UD Alumni Profile: Meet John!

John Cantrell, from the class of 1970, was among the first to graduate from the College of Business MBA program. He was working for Texas Instruments while going to school, and he says that attending the University of Dallas allowed him to meet people who were from all different disciplines, the jobs they had, and the reason they were here. John still recalls his favorite memories of building relationships with his fellow classmates.

“We got very close going through many of the programs where we worked in groups like marketing where there would be four or five to a group; we got to know each other very well. I think that, plus the association with the professors, who were top quality, in my mind, were my fondest memories and most beneficial memories in my mind.”


Having received his bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University, the master’s degree program at UD has been beneficial to John’s career. “It was the stimulus that let me leave Texas Instruments, which was a very fine company, and become an entrepreneur, forming my own company for 33 years, coming in the oil and gas business.”


“I have actually come back to the University for advice; it was extremely valuable. Halfway through my career when my company had some very tough business decisions and with one in particular, Dr. James Maknes, was very helpful in getting back on the track and could’ve very possibly saved my business. That was invaluable.”