McBride, former regents chairman, dies at 84

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 | 9:05 a.m.

Services for John R. "Jack" McBride Sr., former chairman of the university Board of Regents, will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 130 N. Pecos Road, Henderson.

McBride died March 9 at age 84, according to Palm Mortuary, which is handling the arrangements.

McBride served one six-year term, 1978-84, on the board that oversees the state's college and university system.

During that time, McBride led efforts of the board to disassociate itself from the schools' booster clubs to gain better control over athletic funds and came under fire with other board members for allegedly violating the state's open meeting law in hiring Robert Maxson as UNLV president.

In a June 1984 Sun story on his decision not to seek a second term, McBride said attorneys for the regents had assured them they did not violate any laws in the hiring of Maxson. He called the accusation his low point in office.

"I don't have any regrets," McBride said of his term. During his term the groundwork was laid for the creation of UNLV's Boyd Law School. He also called for the appointment of regents instead of it being an elected office, a recommendation that continues to be made periodically by some officials and advocates for higher education.

Born July 26, 1920, in Iowa, McBride was a Las Vegas and Henderson resident for a combined 46 years.

He was the retired local director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Las Vegas when he ran for his regent. While at the EPA, he was an adviser on nuclear testing within the United States and the Pacific.

In 1973, McBride served as consultant on environmental radiation to the World Health Organization.

McBride was a member of the Board of Directors of the Nevada Safety Council and a member of the Nevada Public Health Association and the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

A list of survivors was not made available by Palm Mortuary.