Frater Ryan Crocker Named Dean of Texas A&M's George Bush School

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Former Ambassador and Frater Ryan C. Crocker (Alpha-Theta, Whitman College) has been appointed dean of Texas A&M University’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service, effective January 25. Most recently, Crocker served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007 to 2009.

According to the Aggie Release, upon learning of Crocker’s selection President George H. W. Bush said, "I am thrilled that Ambassador Ryan Crocker has agreed to take the helm of the Bush School and continue building on the record of academic excellence his predecessors have established.

"It is the mission of our school to help inculcate into each of our students a commitment to public service with integrity, and I can think of few American diplomats who have so embodied this concept as has Ambassador Crocker. His becoming Dean of the Bush School is a great addition to the Aggie family."

Crocker was formally approved for the post by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents following an extensive national search. In his new role, he will build on the Bush School’s strong programs in public service and international affairs that developed under the leadership of Richard A. Chilcoat, who served as the Bush School’s first permanent dean from July 2001 through December 2008.

"It is a tremendous honor to have Ambassador Crocker, a distinguished international statesman and scholar, join the Bush School as its dean," said Interim President R. Bowen Loftin '71. "Ambassador Crocker's appointment speaks directly to the Bush School's mission of educating principled leaders in public and international affairs, conducting research and performing service. We look forward to his work in enriching the education and experiences of our graduate students as the Bush School continues its trajectory of national prominence."