A Tribute to John Gronouski, Founding Dean of the LBJ School
OHN
A. GRONOUSKI became dean of the LBJ School in September 1969 and spent
the next year laying the foundation for the School's master's degree program.
Holding a long list of credentials that included a Ph.D. in economics
and presidential appointments as U.S. Postmaster General and Ambassador
to Poland, Gronouski was able to quickly put in place the pieces necessary
to open the LBJ School in September 1970: a core curriculum, two policy
research seminars, three faculty members (including himself and 
Associate
Dean Alexander Clark as well as UT Government Professor Emmette Redford),
two computer instructors, a small support staff, a library of 6,500 volumes,
and 18 students (hand-picked from a pool of more than 250 applicants).
By the time he left the deanship in 1974, the School was well on its way
to becoming one of the most successful public affairs programs in the
United States.
Gronouski remained on the LBJ School faculty until his retirement in 1989, at which time he moved to his native Wisconsin. When he died in 1996, LBJ School Dean Max Sherman said, "Over the years I have come to appreciate more and more the extent of his contribution to the program. In many ways he was a pioneer, moving into unexplored territory because he believed in the potential for positive change--in this case a change from a political science or public management approach to a practical, interdisciplinary approach (to public affairs education). He deserves tremendous credit for turning that new concept into a program that really worked--and still works today."
Thirtieth Anniversary • Anniversary Features • LBJ School Home
September 19, 2000
Comments to lbjwmast@uts.cc.utexas.edu
