Patrick Statement on the Passing of Lowry Mays

Patrick Statement on the Passing of Lowry Mays
Texas lost a true business legend, and I lost a friend and mentor

HOUSTON TX – Texas Lieutenant Governor and conservative Republican candidate for re-election, Dan Patrick released the following statement on the passing of Lowry Mays.

“Today we lost a Texas icon, Lowry Mays. The Texas A&M University school of business is named after him – the Mays School of Business.

“I met Lowry Mays in 1994 when he purchased KSEV and KPRC radio stations. He asked me to stay with the Clear Channel company and manage the stations and continue on air.

“He was a hands-on owner at that time of 35-40 radio stations. I met with him directly every year to review our budget. We were one of his most profitable AM stations, but he still scrutinized every expense item in the budget and wanted a thorough plan of how we could be more profitable. He was tough but fair. If you convinced him you knew your budget and had a solid plan for your station, he trusted you to do your job.

“He taught me lessons I still use in my state budgeting. Ask tough questions, be sure those getting funding are held accountable, and if you trust them, get out of the way and let them do their job. Most of the time they will overperform.

“By the time I left the company 5 years later to manage a TV station for Joel Osteen, Lowry had built a company that owned over 1,000 radio stations.

“We stayed in touch over the years. He was an early supporter of mine. He was a great businessman and a great friend. I will miss him deeply.

“Jan and I extend our condolences to his family and loved ones.”

To download a pdf version of this press release, click here.