Dr. Bryan C. Jack

Dr. Bryan C. Jack was an outstanding Robert E. Lee High School graduate. In addition to being voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by the class of 1970, he was President of the Student Council, a

National Merit Scholar, and a Presidential Scholar (one of two chosen in 1970 from the State of Texas). He was half of the debate team that won first place in the State of Texas UIL AAAA Debate Championship in 1970.  Dr. Jack was the highest-ranking boy in his class and was named “Most Outstanding Student” in both Math and Science. He was named an Optimist Young Texan and the Rotary Club Outstanding Boy. Dr. Jack also served Lee High School as a photographer, actor in school plays, and participant and winner of many awards in speech, mathematics, and science competitions.

Following his graduation from Lee High School, Dr. Jack received a B.A. in Economics from the

California Institute of Technology in 1974.  He was a Henry Luce Scholar in Japan, earned a

MBA from Stanford University in 1978, and a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Maryland in 1991.  He was an adjunct professor of economics at George Washington University.

Dr. Jack had been an employee of the Pentagon since 1978.  He had worked in the Programming Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) Directorate of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for 23 years.  For his last 6 years, he was the Director of the Programming and Fiscal Economics Division.  In this position he was responsible for the design and maintenance of the Future Years Defense Program and the development of fiscal guidance by which the Secretary of Defense annually allocates funding to the military departments and defense agencies.  It has been said that Dr. Jack “crunched the numbers” for our nation’s defense budget. Twice he was awarded the Defense Exceptional Service Medal (1998 and 2000).  Dr. Jack was posthumously awarded the Presidential Meritorious Executive Medal, the Distinguished Civilian Career Service Award and the Defense of Freedom Medal.

Dr. Jack was killed on September 11, 2001, in the terrorist attacks on our nation. He was a passenger on American Airlines flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon not more than 200 feet from his office. He was on his way to give a lecture at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  Dr. Jack was 48 years old.

Dr. Jack was the son of James and Helen Jack, former Tyler ISD teachers, younger brother to Terry Jack, and husband to Barbara Rachko.  He was married to his long-time companion, Barbara, for only three months. Barbara is an artist in New York City where they had purchased a condo not too far from the World Trade Center. 

Bryan’s interests included hiking, classical music, photography, and art.

His loyalty and devotion to family, love for his wife and enthusiasm for her career as an artist, and steadfast friendship for his classmates, will not be forgotten.  Bryan Jack was a talented, hard working patriot.