Robert Dean Hunter

{{short description|American politician (1928–2023)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Robert Dean Hunter

|image = Bob Hunter at ACU.JPG

|imagesize =

|caption = Bob Hunter

|order =

|state_house = Texas

|district = 71st

|term_start = August 15, 1986

|term_end = January 9, 2007

|predecessor = Gary E. Thompson

|successor = Susan King

|constituency = (then Taylor and Nolan counties; now Taylor, Jones, and Nolan)

|party = Republican

|nationality = American

|birth_date = {{birth date|1928|6|25}}

|birth_place = Dodge City, Kansas, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2023|2|11|1928|6|25}}

|death_place =

|spouse = Shirley Long Hunter

|residence = Abilene, Texas

|alma_mater = Abilene Christian University

|occupation = Vice-president emeritus of Abilene Christian University

}}

Robert Dean Hunter (June 25, 1928 – February 11, 2023) was an American politician and academic administrator. He served as vice president at Church of Christ-affiliated Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, and as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, in which from 1986 to 2007 he represented District 71.{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=157&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=~first=Bob~gender=~last=Hunter~leaderNote=~leg=~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Robert D. "Bob" Hunter|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=March 12, 2014}}

On August 9, 1986, Hunter won a special election with 50.5 percent of the ballots cast to fill the District 71 House seat vacated by the Democrat Gary E. Thompson, who resigned on June 2. Hunter became the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent Abilene and Taylor County in the state legislature."Republican lands in House as Senate race goes to runoff: Republican Robert Hunter won with 50.8 percent of the vote ...", Austin American Statesman, August 10, 1986

Hunter and his wife, the former Shirley M. Long (born c. 1933), resided in Abilene from 1956. The 57,000-square-foot Hunter Welcome Center, named in their honor, was dedicated at ACU in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.acu.edu/centennial/profiles/robert_hunter.html|title=ACU's History: 2009|publisher=acu.edu|accessdate=March 12, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041029142042/http://www.acu.edu/centennial/profiles/robert_hunter.html|archivedate=October 29, 2004}} Hunter died on February 11, 2023, at the age of 94.[https://www.reporternews.com/story/news/local/2023/02/11/former-state-representative-longtime-acu-administrator-bob-hunter-dies/69895953007/ Former state representative, longtime ACU administrator Bob Hunter dies]

{{Portal|Kansas|Texas|Education|Politics|Christianity}}