Red owned the Spurs two separate times, the latter of which ended with him handing the reigns over to the McDermott group and a collection of San Antonio businesses and families to ensure the team would forever remain in San Antonio. But it also allowed Red to pursue another dream of his: the NFL. After working to get a team in San Antonio to no avail, Red took a chance and managed to buy the Minnesota Vikings. McCombs understood the importance of the Vikings to the state of Minnesota and never planned on moving the team. He did realize, however, that their stadium situation would lead to the team departing Minnesota if left unresolved. After struggling to get stadium support for seven years, Red decided he wouldn’t be able to make that breakthrough and sold the team. The joy of giving to others has always been important to Red, and with his business successes came the opportunity to make a bigger impact. Red’s passion for business and education found the perfect crossover at The University of Texas. In 1999, McCombs gave $50 million to the business school, which the Board of Regents renamed in Red’s honor. Texas McCombs has consistently ranked at the top for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and especially its accounting, finance, information systems, marketing, and entrepreneurship departments. This is a particularly incredible accomplishment considering its peers are often 10 times smaller in student count. Beyond the business school, Red has helped fund a brand-new softball stadium and the north end zone at DKRTexas Memorial Stadium, both named in Red’s honor. In 2005, Red and Charline donated $30 million to M.D. Anderson to create the Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer. This program was a one-of-its-kind initiative to bring cross-discipline researchers in-house to take down incurable cancers. Most notably, the institute’s Dr. Jim Allison was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his breakthrough with immunotherapy. Beyond his notable major gifts, McCombs has given tens of millions to numerous San Antonio organizations. Much of his giving was focused on the immediate needs of people after reading or hearing about their dire situations. In 1994, after a fire burned two classrooms at Mary Hull Elementary, a Westside school already at threat of closing due to poor test performances, Red became the school’s lead cheerleader. He hosted pep rallies for the students before tests and mentored and encouraged teachers. His spirit of giving all started by seeing the joy of giving to others during the Great Depression. From the Corpus Christi Clippers to Clear Channel, Red has owned more businesses and told more stories than can be detailed here, but most of them are in his autobiography, Big Red. Red’s legacy will continue as the current and future generations of the McCombs family carry the torch and execute his vision. He is survived by his daughters Lynda McCombs, Marsha Shields (John H.), and Connie McNab (Sandy); his 8 grandchildren; his 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces. 17 TADA.ORG
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