | Office of the President | The University of Texas at Austin". president.utexas.edu. January 11, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  16. "Storming the Ivory Tower – Texas Monthly". Texas Monthly. October 2012. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  17. Hamilton, Reeve (July 6, 2011). "Updated: Governor, Others Respond to UT's "Seven Solutions" Response, by Reeve Hamilton". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  18. Hamilton, Reeve (March 16, 2011). "Six Degrees of Jeff Sandefer: Reform and Texas Higher Ed, by Reeve Hamilton". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  19. "UT President Powers Elected to Chair Association of American Universities". UT News | The University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  20. "Is This the Most Dangerous Man in Texas? – Texas Monthly". Texas Monthly. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  21. "Cigarroa: "Regents' chairman has never directed me to fire anyone" – Texas Monthly". Texas Monthly. May 10, 2012. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  22. "Powers: 'It's An Honor' To Serve As UT President". The Alcalde. May 10, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  23. "Reports: Chancellor Cigarroa asks President Powers to resign – The Daily Texan". Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  24. Hamilton, Reeve (July 8, 2014). "Cigarroa: "Breakdown of Communication" Led to Powers Decision, by Reeve Hamilton". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  25. Hamilton, Reeve (10 July 2014). "Powers Will Give Up UT-Austin Presidency in June". Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
  26. "President of University of Texas at Austin Faulted on Admissions". Wall Street Journal. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  27. Cigarroa helped the influential, Laredo Morning Times (September 21, 2014). "p. 5A". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  28. "UT Mourns Former President William C. Powers Jr., Who Fought for the University's Soul". March 10, 2019.
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