George Kunze, Graduate College Dean Emeritus, Dies At Age 93

Texas A&M University officials have been notified of the death Saturday (Oct. 3) of Dr. George William Kunze, dean emeritus of the university’s graduate college and professor emeritus of soil and crop sciences, in his hometown of Warda, Texas.

Dr. Kunze served as dean of the Texas A&M Graduate College from 1968 until his retirement in 1984. During his tenure as dean, the university’s graduate enrollment increased from 2,000 to more than 6,000. He previously served a year as associate dean of the graduate school.

Dr. Kunze, who was 93, was born in Warda in 1922 and entered Texas A&M in 1941. As a junior, he joined his entire class in enlisting in the military in 1943. Returning from World War II, he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in 1948, his master’s in 1950 and his doctorate was earned at Penn State in 1952.

He returned to Texas A&M in 1952 as an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy (later changed to the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences), where he taught graduate level courses and did research involving soil chemistry and soil mineralogy. He collected and analyzed the chemical and mineralogical properties of many of the major soils in the State of Texas. In order to perform the mineralogical studies, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station was the first in the South to obtain modern X-Ray diffraction units. In 1966, Kunze was selected by his colleagues to receive the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Research.

Dr. Kunze’s leadership in the early development of the computer-based academic record-keeping system brought national recognition to Texas A&M.

The George W. Kunze Prize was established and named for the long-time dean of the Graduate College at the time of his retirement. University faculty and friends generously contributed to an endowment in honor of Kunze to provide an annual $1,000 award for a doctoral student nearing completion of the degree program. The Kunze Prize is sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies.

In addition, the Kunze Award honors a faculty member, staff member or a Texas A&M entity for outstanding contributions to the success and prosperity of graduate students.

After his retirement, Dr. Kunze moved to his family farm in Warda where he spent the rest of his life raising Angus cattle, crops and spending time with family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 600 FM 1482, Warda at 10 a.m. Thursday (Oct. 8). Burial will follow at Holy Cross Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, members of his family suggest memorial contributions may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church Building Restoration Fund, P.O. Box 69, Warda, TX 78960; or the George W. Kunze Endowment Graduate Award, Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840.