A graduate of Texas Tech who served in the Texas Senate, the U.S. Congress and as chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission before becoming chancellor of the Texas Tech University System in 2006. As a young lawyer, Hance was an active litigator, representing three people on murder charges his first two years of practice. Hance served three terms in Congress and authored President Reagan's tax bill—the largest tax cut in American history. Hance established a law firm based in Austin, where he provided expertise in state and federal administrative, regulatory and legislative areas, as well as oil and gas energy-related law. As chancellor, he expanded the System from two universities to four and spearheaded the most successful financial campaign in Texas Tech history before retiring in 2014.

Endowments