Alvin O. Austin

Alvin O. "Bud" Austin (born January 6, 1942 in Tampa, Florida) was the fifth president of LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas from 1986 to 2007. Since July 2007 he has held the role of University Chancellor, in accordance with the wishes of the Board of Trustees.

He was raised in Florida and Utah before attending Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, graduating in 1964. He was named Alumnus of the year in 1986 by this institution. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a PhD in higher education. He married Samantha Jane Bates in 1965 and has three children, Mike, Claire and Melissa, and 7 grandchildren.

Austin's career has been primarily in the administration of institutions of higher learning, having spent over thirty years working at a variety of schools including North Park College and Theological Seminary in Chicago, Seattle Pacific University in Washington, and Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Austin has a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from University of Mississippi and a master's degree from California State University in Los Angeles. His early career was grounded in student affairs administration.

He guided LeTourneau University over two decades in its transition from a small regional technical college to one of the leading Christian universities in the USA. During his tenure, LeTourneau grew dramatically in enrollment, endowment, campus facilities, programs, and scope. Austin's career focused on providing a high quality and personal educational environment with an uncompromising dedication to committed Christian faith. He retired in 2007.

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