With pomp and circumstance, Texas Christian University inaugurated Chancellor Daniel Pullin Thursday, marking his transition to become the 11th such leader to take the reins.
The ceremony was the private university’s first in 21 years and took place as part of its Values in Action week.
Pullin emphasized the importance of values to TCU and his responsibility to be a servant leader.
“A servant leader unites others through shared values and shared dreams,” Pullin said during his inauguration speech. “A servant leader helps others see what is possible and helps guide them toward it. Servant leadership is not about the mere wielding of formal authority and power, but rather, how one uses their blessings of time and energy to positively influence others through trust, and empathy, and vision.”
Chancellor Daniel W. Pullin gives his inaugural address at Texas Christian University on Nov. 6, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Harvard University, Pullin took his first step toward work in higher education when he joined the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth at OU as executive director. He later became the university’s vice president for strategic planning and economic development, then led the business college as dean.
He came to TCU in 2019, serving as dean and professor for the Neely School of Business before becoming the university’s president in 2023.
Pullin took over the chancellor role in June, when Victor Boschini stepped into the role of chancellor emeritus.
Boschini expressed confidence in Pullin’s leadership and excitement about how he will shape the school, which has nearly 13,000 students.
“Chancellor Daniel Pullin, you bring to this role a visionary spirit, a deep commitment to our students and a bold sense of purpose,” Boschini said during Thursday’s ceremony. “He understands what makes TCU special, and he’s ready to build on that foundation of courage, creativity and care.”
Pullin emphasized his dedication to students in his speech, stressing his belief in their potential and passion to shape a better future.
“Each day, I see (students) both achieve and stumble, yet almost always they learn from their stumbles,” he said. “And ultimately, I see them conquering challenges and dreaming big — just as the TCU community invests in them to see those dreams realized.”
The ceremony also included a liturgy in which representatives of the university’s faculty, staff, students and alumni congratulated Pullin and shared quotes from past chancellors.
Student Body President Reagan Stephens praised Pullin for his embodiment of TCU’s spirit.
“You show us that our student voices matter, that our ideas can shape the future and that our presence is powerful,” she said. “May your leadership continue to open doors, challenge assumptions and affirm the work of every student.”
In the ceremony’s peak moment, Boschini and Pullin stood at the front of the stage. Boschini placed the Chancellor’s Medallion over Pullin’s head, leaving the university’s newly inaugurated leader with adornments befitting his role: a bronze iteration of the university’s seal and a purple pair of sneakers.
Chancellor Daniel W. Pullin wears purple sneakers to his inauguration as chancellor of Texas Christian University on Nov. 6, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
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