Joseph Evans Attwell (March 25, 1931 – October 27, 2007Death Notices in Houston Chronicle, November 1, 2007) was the youngest managing partner of Vinson & Elkins, the largest law firm in Texas and the largest single law office in the world, from 1981 to 1991.
He lived in Houston, Texas all his life, and was an owner of the Houston Rockets from 1986 to 1995 and Houston Astros from 1978 to 1994. He was the Chairman of the Board of the Welch FoundationEvans Attwell at Welch Foundation website from 2005 until his death. Mr. Attwell also served on the board of American General Corporation for 40 years (now AIG), the board of Ocean Energy (now Devon Energy) and many other Fortune 500 and charitable boards. He was a two time Chairman of the Harris County Hospital District Board,Biography at Board of Managers at Harris County Hospital District website the second largest county hospital district in the world. Attwell served as a Trustee of Rice UniversityRice mourns trustee emeritus and alumnus Attwell , Rice University website, 2007-11-02 where the J. Evans Attwell-Welch postdoctoral fellowships honor his name at the University's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology.J. Evans Attwell-Welch postdoctoral fellowships at Rice University website, 2003-06-26 He was awarded Rice's Gold Medal for extraordinary service to the University in 1997.J. Evans Attwell Awarded Gold Medal . Rice University, 2007-05-08.
He married Mary Petersen in March 1956. They had five children and six grandchildren, one of whom is named after him.
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