William Powers Jr.
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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 Gregory Louis Fenves (born March 1, 1957) is a structural engineer, professor and college administrator who is the twenty-first president of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Fenves was elected a member of the National Academy of Enginee ...
.Matthew Watkins, "Fenves Named Next President of UT-Austin" ''Texas Tribune'' April 20, 2015. accessed August 4, 2015 Before his death, Powers held the Hines H. Baker and Thelma Kelley Baker Chair at the University of Texas School of Law. Powers was selected in November 2005 as the sole finalist for the position of president of the University of Texas at Austin. In December 2005, he was officially named president of the university and succeeded
Larry Faulkner Larry Ray Faulkner (born November 26, 1944) is an American academic and businessman. He served as the twenty-seventh president of The University of Texas at Austin from 1998 to 2006, and as the president of the Houston Endowment Inc. from 2006 ...
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.


Education

Powers obtained his B.A. in
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
at the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...
. 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 The ''Harvard Law Review'' is a law review published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School. According to the ''Journal Citation Reports'', the ''Harvard Law Review''s 2015 impact factor of 4.979 placed the journal first out of 143 ...
''.


Employment

Powers also worked at Southern Methodist University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington. 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. Powers has authored several law texts, including: *''Cases and Materials in Products Liability'' *''Cases and Materials in Torts'' *''Texas Products Liability Law'' Powers was a member of the
American Law Institute The American Law Institute (ALI) is a research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of United States common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. ...
and served as the Reporter on several of the Restatements of the Law, Torts: *''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.
, statesman.com
In 2012, he became vice chair of the Association of American Universities and became chair of the organization on October 22, 2013. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin.


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. During his tenure the University also completed or began construction on 13 new buildings. 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 James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...
attempted to instantiate the "Seven Breakthrough Solutions" of Austin entrepreneur Jeff Sandefer. Sandefer's ideas for the restructuring of the University were thought by many to be inimical to its research mission. Perry had endorsed the "seven solutions" at a private meeting attended by two of his appointed regents at the
Texas Public Policy Foundation The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Austin, Texas. The organization was founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger, who sought intellectual support for his education reform ...
in 2008. 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. 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. 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 A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...
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. Almost immediately, a grassroots campaign arose in his support. A Facebook group named "I Stand With Bill Powers" attracted nearly 10,000 members.


Resignation

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. 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." 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. 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. 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%. 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. 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." 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.


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.


References


External links


The University of Texas: Office of the PresidentThe University of Texas School of Law: William C. Powers ProfileReeve, Hamilton. "Powers Will Give Up UT-Austin Presidency in June"Texas Admissions Brawl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, William C. 1946 births 2019 deaths American Presbyterians Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Harvard Law School alumni Deans of law schools in the United States Presidents of the University of Texas at Austin Southern Methodist University faculty University of Michigan faculty University of Washington faculty University of California, Berkeley alumni University of Texas System University of Texas School of Law faculty Writers from Los Angeles