Dr. Frank Ashley, III declares his title as interim dean of The Bush School of Government and Public Service to be his final, full-time role and reflects upon his 35-year career at Texas A&M.
There’s a story Dr. Frank Ashley, III likes to tell where he’s leaving a party, saying his goodbyes. But, because he is having such a good time, he lingers. Then, he finds that he is beginning the goodbye process all over again. Then another round of goodbyes. Each time, he assures himself that this is his final goodbye. Finally, he adamantly declares that this goodbye is the “final final.” For Ashley, his tenure as interim dean of The Bush School of Government and Public Service is his “final final” full-time role.
“I thought I was really retiring last year. We even had my fourth retirement celebration,” Ashley said. “Hard to believe that eight years ago I told then Dean of The Bush School Mark Welsh that I’d come over and work with him for three years as senior associate dean, and that’s all I could guarantee. But when Mark agreed to be president of the university, I thought it was my responsibility to step up and be interim dean. It has been a great ride. More than anything else, it’s truly been an honor.”
In his time as interim dean, Ashley developed the culture and community of The Bush School’s students, faculty, former students and staff. For example, he initiated a student convocation at the beginning of the academic year for new cohorts to learn of the history, meaning and legacy of The Bush School. Ashley also established an office for professors emeriti to facilitate retired faculty members returning to work with students. Among his other accomplishments as interim dean, Ashley is especially proud of a fundraising campaign named 41 for 41@100, to raise $100,000 student scholarships during 41@100, a series of events by The George & Barbara Bush Foundation celebrating what would have been former President George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday.
“Here at The Bush School, we have a community and culture of service,” Ashley said. “We need to make sure that students—especially undergraduate students—understand the community that they are a part of. I wanted to invite faculty back onto campus so they can feel like they are still part of the community we’re building. Bringing donors around through the 41 for 41@100 campaign helped them to understand they are all part of this living legacy of the 41st President.”
Throughout his 38-year career in The Texas A&M University System, Ashley has served under 18 different titles. He began at Texas A&M University in 1986 as an assistant professor with the then Department of Health and Kinesiology before coordinating, then chairing, the Sport Management Program from 1988-1996, laying the groundwork for what is now known as the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management. Ashley would go on to become the associate dean for undergraduate studies and teacher education in the College of Education from 1996-2000, simultaneously being a project director for the Texas A&M Board of Regent’s Initiative for Education. From 2000-2003, Ashley was the director of admissions before his 2003-2004 appointment as the interim assistant provost for enrollment.
Ashley would then go to Texas A&M University-Commerce, the second largest university in the A&M System at the time, to serve as their dean of the College of Education and Human Services from 2004-2006. Then, he was appointed to be interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs from 2006-2007, all while a professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Sports Studies program. He then went on to the A&M System to serve as vice chancellor for academic affairs, chief of staff and then as vice chancellor for recruitment and diversity between 2007-2013.
In 2013, Ashley ventured outside the A&M System to be the senior vice president for The College Board in New York City, a non-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. At the same time, Ashley was named a vice chancellor emeritus by the Texas A&M Board of Regents. Upon returning to Texas A&M in 2016, Ashley became the senior associate dean for Academic Affairs in The Bush School and, during the 2021-23 academic year, he served under the President as the director of diversity initiatives. He concurrently continued his teaching as a senior professor.
Through all these positions and time, Ashley has been or still is on boards and committees for the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, CHI St. Joseph Health, the North American Society for Sport Management, the Commerce Independent School District and St. Luke’s Health. Not to mention, Ashley has published articles and presented research on sports management and college athletics in various refereed journals and conferences. His latest role as interim dean began in August 2023 and concluded on July 31, 2024.
“I’m looking forward to my last title as ‘retired,’” Ashley laughed. “I’ve worked in almost every area of a university a person can work in, and I’m so glad I could bring that experience to The Bush School. I learned that a leader must be an educator. My first year at The Bush School was learning exactly what happens here in the Bush School. It was after that first year I fell in love with everything that we do. You have to educate people in what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and why it’s important for them to believe in it.”
Ashley will stick around The Bush School for the near future. Ashley will conduct one last class in The Bush School, a special topics course, that will allow students assisting him in a university-wide project to receive academic credit for their work. Though he’s held many positions in his profession, The Bush School punctuates Ashley’s storied career for a reason.
“President Bush said public service is a noble calling,” Ashley said. “You can’t have a successful life unless somewhere you served other people. I think every faculty member, staff member and student truly understands that. Whether I’m a professor of practice, a researcher or in student affairs, no matter what I do, it’s all to help develop the leaders that are going into public service.”
Ashley promised his wife, Janice, that he would no longer take on anymore full-time positions. While he may teach the occasional class or work on a project here or there, Ashley says he looks forward to traveling more with his wife Janice, playing golf and going fishing. Until his next calling, Ashley shares why it has taken so long to declare this chapter of his professional life as his “final final.”
“We’re put on this earth for one reason, and that’s to serve others,” Ashley said. “If my service is needed, I have to answer the call. How can I talk to students about being true public servants if I’m not willing to step up and serve others? Aggies have always answered the call. I hope that people will look back on all my years at Texas A&M and say, ‘Frank Ashley had a pretty successful life because when he was called to serve, he stepped up.’ That’s probably the greatest legacy one can have. The fact that when someone asked me, I said ‘yes, I’ll do it.’”
