Alexander King McLanahan

1925 - 2025

Alexander King McLanahan
12/11/1925 - 01/01/2025
Gentleman, raconteur, athlete, veteran, and devoted Houston arts advocate, Alexander K. "Mike" McLanahan died peacefully on January 1, 2025. Born in Paris, France, in 1925, Mike spent his first four years and many summers there, before his early education in New Hampshire at St. Paul's School. During World War II, he enlisted at age 17 and served as a nose gunner and bombardier on a B-24 Liberator in the 15th Air Force. While Mike was flying 34 missions over Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia, anti-aircraft fire damaged his plane twice, forcing parachute evacuations that required rescues by Yugoslavian partisans. His service decorations include the Air Medal and 3 oak leaf clusters.
After the war, Mike earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University. Graduating in 1949, Mike embarked on a multi-faceted career in energy, investment, and the arts. He began working as a roustabout with Shell Oil in Oklahoma, and subsequently moved to Texas joining oil explorer, Francis Callery, who he helped secure investors. Entering the investment business, Mike worked at Dominick & Dominick; White, Weld & Company; Paine Webber; and UBS.
Serving from 1972 for six years as Board President of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, he helped dramatically enhance its endowment and presided over the construction of Mies Van der Rohe's Brown Pavilion (dedicated in 1974). In 1978, Mike took a sabbatical from his investment work to become the museum's full-time president, then returned to the business sector two years later, with Blocker Energy; Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; and as a Director of Bellwether Exploration.
In addition to his devotion to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Mike advocated tirelessly for art and education organizations. Nationally, he served on the Smithsonian's National Board, President George H. W. Bush's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and the boards of the Yale University Art Gallery (Lifetime Trustee), St. John's College (Annapolis and Santa Fe), and the Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk, Virginia). He also served with The Experiment in International Living, and loved taking foreign visitors to their first baseball games at the Astrodome.
Closer to home, Mike was not merely a supporter of, but also an activist for, the arts in his adopted hometown and was particularly proud of helping to instigate the hotel-motel tax, which enriches the arts throughout Texas. An afficionado of music and opera, he served as the founding Chairman of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston (now the Houston Arts Alliance), which distributes millions of dollars annually to area organizations. He served on the boards of the Downtown YMCA, Houston Grand Opera, DACAMERA, Houston Center for Photography, and Houston Symphony (Life Trustee). He helped establish the Houston Artists Fund, as well as the Houston Arts Festival.
To say that Mike loved interacting with people is an understatement. He was an active member of the Travellers Club (Paris), Knickerbocker Club (New York), and in Houston: the Coronado Club, Bayou Club, and Houston Country Club. He led the Houston chapter of the Chevaliers de Tastevin for Burgundian wine lovers. Likewise, he loved counseling young people who sought his advice about their futures.
An avid sportsman, Mike was the ping-pong champion of his World War II squadron in Italy. He was a JV oarsman at Yale and he captained Yale's undefeated squash teams of 1948 and 1949. A tennis buff for decades with a dedicated group who played well into their 90s, he enjoyed heated battles on the court-always followed by a celebratory glass of wine. He never missed a bodysurfing opportunity and loved hunting birds with close friends in South Texas, Mexico, and Argentina.
In all of his endeavors, Mike relished his relationships. He particularly loved his small, close-knit family and his sports associates, as well as his faithful Golden Retrievers and Pugs. His family enjoyed many times together in Estes Park, Colorado, at Rocky Mountain National Park, and at the home in France where Mike grew up.
Mike is predeceased by his father, Alexander H. McLanahan, and his mother, Frances Gurr McLanahan. He is survived by Mary Ann "Muffy" McLanahan, his beloved wife of 71 years; his son, Alexander Gurr "Sandy" McLanahan and his wife, Mary Flournoy McLanahan; his daughter Lynn McLanahan Herbert and her husband William Andrew Herbert, and his two grandsons, Ian McLanahan Herbert and his wife Jashin Ra Friedrich, and Francis Henry Herbert.
The family especially thanks Mike's "angels" for their devotion to his care: Janell Bernal, Briane Cahee, Tigist Degelo, Idalia Gutierrez, Tim Guzman, Ramon Jacome, Betty Molina, Leslie Linares Molina, Carmen Perez, and Vanessa Senegal.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at a later date.
For those who wish, donations can be made in Mike's memory to the Houston Symphony (houstonsymphony.org), the Yale University Art Gallery (artgallery.yale.edu), or the charity of your choice.