Robert W. Lawless

Robert William Lawless (February 13, 1937 – August 10, 2024) was an American academic and executive. He served as president of Texas Tech University from 1989 to 1996 and president of the University of Tulsa from 1996 to 2004. He held a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1968) from Texas A&M University in operations research. Lawless also served as executive vice president and chief operations officer of Southwest Airlines from 1985 to 1989, after serving in various positions with the airline, including vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

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, according to a news article.