Eugene H. Vaughan

Eugene H. Vaughan, entrepreneur, civic leader, and proud Tennessean turned devout Texan, passed away on Saturday, the 9th of December 2023, in his cherished home of Houston, surrounded by his family whom he loved with all of his prodigious heart. He was 90 years of age.

Gene was born on the 5th of October 1933, in the grip of the Great Depression in Brownsville, Tennessee, the only child of Margaret Musgrave Vaughan and Eugene Harold Vaughan, Sr., a Post Office supervisor.

Gene attended Haywood High School where he played tailback on the Tomcat’s perennially state-ranked football team, was voted “Mr. Haywood High,” and president of the student body. Though he weighed in at a mere 123 pounds and took a beating on the field, he was eternally grateful to his high school coach, Bill Taylor, for ingraining in him the resolve to never quit. Perseverance was indeed one of Gene’s great hallmarks, always living the words of his hero, Winston Churchill, to “Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Cutting right of ways for the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) in the summer during high school, Gene earned the nickname “Extra High Voltage,” a new moniker for his initials, EHV, that stuck for life. Gene’s boundless energy and determination to outwork anyone would become another of his signature traits. One of the many life changing miracles this self-described “pragmatic optimist” pointed to in his life was being awarded a full Naval ROTC scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University where he earned his BA in 1955. While at Vanderbilt, Gene ran the one and two mile on the varsity track team, served as the sports editor of the “Vanderbilt Hustler” student newspaper, was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, founded and served as inaugural president of Interhall, Vanderbilt students’ self-governing dormitory system, and was inducted into the illustrious “Blue Pencil Society” for his exceptional writing - a gift later enjoyed and revered by so many through Gene’s renowned “End of Year Letters” and annual holiday card messages.

After three years of active duty as an officer on a Naval destroyer in the Atlantic and Pacific, Gene joined the IBM Corporation as part of a five-person team converting all seven Air Force Commands to the new IBM RAMAC 305. Wanting to further his business acumen, he attended Harvard Business School on the J. Spencer Love Fellowship, awarded to Southerners, “not in obligation, but in the hope they would return and become leaders in the South.” He conducted his summer internship at Putnam Management Company in Boston where he fell in love with investment research and money management and joined full time upon graduation in 1961.

In 1964 Gene and Susan moved to Houston, fulfilling J. Spencer Love’s aspiration that Gene return his leadership to the South. There Gene led the creation of the first regional institutional research group beyond the East Coast at Underwood Neuhaus and earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1969.

Gene loved and embraced Texas, calling it “the land of independence and opportunity.” In this land of opportunity, he founded Vaughan Nelson Investment Management in 1970 with partners Dick Nelson and Frank Scarborough. The firm rose to become a regional leader in institutional money management, managing portfolios for numerous prominent pension plans, endowments, foundations, and individuals. Known as much for its integrity and values as for the outstanding returns the firm generated, Gene viewed investment management as a ministry and took great pride in the positive impact clients were able to achieve with their assets under Vaughan Nelson’s management. Gene loved to recall leaving a meeting of Wortham Foundation Trustees and Chairman Buddy Carruth saying, "We could not have given the money to make the Wortham Center possible if you had not managed our funds so well."

While Vaughan Nelson was best known regionally in the US while Gene was CEO, Gene was active nationally on behalf of the investment management profession. Gene chaired the Financial Analyst Federation (FAF) board as far back as 1973. He later joined the board of the Institute for Chartered Financial Analysts (ICFA) and played a critical role in affecting the merger of the FAF and ICFA into what is today the CFA Institute. The two boards only approved the merger when Gene agreed to serve as the initial Chairman of the CFA Institute. Gene remained CEO of Vaughan Nelson until the 1st of January 2000, at which time he shifted his full focus and entrepreneurial energies to his other passions of community service and education.

A man of deep Christian faith throughout his life, Gene grew up attending church and Sunday School every week with his parents and later became an active member and leader of First Presbyterian Church in Houston, which he and Susan joined when they moved to Houston in 1964 and where they raised their family. Upon First Presbyterian’s departure from Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2016, Susan and Gene looked for a new church home in Houston and found fertile ground for their faith to grow and be nurtured at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church under the leadership of senior pastor, Dr. Tom Pace.

