Looking back, Sam Coats’ ’63 exposure to a Southwestern University liberal arts education was the perfect preparatory experience for his fast paced, demanding professional career. A liberal arts education, at its best, produces generalists who can think critically and creatively, exercise judgment, sort through complexities, tolerate ambiguity, communicate effectively, and adapt to change. Working as a lawyer, airline executive, technology company, travel company and restaurant chain CEO, corporate turnaround specialist, state legislator and civic leader, Sam Coats has relied on his Southwestern liberal arts education to help achieve success throughout his career.

Coats came to Southwestern from Harlingen, Texas to become a Methodist minister. He said his father was very disappointed when he changed his major to pre-law. “He told me that I had gone all the way from The Lord to the Devil,” Coats says. In spite of his father’s concerns, Sam began his career with a small Dallas law firm, became politically active, and even served one term in the Texas Legislature. After he left the Legislature, he entered the airline industry and served six years as vice president and general counsel at Texas International Airlines, Inc. Coats left Texas International to become President of the Texas Research League, but in 1981, he was recruited to join a new management team hired to try to save the struggling Braniff Airways. He also became Braniff’s primary public spokesman in the months leading up to its bankruptcy in 1982. Later that year, Coats was hired by Southwest Airlines’ CEO Herb Kelleher as vice president for external affairs. In 1984, Southwest competitor Muse Air recruited Coats to become its President. In 1985, Southwest Airlines purchased Muse Air.

Coats’ next assignment was as CEO of Trinity Texas Corp., a privately owned company with extensive diverse real estate holdings. In 1989, he again entered the law practice and joined the law firm of Jenkins & Gilchrist. During this period he also devoted much time to civic service in Dallas. He served as chairman of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Dallas Convention & Visitor Bureau, and on the boards of the Salvation Army, the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America.

In 1991, Coats found himself again on the move. He accepted an offer to serve as the CEO of a new Australian airline. In Australia, Coats guided the airline from its planning stages through a public stock financing and successful startup. In 1993, Coats was recruited to join Continental Airlines as a senior vice president. At Continental he played an important leadership role in one of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in U.S. airline history. In 1996, Coats became CEO of PROS Strategic Solutions Inc. PROS provides revenue management software systems to airlines. While at PROS, Coats worked with major airlines throughout the world and helped double the size of the company. His more recent leadership positions have included serving as CEO of Adventure Tours USA in Dallas, and as the restructuring CEO at Schlotzsky’s, Inc. in Austin. He also serves on two corporate boards.

In spite of his diverse career challenges, Coats has stayed in touch with his roots. “My mother taught me how to be a caring leader, Scouting taught me how to be a servant leader, and Southwestern University taught me how to be a thoughtful and analytical leader,” says Coats. Coats is married to his Southwestern sweetheart, Judy Allen Coats ’62. He also remains close with a number of his Southwestern classmates and returns to campus from time to time to speak with students in our Business Department. “Southwestern has had an important and lasting impact on my life.” Coats said. “It will always be part of my DNA.”