Red McCombs

Auto artisan dropped out of law school to sell cars. Founded Clear Channel Communications with partner Lowry Mays 1972; today radio juggernaut owns 717 radio stations, listening base more than 93 million. Also massive concert promotion operation. Went private: $17.9 billion all-cash deal with private equity outfits Thomas H. Lee Partners, Bain Capital closed in July. Other holdings: oil, real estate, more car dealerships. B. J. McCombs is a private investor. He has served as a director of Clear Channel for the relevant five year period. In 2000, Mr. McCombs and his wife gave a gift of $50 million to the University of Texas business school — the single largest donation in the school’s history at the time. It was renamed the McCombs School of Business. He and his wife also donated $30 million to the university’s MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is preceded by his wife, Charline, in December 2019. Red and Charline were truly life partners, enjoying 69 years of marriage. McCombs is survived by his children, Lynda McCombs, Marsha Shields, and Connie McNab, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.