Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
News

Pay to Play in Texas? Most Public University Regents Gave to Gov. Rick Perry’s Campaigns

By Paul Fain April 7, 2010
Some wonder what regents’ generous campaign donations to Gov. Rick Perry say about the university boards’ political independence.
Some wonder what regents’ generous campaign donations to Gov. Rick Perry say about the university boards’ political independence.John A. Bowersmith, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, AP Images

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has received campaign donations from 63 percent of the regents he has appointed to public-university governing boards, according to a report released today by Texans for Public Justice.

The left-leaning government-watchdog group studied regents’ donations both before and after their appointments for its report. It found that Governor Perry, a Republican, has collected a total of $6.1-million from 97 of the 155 nonstudent board members he has appointed during his 10 years in office. The average campaign contribution by an appointee was $39,251.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has received campaign donations from 63 percent of the regents he has appointed to public-university governing boards, according to a report released today by Texans for Public Justice.

The left-leaning government-watchdog group studied regents’ donations both before and after their appointments for its report. It found that Governor Perry, a Republican, has collected a total of $6.1-million from 97 of the 155 nonstudent board members he has appointed during his 10 years in office. The average campaign contribution by an appointee was $39,251.

Some regents gave much more. Of the 16 people the governor has appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Texas system, 13 donated to his campaign, at an average of $99,301.

The top giver identified by the study was Michele (Mica) McCutchen Mosbacher, a philanthropist who joined the board of the University of Houston system in 2008 and who has given a total of $440,400 to Mr. Perry’s campaigns.

It is neither surprising nor improper for gubernatorial appointees to public university boards to have ties to the governors who tap them for service. However, the high percentage of campaign donors among Texas regents, as well as the large dollar amounts they gave, raises questions about the boards’ political independence.

“Even in a state like Texas, this is big money,” said Craig L. McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice. “It seems like the only qualification to be a regent is to give big money to the governor.”

Larry Keith Anders does not agree. The chairman of the Texas Tech University system’s board, Mr. Anders was the third biggest donor on the list, having given $348,171 to Governor Perry’s campaigns. While Mr. Anders said the board appointments are certainly political, he said the regents, all of whom are Texas Tech alumni, are encouraged to put the university’s interests before politics.

Mr. Anders, who is chairman of a Dallas financial-services firm, began giving money to Governor Perry before 2005, when his six-year term as a regent began. He said that the governor is interested in the university’s progress but that he leaves the decision making to regents.

“The governor does not meddle in the affairs of Texas Tech,” he said.

A spokeswoman in Mr. Perry’s office defended his track record with university boards, saying in a written statement that he “appoints individuals who share his conservative philosophy of government and can provide the appropriate oversight and leadership.”

Leaving Politics at the Door

Regents and system leaders with ties to Governor Perry have at times squared off with university presidents, resulting in several messy resignations. Those meltdowns have led to grumbling on campuses that the governor micromanages universities.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr. McDonald said his group decided to conduct the campaign-donation research after complaints emerged last fall about politicized board appointments at Texas Tech, where all but one of Mr. Perry’s 16 appointees have given to his campaigns. According to news reports, allies of the governor pressured two university regents to resign after they endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s unsuccessful campaign to defeat him in the Republican gubernatorial primary last month.

“This is a pay-to-play state,” said Mr. McDonald.

Most governors have the power to name members to public-university boards. Other states select board members through elections, or a combination of gubernatorial appointments and elections. And a small group of states, including Minnesota and Virginia, lean on nonpartisan screening committees to choose board members.

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges endorses the screening-committee approach. But Richard Novak, an expert on public-university governance at the association, said gubernatorial appointments can work well. The key, he said, is that governors choose quality candidates who prioritize the university’s needs.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There’s nothing unseemly about it if there’s no quid pro quo,” he said, noting that board members should “check your politics at the door when you go into the board room.”

Anne D. Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, said campaign donations should not disqualify someone from serving on a university board. Ms. Neal said it makes sense that Governor Perry has chosen regents with similar viewpoints.

“It’s natural that many of the appointees have supported the governor,” she said.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

Texas A&M Regents Name an Interim Leader for Flagship
President of Texas A&M’s Flagship Resigns
Lawmakers Reject Governor’s Plan to Reshape Texas Southern U. Board
Under Pressure From Governor, Board Chief Quits at Texas Southern U.
Texas Governor Tries to Impeach a University Regent
Texas Governor Tells University Board Members to Resign
Governor Orders Texas Southern U. Board to Fix Financial Woes

More News

Vector illustration of large open scissors  with several workers in seats dangling by white lines
Iced Out
Duke Administrators Accused of Bypassing Shared-Governance Process in Offering Buyouts
Illustration showing money being funnelled into the top of a microscope.
'A New Era'
Higher-Ed Associations Pitch an Alternative to Trump’s Cap on Research Funding
Illustration showing classical columns of various heights, each turning into a stack of coins
Endowment funds
The Nation’s Wealthiest Small Colleges Just Won a Big Tax Exemption
WASHINGTON, DISTICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2025/04/14: A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator holding a sign with Release Mahmud Khalil written on it, stands in front of the ICE building while joining in a protest. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of the ICE building, demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil and all those targeted for speaking out against genocide in Palestine. Protesters demand an end to U.S. complicity and solidarity with the resistance in Gaza. (Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Campus Activism
An Anonymous Group’s List of Purported Critics of Israel Helped Steer a U.S. Crackdown on Student Activists

From The Review

John T. Scopes as he stood before the judges stand and was sentenced, July 2025.
The Review | Essay
100 Years Ago, the Scopes Monkey Trial Discovered Academic Freedom
By John K. Wilson
Vector illustration of a suited man with a pair of scissors for a tie and an American flag button on his lapel.
The Review | Opinion
A Damaging Endowment Tax Crosses the Finish Line
By Phillip Levine
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin