V. Lane Rawlins (born November 30, 1937) is an American academic who served as the President of the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

from May 2010 to February 2014. He is also the former President of

Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...

(WSU) and of the

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

Early life and education

Born on November 30, 1937, in

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, Veldon Lane Rawlins began his college education at

Idaho State University Idaho State University (ISU) is a Public university, public research university in Pocatello, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho, Idaho State offers more than 250 programs at its main campus in Pocatello and locations ...

and after serving a mission for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

in Australia he transferred to

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

about the same time he married his wife Mary Jo Love. He graduated from

in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 1969, Rawlins obtained his doctoral degree in economics from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

Academic career

In 1968, Rawlins became an economics professor at WSU. He served as the chair of the department from 1977 to 1981 and was WSU's vice provost from 1982-1986. He served as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

for five years before assuming the presidency of Memphis State University—overseeing its renaming as the

. In June 2000, Rawlins returned to Washington State where he served as president until May 21, 2007. Rawlins created some controversy in the WSU community in 2002 when he tried to phase out the popular nickname "Wazzu" from usage. The change proved a firestorm of protest from students and alumni. As of the start of football season 2022, the nickname is back in popular use by WSU Athletics. He is remembered for a strategic plan developed by faculty that led to increases in research funding and to growth in the numbers of talented students choosing WSU. Rawlins is a labor economist by training and much of his research work focused on the effects of education on earnings in people's lives. His books include "Public Service Employment: The Experience of a Decade," co-authored with Robert F. Cook and Charles F. Adams, published in 1985. In 2006, Rawlins announced his retirement as president of WSU. He was succeeded by former

University of Missouri System The University of Missouri System is an American state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and ten research and technology parks. Over 61,500 students (Fall 202 ...

President

Elson Floyd Elson S. Floyd (February 29, 1956 – June 20, 2015) was an American educator who served as the 10th president of the four-campus Washington State University from May 21, 2007 to June 20, 2015. Floyd was also the first African American to be nam ...

in late May 2007. Floyd is WSU's first African-American president. Rawlins then returned to the School of Economic Sciences faculty. He served as the interim director of The William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a regional problem-solving program of

and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

, from 2007 to 2009. On April 16, 2010, the

System Board of Regents appointed V. Lane Rawlins as UNT's president for the 2010-11 academic year. The appointment, effective May 14, was expected to run through summer 2011 as UNT conducted a national search for its next president. On November 9, 2010, Rawlins accepted the offer to become the university's permanent full-time President. Rawlins succeeded Phil C. Diebel who served as UNT's interim president following Gretchen Bataille's February 2010 resignation.

Personal life

He and his wife Mary Jo Rawlins have three children and 11 grandchildren. As Vice Chancellor of Alabama, Rawlins also served as

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the Tuscaloosa

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

(LDS Church)."University president has ability to unify"
''

Church News The ''Church News'' (formerly ''LDS Church News'') is a multi-platform supplement and subdivision of the ''Deseret News'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (informally, the LDS Church). ...

'', August 31, 1991. He was president of the North Memphis Tennessee Stake of the LDS Church.

Notes

External links

Profile as Washington State University Past President
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawlins, V. Lane 1937 births Living people American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brigham Young University alumni Idaho State University alumni Presidents of the University of Memphis Presidents of Washington State University University of Alabama people University of California, Berkeley alumni University of North Texas faculty American Mormon missionaries in Australia Latter Day Saints from Alabama Latter Day Saints from California Latter Day Saints from Idaho Latter Day Saints from Tennessee Latter Day Saints from Texas Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Washington (state)