Lawrence Hornbaker Obituary, Death – After receiving his MBA in 1976 and his EdD in 1986, Lawrence “Larry” D. Hornbaker served as Executive Vice Chancellor Emeritus at Pepperdine University. He got his degrees in 1976 and 1986, respectively. The institution is extremely devastated to hear of his passing. After members of the Adamson and Rindge families made a donation of 138 acres of undeveloped ranch land in Malibu to the college, Hornbaker was hired by Pepperdine in 1969 as the vice president for development with the objective of raising the funds to expand Pepperdine’s footprint from its original Los Angeles campus to Malibu. This move was made in order to accommodate the college’s relocation of its main campus from Los Angeles to Malibu. This was done so that Pepperdine University could extend its presence to Malibu from its original location in Los Angeles.
In a little over two years, Hornbaker and the development team were able to collect $24.6 million to fund the creation of the campus in Malibu, and in 1972, it was finally finished. According to Jim Gash, who is the current president of Pepperdine University and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1993, “Pepperdine University celebrated the half-century mark of its move from its original Los Angeles campus to its current location in Malibu in the year 2022. The move was made feasible in big part because to Larry Hornbaker, who played a pivotal role in recruiting individuals and collecting money to make our new campus home a reality. The transfer was made possible in major part thanks to Larry Hornbaker. We consider it an honor to be able to celebrate and honor his contributions to the University as well as the legacy he has established for the next generation of Waves to go on in his footsteps.
We are privileged to be able to say this, despite the fact that we are saddened by his passing. In the course of Hornbaker’s 33 years of service at Pepperdine University, he held a number of roles that were crucial to the growth of the university in a variety of capacities. These roles included senior vice president, executive vice chancellor, vice chancellor, vice president for administration, and acting vice president for finance. Other posts included vice chancellor and vice president for administration. Hornbaker was responsible for the expansion of the institution in each of these roles, but each in their own unique way.
In addition to his outstanding efforts in fundraising, he played a major role in the leadership of numerous hallmark construction projects on the Malibu campus. These initiatives included the construction of various buildings. Some of these projects include the Field Heritage Hall, the Lovernich and George Page Apartments, the Pendleton Computer Science Center, the Smothers Theatre, and the Lindhurst Theatre. Other projects include the Drescher Graduate Campus, the Smothers Theatre, and the Lindhurst Theatre. Larry Hornbaker “was a courageous leader during the vital years of developing the Malibu campus,” according to Sara Jackson (’74), the current chancellor of Pepperdine University. “Larry Hornbaker was a gutsy leader during the critical years.” During those years, Hornbaker was the executive vice chancellor of the university as well as the top development officer for the university.”
He was in charge of assembling a skilled advancement team and exerting a lot of effort in order to make the goal of Pepperdine Malibu a reality. Larry’s sense of optimism and joy does not appear to have been tempered by the fact that many people are ignorant of the personal sacrifices that he and his wife Carol made during those challenging years. In spite of the fact that he left his position at Pepperdine in 2002, Hornbaker continued to be associated with the university in a number of different ways. In particular, he was the primary consultant for the University’s landmark Campaign for Pepperdine: Changing Lives, which raised more than $470 million. This achievement is his most notable accomplishment. He is survived by his wife Carol, their children Deborah, Douglas, David, and Darin (BSM ’99), as well as six granddaughters, two great-grandchildren, and his wife Carol. Additionally, Hornbaker leaves behind two great-grandchildren.