About the Chair of Free Enterprise

History of the Chair

In 1976, the Board of Regents of The University of Texas at Austin approved a Chair of Free Enterprise in the College of Engineering. Conceived and initially organized by Z.D. Bonner and Robert L. Parker, Sr. the Chair when established was the first fully endowed position of this type in a College of Engineering and continues to have this unique distinction.

The purpose of the Clint W. Murchison Sr. Chair of Free Enterprise is to research and teach the relationships among the disciplines of Engineering, Business Management, Government Affairs, Social Sciences, Secondary Education and Free Enterprise.

Additionally, the Chair enhances the development of scholarly relationships between the Academic Programs of The University of Texas at Austin and Industry, Government and a variety of educational organizations.

Since its establishment in 1976, the Chair of Free Enterprise -- which was redesignated the Clint W. Murchison Sr. Chair of Free Enterprise in 1985 -- has advanced the concepts of Free Enterprise. Particular emphasis has been upon the role of Free Enterprise in Technological Innovation, Energy Policy, Environmental Quality, and Engineering Ethics.

Advisory Council

The Director of the Chair of Free Enterprise, Dr. Steven P. Nichols, formed an Advisory Council to advise with the Director and to provide guidance concerning the Chair's activities in education, in research, and in public service.  The current members are:

Clint W. Murchison Sr.

The Director

The Associate Director

The Logo