I am deeply saddened to hear the passing of Dr. Chalip. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to pursue my Ph.D. at the University of Texas, where my conversations with him were consistently inspiring and enlightening. I will never forget sitting on the bench beside him, learning how to search the literature, watching him revise manuscripts, and enjoying the conversations about cooking and Rodrigo. 

In 2019, I was especially thankful that he accepted my invitation to travel all the way to Singapore to deliver a series of lectures and seminars. Even after graduation, listening to his talks remained equally impactful—thought-provoking, intense, and filled with invaluable insights. His guidance and kindness will be remembered with great respect and deep affection.

My very first course in graduate school at UT was with Dr. Chalip. I knew he was a "big deal" and that he was the chair of the program, but I was an academic newbie had no idea how blessed I was to be sitting in his classroom.  By the end of the first lecture, I knew I was part of something special; by the end of the semester, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.  There's much more I could say, but this is what I've kept coming back to since I got the heartbreaking news: he made me take myself seriously. And I am forever grateful for that. Thank you, LC. Rest easy. 

It is with immense sadness that I learnt of the passing of Dr Laurence Chalip, a friend and colleague of mine for over 35 years. I first had the opportunity to meet and work with Laurence when he was working in Australia at Griffith University in Queensland. His arrival in Australia was perfect timing as we were about to commence the journey of establishing SMAANZ. I had the privilege and honour of working with Laurence in my role as President of SMAANZ as Laurence was one of the Foundation board members. This evolved into a close professional working relationship as we embarked on establishing Sport Management Review with Laurence as Foundation Editor. Those years remain among the most professionally rewarding for me personally as we created and established SMR. The result of those initially years was a life-long respect for Laurence and an enduring friendship which continued as we regularly connected via NASSM and JSM. Our field was deeply engrained in his heart and mind, and we are indebted to his contributions. I will miss our regular conference catch ups and his unique and thoughtful views on our field and how we should progress, and the inevitable debate that followed. He was one of our field’s best scholars and his work will remain with us forever. SMAANZ, NASSM and EASM are all better off for his contributions and he will be missed across all continents. RIP my dear friend and colleague. Condolences to Chris, family and friends.

As always with such a loss, I'm prompted to recall such fond memories of many, many years and  personally and professionally rewarding times spent together. Laurence was one of my first mentors and advocates, giving me a chance with SMR to publish as a young scholar. Particularly memorable, and a learning moment I have shared with several mentees, is when as a still fairly junior scholar Laurence applauded me standing my ground, and keeping my high standards, in a challenging dissertation review with which he was closely aligned. It was one of the toughest moments in my career to stand my ground with (against?) him, shaping who I would continue to be as a scholar; his supportive response to that made the biggest difference of all. Thank you, Laurence. I have a feeling he would remember that moment well.

We were fortunate to share time on the NASSM Executive Council, where I could see Laurence's academic leadership first hand (as JSM Editor). Another formative time for me. During that period we were also able to hang out a bit waiting for our travel times after Fall EC meetings. A particularly memorable social time was spent in Columbus with myself, George Cunningham and Laurence - can you imagine?! Some heavy personal and academic conversations amidst OSU volleyball and basketball matches. Another unparalleled experience in my career.

Fast forward to just last summer when Laurence was in London for some event meetings hosted by Laura Misener. My family warmly welcomed him for dinner in our backyard and he was so pleased to join us (and our dog!) for an evening. I will treasure that final visit.

I know many people have similar fond memories, and I've enjoyed reading all the tributes. Just think how Laurence connects us all in that way. We are lucky to have known him, and called him a colleague and friend.

Even as a cartoon he was profound.

