JOHN RUSSELL BRAZIL

June 2, 2022

John Russell Brazil, retired President of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, passed away after a long illness on June 2, 2022. He was 76 years old.

Born in 1946, Dr. Brazil was raised in northern California by his parents, Burton and Helen Brazil. Dr. Brazil had a long and distinguished career in academics. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, he received a masters in Philosophy in 1972 and a PhD in American Studies in 1975 from Yale University. Dr. Brazil began his career teaching, first at Yale and then as a member of the faculty at San Jose State, where he rose to become Vice President of Academic Affairs.

In 1980, he was selected as a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Sydney in Australia.

In 1984, Dr. Brazil was named President of Southeastern Massachusetts University (later becoming University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth), and then moved on to become President of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois in 1992. Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas recruited him to become its 17th President in 1999, where he spent the last 11 years of his career. Recognizing how much he had contributed to the long-range vitality of the University, Trinity University’s Board of Trustees bestowed on Dr. Brazil the Distinguished Service Award, the

University’s most prestigious honor.

He is survived by his wife Janice, who he married in 1971, their son Adrian, daughter Morgan and her husband Adam, five grandchildren, his brother, Wayne Brazil, and sisters, Lynn Brazil and Anne Kolb. Although many could see his passion for higher education, the true love of his life was his family. A memorial service will be held by the family at a later date.

To leave condolences for the family please visit www.ebensberger-fisher.com.

Arrangements with Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.