Houston Christian University president Robert Sloan dies unexpectedly at 74

Houston Christian University said Dr. Robert B. Sloan, Jr. died July 4 after an unexpected stroke in Houston, and the university has scheduled a memorial service for Friday, July 10, at 11 a.m. in the Linda and Archie Dunham Theater on the HCU campus. Sloan was surrounded by his wife, Sue, their seven children, their spouses and grandchildren when he died.

His death ends a 20-year presidency that HCU said carried the university through its “most monumental and glorious years.” Ramiro Peña, chairman of the HCU Board of Trustees, said Sloan led the school through a period that touched students, faculty, alumni, staff, trustees and friends, and HCU said his influence reached the university’s physical growth, academic offerings and public profile in Houston.

Sloan had served as HCU president since September 1, 2006, a span that made him one of only three presidents in six decades of the institution’s history. Under his leadership, HCU said the university grew to 70 undergraduate programs, 41 master’s programs and 3 doctoral programs. He also helped launch the Ten Pillars vision, begin the Honors College and reinstate NCAA Division I sports.

The campus changes under Sloan were substantial. HCU said his tenure included the opening of the Morris Cultural Arts Center, University Academic Center, Hodo Residence College, Husky Stadium and The Pillars at HCU development. Those additions helped define the university’s modern footprint in southwest Houston, where HCU has become a more visible part of the city’s higher education landscape.

Sloan’s presidency also covered a defining institutional change in 2022, when Houston Baptist University became Houston Christian University after board approval on May 17, 2022. At the time, Sloan said the school’s Christian commitments would not change. He was born on February 7, 1949, in Coleman, Texas.