The master holding court

I first met Laurence through his PHD dissertation on the creation of the USOC.  I was wandering through  the Sport Science library at the USOC in the fall of 2008 and stumbled upon this dusty dog-eared (pge missing) copy of a fascinating dissertation: Chalip, L. (1988) The framing of policy: Explaining the transformation of American sport. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago.  (I hope I got the citation format correct). I was so amazed by its scope and depth about my new employer that I dove into the 2008 version of Google and found out he was a professor and the coordinator of sport management in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin.  So I sent him an email telling him how much I appreciated his dissertation.  As is Laurence's way he emailed right back and was interested that someone from the USOC would actually like what he had researched and the issues that it raised (spoiler alert: his dissertation wasn't that flattering to the USOC's role in amateur sport in the US).  Anyway somehow it ended up in him inviting me to Austin to meet with his colleagues and students.  It was a wonderful trip and meetings, and I got to meet this incredibly brilliant and a bit wacky colleague of his, Dr. Beverly Christine Green who happened to be the love of Laurence's life.  From there we did numerous trips, meetings, some hilarious presentations where we skewered organizations like the NCAA, NFHS, and he eventually hired me to work for him at the University of Illinois (and he even made me teach a class with Christine).  We enjoyed almost daily chats up in Huff Hall and meals throughout Champaign.  Renate and I even ended up living in Chris and Laurence's house on Devonshire Lake when they skipped town to head to George Mason (man I caught alot of fish off that old dock).  His greatest gift was when Christine and he flew out to Jamaica last year to attend Renate and my wedding.  It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with them, they charmed all of our friends and family and truly helped make it a special occasion.  We can never thank you enough.   There is a lot more I could say, but I'll leave it at that.  To Christine (Bev) all of our love! To Laurence, Godspeed my friend, see ya down the road.

Very sad of Laurence's passing...; I respect and love Laurence...; am praying that Laurence is resting in peace, and his graceful spirits of intellectual pursuit, impactful professionalism, and kind humanity are heavenly eternal...

After Renate and Daves Wedding

As Dr. Chalip’s last doctoral student, I will always carry the privilege and gratitude of having been mentored by him. Our paths crossed soon after he arrived at George Mason University, during a time when I felt lost and directionless. Thanks to Dr. Bob Heere’s introduction, I reached out to Dr. Chalip. Without me having to explain my uncertainty, he welcomed me without hesitation.

At Mason, there was no doctoral program in sport management. Yet, he designed an individualized interdisciplinary program for me. His deep grasp of the social sciences and sharp insight into how to train future scholars gave me the kind of doctoral experience I could never have imagined.

Even after he told me last December of his cancer diagnosis, he continued to check in regularly, making himself available whenever I needed guidance. He would even tell me the exact time he finished his treatments so I could call. In his weakest moments, he still guided my dissertation with the same rigor, critical thinking, and care. As someone who witnessed his cancer journey from a distance, I saw not only his unwavering perseverance and academic seriousness, but more profoundly, his selflessness and wholehearted devotion as a mentor, which he carried with him until his final days.

Coincidentally, yet symbolically for me, I learned of his passing on the very first day of my faculty career. In that moment, I felt both an ending and a beginning. Although our earthly mentorship had come to a close, his spirit, his legacy, and his deepest hopes for the future of sport management live on – through me, through many students he mentored, and through all who were inspired and enlightened by him.

I was one of the students lucky to have had Laurence as my doctoral advisor at Texas. I still remember how nervous I was when I met him for the first time, but that all changed as I got to know him better. Some things that I learned from him you couldn’t learn from textbooks as his brilliant mind was always ahead of the times. I still hear his voice when he introduced me to scholars at academic gatherings. He always said, “Hey kid, I thought you should connect with…you two may do some great work together.” As a consequence, I have developed a professional network across the globe and am forever grateful to Laurence. I also still remember him sitting next to my daughter and patiently teaching her how to play the guitar. Yes, he had many talents and was a member of the Singing Frogs group in Austin. He was not only my advisor, but he was also an incredible human being. He pushed each one of us to reach our best and perform at a level close to perfection. His legacy will last beyond our time, and he will be deeply missed!

I had the privilege of overlapping with Dr. Laurence Chalip for one year during my time at the University of Illinois, where he served as department head while I was a first-year Ph.D. student. Although brief, his scholarship, leadership, and mentorship shaped my career in a positive direction. At that time, I was planning to shift my concentration from tourism to sport management, particularly focusing on event leveraging—an area in which he was a true pioneer. I vividly remember his openness when he told me, “Guangzhou, just knock on my door or talk with the office manager to schedule a meeting with me whenever you have questions about research.” For an international student who felt lost at the start of my Ph.D. journey, those words meant the world to me.

