John L. Strauss

John L. Strauss was born in Buffalo, New York and earned his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. Mr. Strauss also graduated from Canisius College, where he received an honorary doctoral degree in 1991. For over 50 years, as co-founder of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, John provided financial advisory services for asset portfolios, mutual funds, equities, fixed incomes, and investments.


Following his retirement, John and his wife, Bonnie, established the John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation to support a variety of organizations based primarily in North Texas. One of the principal missions of the John and Bonnie Strauss Foundation is to help students reach their educational goals. John's passion for jazz music, jazz education, and the continuing legacy of the jazz genre inspired the foundation to establish two UNT College of Music endowment funds. Both funds provide substantial scholarship awards to jazz students whose financial positions would otherwise hinder their higher education pursuits.

In addition to serving as Emeritus Member of the UNT College of Music Advancement Board, John has served his community through board commitments with the University of Dallas Foundation, Dallas Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store of Dallas, Dallas Boys & Girls Club, National Center For Policy Analysis, and Sammons Center For The Arts Endowment Corporation.

Believed to be a direct descendant of Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, John was raised in a family of musicians. His mother taught piano and dance, his father played organ and saxophone, and his brother is co-founder of the American jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra. John is a passionate baritone sax player and once managed a 20-piece jazz band that regularly performed on college campuses. John and Bonnie currently reside in Plano, TX, where they enjoy golfing and spending time with their grandchildren.