Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2005

Contact: Lisa Merkl
713.743.8192 (office)
713.605.1757 (pager)

HOUSTON, Feb. 17, 2005 – Hugh Walker, having served the University of Houston for 34 years, died last week at his home in Boerne, Texas. A special Memorial Tribute will be held in his memory at 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Carl Lewis Auditorium in the Athletics/Alumni Center. Following the service, a reception with Walker’s family will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the O’Quinn Great Hall.

Walker served in the U.S. Army for two years as a Military Service First Lieutenant before he began his career at UH in 1964 as an assistant professor in the physics department. Since then, Walker went on to hold many positions at the university throughout the years, including dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (1974-82); interim president (1982-83); vice chancellor for academic affairs (1984-87); executive vice chancellor for UH System (1987-1989); regents distinguished service fellow, UH System (1989); senior vice chancellor (1989-90); and dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management (1992-93). During his last years at UH, Walker held the positions of associate professor of physics (1993-97) and associate professor emeritus of physics (April 1998) for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

One of the founders of the UH Moles group, established in 1994, Walker took part in the first official meeting. Due to increasing fascination with the teaching and learning potential of the Internet, the group proceeded to meet regularly twice per month for lunch and discussion. They appropriately referred to themselves as moles because they often “tunneled through cyberspace with seemingly random intersections.”

Sherry, Walker’s wife, has asked that those wishing to purchase flowers for her husband should instead make a donation in his memory to an organization of their choice or to the American Heart Association.

Parking for the memorial tribute will be available in Lot 16, located in front of the Moores School of Music.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.