Longtime TCU champion John V. Roach dies at 83
The business mogul and tech pioneer pushed TCU to new heights
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John Roach's student portrait. (Horned Frog Yearbook '59)
John Roach's student portrait. (Horned Frog Yearbook '59)
John V. Roach, a TCU alumnus, former chair of the Board of Trustees and early PC pioneer, has died at 83 years old.
Decades before the concept of a personal computer became a reality, Mr. Roach studied computer programming and the potential of widespread consumer use of computers at TCU (MBA ‘65).
Mr. Roach, who was born in 1938 in Stamford, Texas, moved to Fort Worth with his family at age four. He grew up working in his father’s small neighborhood grocery store.
His work ethic earned him two bachelor’s degrees — mathematics and physics — from TCU, while holding jobs unloading boxcars and working as a field engineer.
Mr. Roach dreamed that the average person would have personal computers and use the internet in his lifetime.
“Taking all things within the realm of possibility and making them practical and feasible, that is the challenge.”
'Reinventing the wheel'
Despite a lack of consumer interest in 1975, Mr. Roach led a small engineering team at Tandy Corp. to discover if it could deliver a commercially viable personal microcomputer to market.
The successful venture shocked the industry in 1978, when Tandy’s microcomputers sold more units than any other company in the industry at that time.
Mr. Roach became one of the youngest CEOs in the country in 1981, taking over the position at Tandy Corp., which was the parent company of RadioShack.
In 1983, in conjunction with Microsoft, he helped launch one of the first commercial laptops. The machine had a built-in keyboard and a small eight-line display, all in one plane.
The device was so portable, Mr. Roach said, “every journalist had to have one.”
Many years before the concept of a personal computer had been conceived, Mr. Roach predicted its everyday value in the future of society.
He also saw a strong future for his alma mater.
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Full circle
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John V. Roach wears TCU purple. (Photo courtesy of TCU)
John V. Roach wears TCU purple. (Photo courtesy of TCU)
Mr. Roach was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1990 and led the “1900s project,” which set the university’s agenda for the coming decade — a decade filled with academic and financial success.
During his tenure, TCU's endowment more than doubled to approximately $1 billion, which placed it among the top 40 of the nation’s colleges and universities. A fundraising campaign, which Mr. Roach spearheaded, realized more than $126 million.
Mr. Roach made significant contributions to mathematics, science and computer science education in the United States, and he included TCU in the effort.
Mr. Roach helped launch the national Tandy Technology Scholars Program, which rewards teachers and students who are leaders in those subjects. Today, the program is called the RadioShack National Teacher Awards Program and has awarded more than $3.5 million, with 83% of the country’s secondary schools enrolled.
One of Mr. Roach’s greatest gifts to TCU was engineering a smooth transition of leadership for the university, chairing the search committee to find TCU’s ninth and tenth chancellors.
Chancellor Victor Boschini said John was a devoted fan, leader and visionary who was passionate about TCU in all ways possible.
“Personally, Megan and I will be forever indebted to him for bringing us to Fort Worth and TCU 19 years ago. This is a huge loss for the Horned Frog family,” he said.
Lasting legacy
After Mr. Roach’s tenure on the board, he continued to be an active contributor to the university and Fort Worth.
He served as an Emeritus TCU Trustee, a board member on the TCU Neeley School of Business Board of Visitors, board member for the Van Cliburn Foundation and chairman for the Fort Worth Executive Roundtable.
Mr. Roach was honored by his alma mater in 2009, when TCU officially launched the John V. Roach Honors College, offering students “an educational experience of the finest quality, as well as unparalleled opportunities for intellectual and personal growth through co-curricular programs,” according to the John V. Roach Honors College website.
TCU Trustees Chair Mark Johnson said he’ll never “walk the grounds of the campus without thinking of him. “
“I will always remember John for his keen business and economic acumen and his decades-long, servant leadership of TCU,” he said. “His dedication to this great school, whether leading the Board, making financial contributions or attending an athletic or social event, exemplified a tremendous fiduciary responsibility as well as a genuine love for his alma mater. John truly desired for each student to be well-prepared for the road ahead.”
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