Jared Earl Hazleton

Dr. Jared Earl Hazleton, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, educator, economist, veteran, and lifelong student of the world around him, passed away peacefully at home on September 3, 2026 with his family by his side.

Jared was born September 12, 1937, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Alfred and Myrtle Hazleton. A proud Oklahoman throughout his life, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1959. While at OU, Jared was a member of Beta Theta Pi and Beta Gamma Sigma. He also served as Vice-President of the Student Senate.

But Jared's most important discovery during his years at OU had nothing to do with economics or academics. It was there that he met the love of his life, Elaine. Their college romance became a marriage that would last 66+ years and form the center of Jared's life. Together they built a family, shared adventures around the world, weathered life's challenges, celebrated its joys, and created a lifetime of memories.

Jared participated in ROTC at the University of Oklahoma, beginning another important chapter of his life. Following college, he served his country as an officer in the United States Navy aboard the USS Howard D. Crow, a destroyer escort. His Naval service remained a source of tremendous pride throughout his life. Jared was deeply proud to be an American veteran and valued the honor, responsibility, and commitment to service that came with it.

After graduating from OU, Jared continued his education at Rice University, earning his Ph.D. in Economics in 1964. He earned the John W. Gardner Award for his outstanding dissertation, which was published.

Over the course of his career, Jared served in academic and leadership positions at some of the nation's leading universities. At the University of Texas at Austin, he served on the economics faculty and at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, where he was also an associate dean. He later served as Dean of the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

From 1973 to 1975, Jared took leave from the University of Texas to work with the Ford Foundation as an economic research specialist assigned to the Royal Scientific Society in Amman, Jordan. His research and writing covered an extraordinarily wide range of subjects, including natural resources, energy, economic development, public finance, environmental policy, land reform, banking, education, and macroeconomic policy.

Jared's career was never confined to academia. He served as President of the Texas Research League, a nonprofit organization devoted to research on state and local government and public policy. He later joined Mesa Petroleum as Vice President for Economics, bringing his expertise to what was then the nation's largest independent oil and gas company.

In 1989, Jared joined Texas A&M University's Lowry Mays College and Graduate School of Business as Director of the Center for Business and Economic Analysis. He also served as a professor of finance, teaching graduate students corporate finance.

In 1999, Jared was named Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of North Texas. He brought to UNT the unusual combination of a scholar, teacher, administrator, businessman, and public-policy expert. He served as dean for five years and continued his commitment to helping students understand not simply how economies work, but how economic decisions affect communities and people's lives.

Jared was the author of numerous books, scholarly articles, studies, and economic analyses during a career spanning decades. Throughout his life he continued researching, thinking, writing, and sharing his observations about Texas communities and their economies, even in retirement. Curiosity was simply part of who he was.

Service to others was another constant throughout Jared's life. He was active in Rotary and the United Way, serving in several leadership positions over the years. Whether through his military service, his profession, his community involvement, or his church, Jared believed that knowledge and leadership came with a responsibility to serve others.

Central to Jared's life was his faith. He was a Christian whose faith was something he studied and lived. Jared taught Sunday School for many years and particularly enjoyed sharing what he had learned with others. His intellectual curiosity and his faith were never separate parts of his life; his desire to understand Scripture reflected the same thoughtful, searching mind that defined his work as a scholar and teacher.

As impressive as Jared's professional life was, those who loved him knew there was much more to him than titles and accomplishments.

He loved his family deeply. He enjoyed conversation, a good story, watching old movies, and sports — lots of sports. He was a golfer, a loyal Texas Rangers fan, a Dallas Cowboys fan, and, true to his Oklahoma roots, always an OU Sooner. In his final weeks, when his world had grown smaller, a Rangers game on television could still command his attention — and a Rangers win could still make it a very good night.

Jared died peacefully at 5:00 p.m. on September 3 with Elaine by his side. The timing brought a smile through the tears because Jared had so often said, “It’s five o’clock somewhere.” It seemed an especially fitting final wink from a man who had spent a lifetime thinking seriously but who never lost his appreciation for life's lighter moments.

Jared is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Elaine, with whom he shared a lifetime of love, family, adventures, challenges, and memories. He is also survived by his children, Frances Hazleton (Lisa Matthews), Alan Hazleton (Tracy), and Mark Hazleton (Lesley); his beloved grandchildren, Weston, Kendall, Marlis, Berit, and Ian; his sister, Susan Swingen; and many nieces, nephews and good friends.

For all of Jared's remarkable professional accomplishments, his greatest legacy cannot be measured in degrees, publications, positions, or economic forecasts. It lives in the students he taught, the colleagues he influenced, the communities he served, the people with whom he shared his faith, the friends who enjoyed his company, and, most of all, in Elaine and the family they built together. He lived a life grounded in faith, family, learning, service, and love of country.

He was deeply loved, and he will be dearly missed.

A Celebration of Life for Jared will be held Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Celebration Community Church, 908 Pennsylvania Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76104. A reception will follow at the church.

Family and friends are invited to gather with us to remember Jared, share stories, celebrate a life exceptionally well lived, and give thanks for the many years we were blessed to have him with us.

You can find more information and pictures at www.texecon.com