Robert Lynn Knauss (“Bob”), age 93, died in Saugatuck, Michigan, on October 16, 2024. He leaves behind Angela, his wife of more than 50 years, and his children and grandchildren.
Bob was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 24, 1931, to Lois Atkinson and Karl Knauss. Bob’s mother was formidable. She raised her three sons to be Eagle Scouts, and, at the same time, she became President of the Detroit Girl Scouts organization, even though she had no daughters.
Growing up, Bob earned a reputation as the boy you wanted your daughter to marry. He was hardworking, smart, optimistic, and a good-looking fellow. He was comfortable no matter the environment, be it among young people in the Halls of Academia or—later in life—with senior executives in corporate board rooms. People regarded Bob as a very fair and honorable person, someone who tried to do the right thing and to see matters from others’ perspectives.
From Cooley High School, Bob went on to Harvard on a Navy ROTC scholarship, majoring in pre-med. After graduation, he served honorably aboard a destroyer during the Korean War. The Navy taught Bob that he didn’t like dealing with blood; so, shifting gears, he enrolled in The University of Michigan Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor in less than the standard three-year period. He taught for a year at Michigan Law before joining the law firm of Pillsbury, Madison, Sutro in San Francisco as an associate attorney.
Bob married Barbara Brown just after college. By the time he entered law school, they had two children, Rob and Chuck. Being aboard the destroyer, Bob did not learn he had a son until Rob was six weeks old. They welcomed their daughter, Kathy, a few years later.
Though Bob enjoyed San Francisco and his work at the firm, the call of academia was strong. When the Dean of Michigan Law School asked Bob to join as a law professor, he accepted. Bob spent his next dozen years at Michigan, where he attained full professorship at the Law School while teaching and authoring a leading treatise on corporations and securities law and also serving as the University’s Vice President for Student Services and President of the University’s Faculty Senate.
Following his time at Michigan, Bob became Dean of Vanderbilt Law School. During these years, he also served as a visiting professor at both the Vermont Law School and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Indeed, for several years thereafter, Bob would return to Dartmouth to teach a two-week course on Duties of Directors to the Business School students. Bob often chuckled at the fact that Dartmouth had refused his admittance in his youth, yet he now was on its faculty.
In 1981, Bob accepted a position as Dean of the University of Houston Law Center, a role he served in through 1993. His time in Houston was immensely satisfying to him and Angela, who was by his side throughout.
Bob was very active outside of teaching. At a young age, he was elected to the American Law Institute. He was also a member of the American Bar Foundation. And Bob spent a semester working for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which gave him an opportunity to work abroad.
After retiring from the University of Houston, Bob embarked more fully on corporate ventures. For example, one project was an attempt to privatize the first of the Soviet Aerofleet, creating Air Baltic in Latvia. Unfortunately, Bob was a bit too early, and his vision was bested by bureaucracy. Angela considered this venture as the couple’s charitable contribution to the emerging Soviet satellite nations!
As well as serving on community Boards, Bob served on the boards of nine public companies as an Independent Director, being Chairman at various times including serving as Chairman of one public company at the time of his passing (making him the oldest elected board member of a publicly traded company in the country). In 2017, MARQUIS WHO’S WHO named Bob a “lifetime achiever” and an “esteemed and outstanding figure in education, law and business.”
Bob is survived by Angela Tirola Knauss his companion, partner, and wife of over fifty years. He is also survived by his three children (Rob, Chuck, and Kathy), his stepson (Ian), and eight grandchildren; he was very proud of them all. He was predeceased by his two older brothers, John and Peter.
Bob always said he was the luckiest man in the world, and the main reason for that was Angela. She was his partner in all activities, including earning her law degree after their marriage. She was a great hostess in her role as Dean’s spouse, and she championed family celebrations and gatherings of multitudes of friends. Bob loved her talent as a home designer. Together, they bought a Ranch in Burton, Texas in 1998, which became a very important fixture of Bob’s life and brought him great happiness. Bob and Angela were active in the community in Washington County, Texas and were generous, consistently contributing to local causes. Although they moved to Michigan in 2022 due to the Texas heat, they found that their hearts remained in Texas and were in the process of moving back.
As is evident from his multiple roles over the course of his career, Bob was a curious person who retained his mental faculties until his passing, which meant he was able to continue learning even after his retirement. He always enjoyed talking with people about any topic, from politics to history to astrophysics to the Michigan Wolverines and the teams in Texas he had adopted. Bob had a unique ability to make anyone feel comfortable and smart in his presence. He took pride in the students he taught, the faculties and companies he served, and the contributions of the educational institutions he led. The world is a better place for Bob Knauss having been in it.
Services will be scheduled at a future time.
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