About

John Sharp

Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System

John Sharp was appointed Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System by the Board of Regents on Sept. 6, 2011.

Chancellor Sharp leads one of the largest systems in the country with an annual budget of $7.2 billion and an enrollment of more than 152,000 at the A&M System’s 11 universities. Additionally, under the System umbrella, there are eight state agencies.

Chancellor Sharp brings with him more than three decades of public service. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University in 1972, where he was a member of the Corps staff of the Corps of Cadets, a member of the 1972 rugby team and was elected student body president. Upon graduation, Sharp was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.

In 1976, Sharp received a master’s degree in public administration from Southwest Texas State University while working full-time with the Legislative Budget Board in Austin. In 1978, he opened a one-man real estate firm in Victoria and became a successful small business owner. That same year he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

In 1982, he won a seat in the Texas Senate, and four years later, he was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission. He also was elected state comptroller in 1990 and re-elected in 1994.