The Texas Wesleyan Alumni Association is proud to announce that René Lawson ’81 will be honored with the 2025 Alumni of the Year Award at the Alumni Medal Awards Dinner on October 24. A dedicated alumnus, René has served on the Alumni Board since 2015 and is a strong supporter of student scholarships. 

René Lawson was born in Dallas and has lived primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth area all of his life. Following the steps of his grandfather, who was a United Methodist minister, Lawson entered the ministry while in college. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Wesleyan College (TWC) in Fort Worth, a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a doctor of ministry degree from Houston Graduate School of Theology in Houston. He also holds a diploma in Joint Professional Military Education from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

René attended Texas Wesleyan from 1976 to 1981. He graduated in the spring of 1981 with a major in Religion and a minor in Sociology. He commuted from Dallas his first two years prior to becoming a resident of OC Armstrong Hall during his last three years of school. He was very active with a number of social programs held on campus. During school he played on the school’s first club soccer team and was also a cartoonist for the school paper, The Rambler. He influenced his two younger sisters and two sons to attend Texas Wesleyan. He credits his mother for holding up to five jobs at once to assist with placing her children in college.

Pastor René, as he is known in church circles, has served a number of United Methodist congregations in the North Texas area during his 39-year career. He has served on a number of committees and boards over the years. He currently serves as senior pastor of a suburban church in the Dallas area. 

Lawson was commissioned in the United States Navy Reserves in 1997. His work led him to serve Sailors and Marines across the globe, including visiting such places as Iceland, England, Germany, Spain, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey and Korea. In 2006-2007 he was deployed as a battalion chaplain with Combat Logistics Battalion 5 to Camp Fallujah, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He retired in 2019 with the rank of Captain (06).

Lawson is married to Pam (whom he met while attending TWC) and together they have four adult children and seven grandchildren.

About the Alumni Medal Awards 

Each year, Texas Wesleyan University honors distinguished alumni and friends. Their achievements and contributions are amazing reflections of the University, and we are honored to celebrate and recognize them.

This year’s Alumni Medal Awards Dinner will be held in the Martin University Center on Friday, Oct. 24. The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 7 p.m.

The event is open to all alumni, friends, family, faculty and staff. Tickets are $60 per person and sponsorship opportunities are available. Register online to reserve your seat.

Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 817-531-6548 or alumni@txwes.edu.