Biography
Jon Whitmore began his fifth year as President of Texas Tech University on September 1, 2007. In that time he has pursued an agenda to increase academic excellence by focusing on the people of Texas Tech. “I believe that if you put people first, they will produce long-term excellence for the university,” he says.
The focus on human capital has resulted in 43 new faculty positions, multiple new funded chairs and professorships, a significant increase in academic advisors, and a steady schedule of merit raises for faculty and staff.
Since coming to Texas Tech, Dr. Whitmore has also implemented the Graduate on Time Contract with entering freshmen. The contract guarantees on time graduation with availability of required courses for every student who takes an average of 15 hours per semester.
Dr. Whitmore has also set an ambitious agenda for increasing minority faculty at the university and accomplished the goals set forth in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Closing the Gap initiatives to encourage 500,000 more students to enter college in the coming years in the state.
Before coming to Texas Tech, Dr. Whitmore served as Provost and Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Iowa from 1996 until 2003. That position followed six years as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Whitmore earned his B.A. and M.A. in Speech from Washington State University in 1967 and 1968, respectively. In 1974 he earned the Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he began his research into and wrote his dissertation on the dramatic writings of William Saroyan.
At West Virginia University, Dr. Whitmore served as Chair of the Division of Theater from 1979 to 1983, Assistant to the President from 1983 to 1984, and Interim Dean of the College of Creative Arts from 1984 to 1985. He became Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1985, and moved to Texas in 1990. Dr. Whitmore has directed more than 60 theatrical performances, produced over 50 main stage and 80 second season productions.
Jon Whitmore and his wife Jennifer are the parents of two teenage children.
Dr. Whitmore also is active nationally in higher education, including:
- Member, President’s Commission on Effective Leadership, American Council on Education, Washington DC, July 2006 to June 2009.
- Member, Task Force on the Future of the Humanities, American Association of Universities … 2001-2003.
- College of Fellows of the American Theatre…. Initiated as a Fellow April 2004
- Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Big XII Athletic Conference, 2007-2008. Chair-Elect of the Committee.
- Member, Commissioner Search Committee, Big 12 Athletic Conference, 2007.