Family asks for prayers
Texas A&M University Kingsville released the following press release on Dec. 5,
“The university community is mourning the passing of one of its leaders, Dr. Manuel Ibáñez, the 14th president. He passed away Nov. 30. He was 88 years old.
Ibáñez served as president of Texas A&I University/Texas A&M University-Kingsville from 1989 to 1998. After stepping down as president, he stayed on as a Distinguished Professor in the biology department.
After leaving Texas A&M-Kingsville, Ibáñez was an adjunct at Del Mar College teaching biology.
Ibáñez was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wilmington College in Ohio and his master’s and doctoral degrees in bacteriology and biochemistry from Pennsylvania State University.
He taught at Bucknell University and the University of New Orleans, where he also served as chair of the biology department, associate dean of the graduate school, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.
Ibáñez became a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution in 1994.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Jane.
The family asks only for prayers to ease their grief. They are working with university staff to establish a scholarship fund in the name of Jane and Manuel Ibáñez. When that is complete, donations will be welcome.”
