乱伦视频

James R. Wilburn (MBA 鈥�82 PKE 56), Dean Emeritus of the 乱伦视频 School of Public Policy, passed away on November 29, 2024. He was 91.

鈥溌衣资悠� has experienced a loss of great magnitude with the passing of the great Jim Wilburn,鈥� says Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD 鈥�93). 鈥淢ore than his decades of dedicated and tireless service to the University, the world has lost a visionary leader, a revered scholar, and a great mind among his contemporaries. Dr. Wilburn was instrumental in Pepperdine鈥檚 presence in Malibu, and from his first day on the job until his last day in the office just a few weeks ago, he cared about one thing: the growth and advancement of the University. On the list of Pepperdine legends, Dr. Wilburn was among the top. He will be missed tremendously by his friends and colleagues.鈥�

Born on December 6, 1932, in Electra, Texas, Wilburn鈥檚 family moved to Southern California a few years later鈥攚here his father, a Church of Christ minister, took him to the site where George Pepperdine College would soon open in 1937. Wilburn鈥檚 true historical connection to Pepperdine began in 1915, however, when his grandmother took a job in a one-room schoolhouse in Malibu鈥攋ust a few miles away from where his future office would sit. 

James R. Wilburn and Bill Banowsky

Wilburn鈥檚 nearly 50-year career spearheading numerous roles at 乱伦视频 officially started in 1970, when then president Bill Banowsky selected him to serve as a consultant on a 10-member task force to develop a strategic plan for building a new campus in Malibu. The following year, he accepted an appointment as President Banowsky鈥檚 executive assistant and choreographed the move to Malibu while maintaining full operations at the Los Angeles campus.

A passionate champion of Pepperdine鈥檚 mission, Wilburn was named vice president for university affairs in 1976. He was a committed fundraiser and was a key contributor to the creation of the Pepperdine Associates and its Founding 400 members (a group agreeing to a significant long-term annual gift) in 1977. 

Dean Wilburn points toward the future site of the Drescher Graduate Campus

Considered a fearless leader who inspired hard work and admiration in students, faculty, and staff, Wilburn鈥檚 fruitful efforts throughout the years developed into his position as dean of the in 1982. Under his deanship, the Graziadio School moved more aggressively into international business and launched five new academic programs. Within this role, he also contributed significantly to fundraising and was largely responsible for generating the nearly $10 million it took to develop the Drescher Graduate Campus in Malibu that houses the Graziadio School, the School of Public Policy, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and residences for faculty, staff, and students.

By the late 1990s Wilburn was eager to focus on his teaching and writing, but then Pepperdine president David Davenport prevailed upon him to accept the role of founding dean of the . Wilburn brought to the role his conviction that the school would be exceptional, and he oversaw the blossoming of a program that uniquely emphasized the fundamental nature of personal and institutional integrity in effective public policy. As he noted in a memo to Davenport months before the first class arrived in 1997, the new school鈥檚 distinctiveness would be grounded in Pepperdine鈥檚 liberal arts approach to an academic discipline known for its technocratic perspective: 鈥淚t is truly unique among public policy programs . . . It includes a stronger emphasis on culture, history, and the great books theme than others I have seen . . . It has a breadth in core courses which can be a hallmark.鈥� 

During his almost 20 years at the helm of the School of Public Policy, Dean Wilburn established it as one of America鈥檚 only graduate policy schools at a Christian university, recruiting a number of distinguished faculty, including Jack Kemp, James Q. Wilson, Michael Novak, and Angela Hawken to name a few. He recruited three of the school鈥檚 current tenured faculty: Robert Kaufman, James Prieger, and Luisa Blanco. The school quickly became known for its research and seminars, exploring the intersection of faith and public policy. In 2012 Pepperdine honored Wilburn by dedicating the Drescher Graduate Campus auditorium in his name. Wilburn stepped down from the deanship and was named Dean Emeritus in 2015. 

Pete Peterson, dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, remarked, 鈥淭he School of Public Policy is truly 鈥榯he house that Jim built,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淔rom raising the funds to establish it, to helping to chart its unique mission, Jim was both an institution builder and visionary scholar. I was so grateful that he continued to keep an office down the hall after he became Dean Emeritus. That proximity made possible numerous conversations with him, which I benefited from immensely. I鈥檒l miss him greatly even as we seek to carry on the vision he developed decades ago.鈥�

Ronald Reagan and James R. Wilburn

In addition to his leadership in higher education, Wilburn was also celebrated for his headline-making work in national and global policy. Before becoming president, Ronald Reagan appointed Wilburn to head the board of the Citizens for the Republic Education Foundation in late 1978, and he worked extensively with Baron Rothschild and the European Parliament Industrial Council during the late 1980s. Wilburn also helped introduce capitalism to Russia, serving as an adviser to former Russian president Boris Yeltsin. From 1991 to 1996 he served as cochair of the United States Committee to Assist Russian Reform, a program funded by the United States Department of State and authorized by Yeltsin.

Outside of his government-related positions, Wilburn followed in his father鈥檚 footsteps of becoming a Church of Christ minister and authored books on American history, business management, and the relationship between faith and public policy鈥攎ost recently a collection of essays written by a selection of prominent political scientists, philosophers, and scholars from prestigious institutions across the country entitled Character and the Future of the American University: A Pathway Forward with James Q. Wilson鈥檚 Moral Sense published in 2023.

Wilburn received his PhD in economic history from the University of California, Los Angeles, a master's degree in history from Midwestern State University, and an MBA from the . He received bachelor's and master's degrees in biblical studies from Abilene Christian University.

Wilburn is survived by his wife, Gail (MA 鈥�05); daughter, Susan; sons, Greg and Jonathan; stepdaughter, Casey; stepson, Mark; and eight grandchildren.

Details about a memorial service for the Pepperdine community and friends will be shared as more information becomes available.