Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, a longtime top UT Dallas administrator, whose name, as University President Richard C. Benson recently said, “is synonymous with that of UT Dallas,” died Sept. 4 at age 83.

Wildenthal first served as the University’s chief academic officer — the vice president for academic affairs — when he arrived in 1992. He filled many roles and held many titles thereafter, including provost, executive vice president and interim president.

His vision, leadership and influence shaped UT Dallas in countless ways. “His work, in great part, built the University into what it is today,” Benson said. “He was a tireless advocate who was determined in his efforts to elevate the institution’s reputation and recruit top faculty, staff and students. His leadership helped build a well-rounded university with academic rigor at its core.”

Raised in San Marcos, Texas, and later in the West Texas towns of San Angelo and Alpine, Bryan Hobson Wildenthal graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in English and mathematics from Sul Ross State University, where his father served as president from 1952 to 1965, and his mother fostered a love for art and music.

After earning a PhD in physics from the University of Kansas, he held appointments at Rice University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Texas A&M University, and, for 13 years, at Michigan State University.

He devoted most of the 20 years of his pre-administrative academic career to experimental and theoretical studies of the structure of atomic nuclei. The last two years he had returned to his role as professor of physics. He also was distinguished scholar in residence and spent time overseeing the writing of a history book on the first 50 years of UT Dallas.

In his early years at UTD, Wildenthal was instrumental in formulating a core curriculum that addressed key components of undergraduate education. His efforts to recruit top students led to the establishment and endowment of the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program.

In 2017, a gift in honor of Wildenthal from the Eugene McDermott Foundation created another endowment to support undergraduate research, and the University’s Honors College was renamed the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, in recognition of his many contributions.

“Hobson was a man of superior intellect,” Jindal School Dean and Caruth Chair Hasan Pirkul said. “He also was one of those rare individuals who had the courage to act on his convictions. He played the leading role in transforming this University from a startup to a national-level institution. On a personal note, he was not only my mentor but also a good friend. I will always remember him fondly.”

Read a full remembrance at on the UT Dallas News Center.