Even after he left the University of Illinois, I continued to stay in touch with him. Just last year, when I needed advice on career development, I reached out to him. He responded immediately and warmly agreed to a Zoom meeting, during which he provided thoughtful and constructive guidance.

I am deeply grateful for his mentorship and kindness. My heartfelt condolences go to Dr. Chalip’s family and friends.

Laurence & Chris were wonderful friends & patients. Laurence worked way too hard and way past tired.
The best thing that ever happened to him was Chris. By far and away, Chris made him smile, laugh, gave him drive, and like most great women can do, made him feel whole…

World wide Travelor. He never traveled 1st class, even when governments were picking up his tab.

Down to earth, blue color and a man of the common man in his heart. It was always great to see him and to see Chris.

You made a difference Dr. Chalip. Well done.

Dr. Thomas Kolenda DC, FASA, FICPA
Austin, Texas

I am truly saddened to learn of Laurence's passing.  Laurence was a wonderful colleague and supporter.  As department chair at The University of Texas, I depended greatly on Laurence's advice, suggestions, novel and innovative ideas and encouragement.  He was an excellent scholar and a trustworthy and loyal faculty member.  Upon coming to the University, he brought instant credibility to our Sports Management program. As its director, he develop it into one the leading programs in the country. So successful was this program, the department had to cap its enrollment.  Laurence will surely be missed by his family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues.  Laurence loved working with and helping to develop his students, and I know all of them will morn his passing as well.  For me, I have lost a dear friend for whom words cannot express my degree of admiration and respect.  Laurence's presences will greatly be missed, but his teachings, lessons, innovations and encouragements will live on.  

I had the privilege of meeting Laurence at a conference and then working with him on a project involving various institutions. Our conversations were always much more than work, and he was always an inspiring figure. He was one of the most influential scholars in the field. My condolences to his family and closest friends.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Laurence Chalip, a towering figure in the field of sport management. I first encountered Laurence shortly after completing my PhD, at a conference where he offered me encouragement and support—something I have never forgotten.

Over the years, Laurence became not only a mentor but also a valued collaborator. I had the privilege of working alongside him on a research project, during which I was able to witness first-hand the depth of his academic insight and his unwavering commitment to excellence.

What stood out most about Laurence, however, were his personal qualities. Despite being one of the most influential scholars in sport management globally, he remained remarkably humble, intellectually curious, and eager to engage with others—regardless of their cultural background, gender or ethnicity. His inclusive, respectful approach and strong work ethic fostered genuine collaboration and made me feel that my contributions were both valued and heard.

Laurence’s legacy will endure not only through his extensive scholarly work but also through the many individuals he mentored and inspired. He was, truly, a great scholar and a generous human being.

May he rest in peace.

Shushu

I don’t think I ever called him Chalip to him, but when we spoke of him, which every student at Texas and Illinois did and often, we called him Chalip. It had a reverence to it though, and not a flippant nickname. Mostly we would swap stories about how he helped us think in a different way or challenged us to go beyond what we already knew or thought we knew. I remember when he voluntold me to design and teach my own class at Illinois. He handed me a thumb drive of readings he had used for a similar class and said okay, that should suffice. While that was terrifying to someone who had never taught before, it also gave me a bit of confidence. Well if Chalip thinks I can do this, then I must be able to.

My favorite memories are not academic at all though. Sometimes I would go over to their house to work on my dissertation or something. We’d all have dinner together and one time they introduced me to the satire Australian tv show, The Games. Or I’d see Laurence at NASSM and we’d talk about surfing or a city we’d both traveled to. What’s funny, for being such a luminary, I think most of my conversations with him were about completely random topics, but they were always fun and I always learned a lot. A friend at Illinois once called them my academic parents, and it often felt that way. A lot of care and good conversation.

I’m so grateful I reached out to him all those years ago to meet about event leveraging and starting a PhD. He changed my life with that conversation.