Robert "Bob" Decker (November 11, 1922 – October 19, 1999) was an American politician and educator. Decker was born in

Wimberley Wimberley is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. It is still predominantly a ranching area. The population was 2,839 at the 2020 census. History Wimberley started as a trading post settlement near Cypress Creek in 1848, the year Hay ...

Hays County, Texas Hays County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its official population had reached 241,067. The county seat is San Marcos. Hays, alon ...

. He went to Southwest Texas State College (now

Texas State University Texas State University (TXST) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in San Marcos, Texas, United States, and another campus in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has ...

). Decker received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from

Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences The Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (AgLifeSciences) is a college of Texas A&M University, a public land-grant research university in College Station, Texas. Agriculture and the Life Sciences have been part of the u ...

. Decker also served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. He also serve on a school board in Texas. Decker moved to

Bemidji, Minnesota Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, Minnesota, Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. According to 2022 census estimates, the ci ...

, in 1968, with his wife and family and taught at

Bemidji State University Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Coll ...

. He also served as the President of Bemidji State University. Decker served in the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

from 1987 to 1990 and was a Republican. In 1996, he moved to

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles. The population was 110,763 at the ...

with his wife. He died from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

in Ventura, California.'Bob Decker, former senator, President of Bemidji State,' Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota), Lucy Y. Her, October 22, 1999

References

1922 births 1999 deaths People from Bemidji, Minnesota People from Ventura, California People from Wimberley, Texas Military personnel from Texas Texas State University alumni Texas A&M University alumni Bemidji State University faculty School board members in Texas Republican Party Minnesota state senators Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California 20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature {{Minnesota-MNSenate-stub