Robert Conrad Khayat (born April 18, 1938) was the 15th Chancellor of the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...

. He also played

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

as a placekicker, guard, and

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

for Ole Miss and in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

during the 1960, 1962 and 1963 seasons. He was appointed Chancellor in 1995.

Early years

Khayat was born in

Moss Point, Mississippi Moss Point is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,147 in 2020, a decline from the figure of 13,704 in 2010. The Moss Point Historic District and several individual buildings are listed on the National Regi ...

, to Lebanese parents. He attended Moss Point High School and the

. He received both bachelor of arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Mississippi. He also played football for the

Ole Miss Rebels football The Ole Miss Rebels football program represents the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of ...

team from 1957 to 1959. He also received an LL.M. degree from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

Professional football career

Khayat was selected by the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

in the

1960 NFL Draft The 1960 National Football League Draft in which NFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, was held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia on November 30, 1959. Many players, in ...

. He was then traded to the Washington Redskins in April 1960. He played for the Redskins during the 1960, 1962, and 1963 seasons. Following the 1960 season, he was named to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

squad. He appeared in a total of 40 NFL games and kicked 38 field goals and 90 extra points. His brother Eddie Khayat also played and coached in the NFL.

Later years

Khayat later became a lawyer and taught law at the

University of Mississippi School of Law The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law offers the only dedicated aerospace law curr ...

. He was appointed chancellor in 1995. In one of his first acts as chancellor, Khayat arranged for a $5.4 million gift fro
Jim and Sally Barksdale
to establish an honors college at the university. In 1996, with enrollment declining, Khayat retained the public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller, to conduct a survey of public perception — including university symbols. Whe

reported on the review, which included the Confederate Flag and other Old South symbols, a media frenzy ensued. On January 6, 2009, Khayat announced his retirement effective June 30, 2009.
/ref> He was succeeded by Daniel Jones on June 15, 2009. Khayat's memoir
The Education of a Lifetime
was published on September 10, 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khayat, Robert 1938 births Living people American football placekickers American people of Lebanese descent Chancellors of the University of Mississippi Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Ole Miss Rebels athletic directors Ole Miss Rebels football players People from Moss Point, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni University of Mississippi School of Law alumni Washington Redskins players Yale University alumni Players of American football from Mississippi Writers from Mississippi Sportspeople of Lebanese descent