Bob Lawless, president of the University of Tulsa, has been elected as the chair of the NCAA Executive Committee.

Lawless, who will begin a two-year term after the NCAA Convention in January, replaces Charles Wethington, president of the University of Kentucky, whose term on the Executive Committee expires at that time. Lawless' term on the Executive Committee expires in January 2002, although his term may be extended by the Division I Board of Directors for another year to complete his term as chair.

Lawless has served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors since June 1998 and is chair of the Executive Committee's Budget Committee. Lawless previously was a member and chair of the NCAA Presidents Commission and a member of the Division I Task Force to Review NCAA Membership and the Special Committee to Study Marketing, Licensing and Promotions.

Lawless became the 16th president at Tulsa in May 1996 after serving as president at Texas Tech University since 1989. Before that, he served first as vice-president-finance and chief financial officer, then as executive vice-president and chief operations officer for Southwest Airlines.

Lawless held numerous academic and administrative positions at the University of Houston from 1969 to 1982, including senior vice-chancellor, associate chancellor, dean of business and director of doctoral programs in business. He was promoted to full professor of management science in 1974.

Lawless holds three degrees: an associate of science in chemistry from Lee College; a bachelor of science in mathematics from Houston; and a doctor of philosophy in operations research and statistics from Texas A&M University, College Station.