Gene lived by the ethos of his mentor Dr. John W. Gardner that “men and women nurture the institutions that nurtured them.” Beyond his and Susan's generous philanthropic support of numerous institutions, Gene was a doer. He became Trustee of his beloved Vanderbilt University at age 39, the youngest to do so at that time in the 100-year history of the University. During his 36-year tenure as Trustee, he served many years as Chairman of the Student Life Committee, which he considered to be the best job on the board. Additionally, he served long terms on the Executive, Investment, Governance, and Academic Affairs Committees. At age 75, he became Trustee Emeritus and remained highly active as Chairman of the Houston Alumni Chapter. In addition to all he gave to his alma mater, Gene was a tireless business and civic leader, serving as a longstanding Director of the Greater Houston Partnership and a member of the Executive Committee for 15 years and founder of the Partnership’s Education Committee. He co-founded and served as founding Chair of Center for Houston’s Future, the “Region’s Think Tank” and primary generator of civic leaders and strategic planning in the Houston region. The Eugene H. Vaughan Award for Civic Leadership was established in 2004 in honor of Gene’s visionary work as founding Chairman of Center for Houston’s Future and is presented annually to an individual whose lifetime of work has significantly shaped the future of the Houston region. Gene was founding Chair of Presbyterian School Houston and served on (and often chaired) countless other the boards in Houston, such as Goodwill Industries, United Way, Houston Grand Opera, Collaborative for Children, and St. John’s School.

A passionate and gifted orator, Gene gave well over 500 speeches in his professional career and civic life and was a popular emcee. He loved bringing world class speakers to Houston and served as President and Chairman of The Houston Forum, on the Executive Committee of the World Affairs Council of Houston, and chaired the Lyceum Distinguished Speaker program at the Houston Club for 25 years. Gene was known for his unparalleled research, intellect, wit and, at times, longwinded delivery (made even longer by his famous Southern drawl). To be introduced by Gene was a special experience and honor indeed, and his uniquely wonderful speaker introductions could last longer and often be more interesting than the keynote itself.

Above everything Gene created, accomplished, or did in his life, his family was the center of his world and the source of his greatest pride. From the moment he met Susan Westbrook on Valentine’s evening 1961, he was in love for life. The love between the two of them grew visibly deeper and stronger every day of their union until they were parted on the 9th of December. He was an immensely devoted and loving father to Margaret and Richard and always their staunchest supporter (and most constructive critic). He cherished and reveled in his role as “Pop Pop” to his grandchildren and was intensely interested and engaged in what each was doing in their lives. His legendary conversation, advice, counsel, and loving support will be missed by all beyond words.

Gene is survived by his bride of sixty years and love of his life, Susan Bolinger Westbrook Vaughan; his treasured daughter, Margaret Corbin Vaughan Cox and her husband Jonathan, and their three children, Corbin Parc Robinson, Evelyn Alice Cox, and Austin William Cox; and his cherished son, Richard Bolinger Vaughan, Sr. and his wife Ann, and their three children, Avery Nichols Vaughan, Richard “Bo” Bolinger Vaughan, Jr., and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Meriwether Vaughan. Gene is also survived by his nephew, John Miller and his wife Robin; and his niece, Margaret Johnson Lutz and her husband Gary.

The family would like to acknowledge and express special gratitude to Carolyn Ross for her three decades of loyal and faithful service to Gene as his trusted executive assistant and to Ana Medrano for providing loving care and assistance to Gene over the last several years.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from four o'clock in the afternoon to seven o'clock in the evening on Monday, the 18th of December, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesday, the 19th of December, in the Sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road in Houston, where Rev. Dr. Tom Pace is to officiate.

Kindly note that virtual attendance for those unable to attend may be accessed by selecting the "Join Livestream" icon on the service section. You may also share fond memories and words of condolence with his family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon.

Immediately following the service, all are invited to a reception at a venue to be announced during the service.

Prior to the service, the family will gather for a private interment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Gene's honor be directed to Center for Houston’s Future, 701 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, TX 77010, the Eugene H. Vaughan Family Scholarship for Entrepreneurial Excellence at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Gift and Donor Services, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240, or St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77027.