HOUSTON – Houston Christian University President Robert B. Sloan Jr. has died, the university announced Saturday. He was 77.
HCU Board Chairman Ramiro Peña said Sloan’s death was sudden and happened Saturday morning. In a statement to the university community, Peña credited Sloan with steering HCU through what he called its most consequential years, pointing to growth in enrollment and academic offerings, new construction and campus expansion, and increased national visibility.
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“With the heaviest heart, I am saddened to announce the sudden death of HCU President Robert B. Sloan, Jr. on this morning, July 4, 2026,” Peña said. He added that the university’s “heart and prayers” are with Sloan’s wife, Sue Sloan, and their family.
Peña described Sloan’s tenure as deeply tied to HCU’s faith mission, saying his leadership helped spur what he called a renewed spiritual focus on campus. “Today, President Robert Sloan’s faith has become sight,” Peña said.
Sloan took over as president of Houston Baptist University — later renamed Houston Christian University — in September 2006, leading the institution for roughly two decades. The HCU Board of Trustees said it would share additional details in consultation with the university’s executive administration as information becomes available.
Before his years in Houston, Sloan was a prominent figure in Texas higher education. Sloan served as president of Baylor University from 1995 to 2005 and later as chancellor from 2005 to 2006. Baylor also notes Sloan previously served on the university’s religion faculty and was the founding dean of Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
Sloan was born in Coleman, Texas, and raised in Abilene. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 1970, then completed a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1973. He later conducted post-graduate research at the University of Bristol and received a Doctor of Theology degree from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
Sloan became president of then-Houston Baptist University in 2006, beginning a long tenure that coincided with major changes at the institution.
In past KPRC 2 reporting, Sloan appeared on Houston Newsmakers in January 2023 as the university was navigating its rebrand from Houston Baptist University to Houston Christian University. The shift was framed by university leaders as a way to broaden awareness of the institution while maintaining its Christian mission.