Texas Tech University

In Memoriam: Former Hospitality and Retail Management Faculty Member Audrey McCool

Breck Gavin

December 12, 2024

Audrey McCool Memorial

Audrey McCool Memorial

Audrey McCool, an instrumental former faculty member of the Department of Hospitality and Retail Management, passed away on Nov. 17, 2024. She was 84 years old. McCool graduated from Texas Tech University with a Doctor of Education in 1982. She held an endowed chair position and established the food and beverage management team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Following her retirement from UNLV, she and her husband, Barent, moved back to Lubbock.

Beginning in 2017, McCool served as the Interim Chair for the Department of Hospitality and Retail Management alongside her husband, who served as an Assistant Professor. During this time, she was recognized for her professional achievements with inductions into the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE).

In the Lubbock community, McCool always looked for new and impactful ways to serve those around her. She was a board member of the Lubbock Symphony and endowed a primary chair in the symphony. McCool was also a leader in the Lubbock Rotary Club, Meals on Wheels, the Lubbock Food Bank and the Lubbock Women’s Club. At Texas Tech, she was an active member of the Southwest Collection and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

McCool will be remembered as a beloved friend and colleague who showed kindness to all those she encountered.