William H. Lane

William "Bill" Homer Lane (November22, 1923 June28, 1980) was an American business executive who was CEO of Riviana Foods and a director at Colgate-Palmolive. He also served as the second chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters from 1976 to 1978.

Early life and business William Homer Lane was born on November22, 1923 to father William Quincy Lane; he had a brother, Richard. Lane was raised in Maryville, Tennessee, where he attended Maryville High School and was quarterback on the football team. He also took up golf at the age of 12, playing at Green Meadow Country Club. Lane oversaw in 1968 Riviana's majority acquisition of Hebrew National.

Lane was a trustee of Rice University from 1972 and a director at the Texas Commerce Bank and Colgate-Palmolive.

Lane supported Texas Democratic senator Lloyd Bentsen, and was campaign chairman for Bentsen's 1976 presidential run. He officially assumed the role at the end of the 1976 Masters Tournament, but suffered an intracranial aneurysm and was hospitalized in 1979, during the week of that year's tournament. Lane was temporarily replaced by Augusta vice-chair Hord Hardin, but his health never recovered, and Hardin was named permanent chairman in 1980. Roberts had expected Lane would hold the position for at least 25years. The William H. Lane Neurological Fund at Houston Methodist Hospital was named in his honor by Dorothy Lane.

Dorothy died on March24, 2016, having remarried following Lane's death.