Preceded by Gary E. Thompson Name Robert Hunter Nationality American Political party Republican Party | Spouse(s) Shirley Long Hunter Succeeded by Susan King Religion Church of Christ | |
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Born June 25, 1928 (age 95)
Dodge City, Kansas, USA ( 1928-06-25 ) Alma mater Abilene Christian University Occupation Vice-president emeritus of Abilene Christian University Education Abilene Christian University Residence Abilene, Texas, United States, Taylor County, Texas, United States, Texas, United States | ||
Robert Dean Hunter, known as Robert D. Hunter or Bob Hunter (born June 25, 1928), is a retired vice president at Church of Christ-affiliated Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, and a Republican former member of the Texas House of Representatives, in which from 1986 to 2007 he represented District 71.
Hunter was born in Dodge City in western Kansas. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Abilene Christian University. He also holds honorary doctorates from Pepperdine University near Malibu, California, Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and the Southern Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University, also in Abilene.
On August 9, 1986, Hunter won a special election with 50.5 percent of the ballots cast to fill the District 71 House seat vacated by the Democrat Gary E. Thompson, who resigned on June 2. Hunter became the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent Abilene and Taylor County in the state legislature.
Hunter and his wife, the former Shirley M. Long (born c. 1933), have resided in Abilene since 1956. The 57,000-square-foot Hunter Welcome Center, named in their honor, was dedicated at ACU in 2009.