Gonzales adapts to West Texas life, Tech professorship

From his humble upbringing on a cotton farm in South Texas, former U.S. Attorney General and current Texas Tech political science professor Alberto Gonzales was the first member of his family to attend college through serving in the U.S. Air Force and enrolling in the Air Force Academy.

He graduated from Harvard Law School and served in the Texas state government for several years before working in the federal government and eventually serving as U.S. attorney general in the Bush administration. He resigned from his post as attorney general in 2007 under allegations of lying under oath before Congress.

He signed a contract with Tech in July after his departure from Washington, D.C., to serve on the faculty as both a professor and as an administrator.

“It’s good to be back home,” Gonzales said.

In spite of moving back to Texas, however, Gonzales said some of his reputation surrounding controversial decisions he made in office still follows him; though, he said it has started to dissipate to a degree.

For the past four months, Gonzales has been working with the Tech Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement to help in recruitment and retention efforts of minority student groups and also has been teaching a junior-level political science seminar: Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch.

Tech Chancellor Kent Hance said Gonzales has generated interest in the university by recruiting outside of Lubbock and through his reputation in the news.

“I had a young man come up to me Monday in a restaurant and he said, ‘I’m in Judge Gonzales’ class, and it’s the best class I’ve ever taken. Thank you for providing him to the community,’” Hance said.

Gonzales also has met with Hispanic students in the area, Hance said, and has made speeches throughout the state.

Gonzales said this is not the first time he has taught at a large university. He worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center as a young lawyer for two years.
His political science seminar at Tech has focused on issues from the war in Iraq and regulations regarding the interrogation of enemy combatants to the duties and responsibilities of a cabinet secretary, he said.

Initially, his students were a bit timid about being in the classroom with a former attorney general, he said, but his students have opened up more.

“We’re getting into subject areas that are controversial and I have encouraged (the students) to speak out and to not hold back, to come forward and give your opinions,” Gonzales said. “This is an arena to test ideas and beliefs and press and push convictions and positions and I’ve tried to encourage that.”

Katie Weissman, a junior political science major from Prosper, said the class often discusses the issues with the “engaging” professor.

“It has been insightful to learn from a person who was in office during the Bush administration,” she said.

Kyle Crowl, a senior political science major from Conroe, said the class has been useful compared to other classes he has taken.

“Someone who has been in the White House is different between a professor who just says, ‘This is how it works,’” Crowl said.

After moving to West Texas, Gonzales said the change in lifestyle has been different from that of the hustle and bustle in Washington, D.C., but he has enjoyed being back in his home state and has especially enjoyed interacting with the people of West Texas. 

“It’s Texas — the people here are great, and I’ve very much enjoyed my experience here,” Gonzales said. “Tech is a fine university with a very bright future. It’s large enough which allows you to dream big dreams, and yet small enough where you feel at home, comfortable and safe.”

Gonzales has a one-year visiting professor contract with the university and said in spite of his time constraint, whatever efforts he is able to make toward increasing minority enrollment at Tech will be useful.

He also said the Office of Institutional Diversity already has a great structure in place under Juan Munoz.

“I’m a component. Hopefully a helpful and useful component,” Gonzales said. “We’ll see what happens after a year, you know, the contract may be renewed. If Tech wants me back and I think it’s best for me and my family, it’s something I would certainly consider continuing.”

He has enjoyed spending more time with his two high school-aged boys after moving to Lubbock, he said, and his family has taken precedence in his life. He also has taken up playing squash in the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center with friends and said he still enjoys going on bicycle rides.

Gonzales said he wants to encourage Tech students to have high aspirations but to realize that success doesn’t come overnight.

“Dream big but be patient,” he said. “You never know when the next George W. Bush is going to come along and give you a once in a lifetime opportunity like he gave me, but you have to be patient.”

In addition to serving on the Tech faculty, Gonzales is in the process of writing a book that will discuss some of the more controversial issues surrounding his time in office in state and national government positions. In the book he also plans on discussing several of the lessons he has learned through his years of experience. He said the book will be released sometime next year.

Through all of his experiences, Gonzales said he has been proud of his service to the country both in the military and in the state and federal government.

“I’ve been privileged,” Gonzales said. “We live in a great country, where the son of a cotton picker can become the attorney general of the United States. It’s a country where dreams still come true.”