McDANIEL, REUBEN ROOSEVELT (1936 ~ 2016). The following is an obituary for Reuben McDaniel, spouse of former Texas Secretary of State Myra McDaniel. The obituary was published in the February 10, 2016 edition of the Austin American Statesman.
McDANIEL, III, Reuben Roosevelt
University professor and administrator Reuben Roosevelt McDaniel, Jr. PhD, was born on January 6, 1936, and attended Northfield Mount Hermon School; he received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1964; his M.A. degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Akron in 1968; and his Ed.D. in higher education from Indiana University in 1971.
McDaniel was first employed as a mechanical designer at the Government and Industrial Division of Philco Corporation from 1956 to 1960. In 1965, McDaniel began his work in education at Baldwin-Wallace College Learning Center where he held the positions of Director for Division of Educational Services, Assistant to the Dean, and Assistant Professor of Education. After leaving Baldwin-Wallace College, McDaniel held several positions over the years at the University of Texas-Austin, including Dean of Students (1972-73), Assistant Professor of Management (1972-75), and Associate Professor of Management (1975-1981). For six months in 1979, McDaniel served as Acting Deputy Commissioner for Medical Programs for the Texas Department of Human Resources. McDaniel received tenure at the University of Texas in 1975 and served as Professor of Management Science and Information Systems for the University of Texas-Austin, in addition to being Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Health Center in San Antonio. Over all, McDaniel accumulated over fifty years experience in university education and administration, including: 1991 - present: Charles and Elizabeth Prothro Regents Chair in Health Care Management Department of Management Science & Information Systems; 2013 Texas Ten - Ex-Student's Association Most Influential Professors ; 2012 Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare; 2004 Civitatis Award for Outstanding Faculty Citizenship among many others.
He was the founding coordinator of the McCombs Health Care Initiative, and in that role he has helped nurture a cross-disciplinary effort to apply business principles to the problem of how to better extend the quality and accessibility of health care services. The initiative promotes specialized research and the sharing of insights across academia and the health care industry.
As an expert in complexity science, McDaniel received numerous awards and recognitions, including Fellow at the IC2 Institute, and Outstanding Professor of the McCombs School of Business. McDaniel served on and chaired multiple university committees and councils, and held various leadership positions on community committees. McDaniel authored two books, The Uncertainty and Surprise in Complex Systems and Organizations: An Information Systems Perspective, completed chapters in thirteen books and wrote more than sixty articles.
McDaniel is often quoted as saying "Students don't really care how good a teacher I am. They care about how much they can learn. I try to provide an environment for them to get on with their learning."
McDaniel was proceeded in death by his loving wife Myra McDaniel and is survived by his children, Diane, Reuben and Mike; his grandchildren, Jennifer, Cassidi, Emily, Lauren, Tristan, Joseph and Raquel; his six great grandchildren; and his sister Joann.
A scholarship endowment honoring Reuben will be established at the McCombs School of Business. Please consider a donation to the endowment in lieu of flowers.
A Celebration of Life with be held on February 14th at 2:00 p.m. at the AT&T Conference Center, The University of Texas Campus, 1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705.
Published in Austin American-Statesman from Feb. 10 to Feb. 11, 2016
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