Born and raised on a cattle, cotton and wheat farm near the Texas Panhandle town of Spur, Neaves graduated from a small high school where only four of his 24 classmates went on to college. He credited his mother’s insistence on developing strong reading habits with inspiring his academic journey. That path led him to Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in 1966, with highest honors in biology. Initially enrolling in Harvard Medical School, he soon transitioned to the doctoral program in anatomy, earning his Ph.D. in 1969 with a dissertation on the reproductive biology and evolution of lizards.

In March of 1972, Neaves joined the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern as an assistant professor of cell biology. Over the next decade he combined laboratory research in reproductive endocrinology with growing administrative responsibilities. Named a full professor in 1977, he also became associate dean of the Graduate School that year, later serving as dean of the Graduate School (1980), acting dean of the Medical School (1986), and dean of the Medical School (1989). By then, he had decided to dedicate himself fully to academic leadership, concluding his own laboratory work. He later served as executive vice president for academic affairs before accepting the role at the Stowers Institute.

Under his leadership, the Institute grew from a staff of 30 to more than 500 and expanded from four principal investigators to 20 independent research laboratories. Neaves helped secure passage of a statewide referendum to protect scientific research and played a key role in Kansas City’s emergence as a hub for health-focused biotechnology companies.

“Bill was a great and principled leader,” said Jonathan Thomas, Chairman of the Stowers Institute and Chairman and President of American Century Investments. “In establishing the structure and recruiting an exceptional team of scientists, he set the Institute on a path to the internationally recognized research organization it is today.”

In 2013, in honor of his beloved wife Priscilla, who had lived with a neurodegenerative disease, Neaves established the Priscilla Wood Neaves Endowed Chair in Biomedical Sciences at the Stowers Institute, now held by Sánchez Alvarado.

Over the course of his career, Neaves received numerous honors, including election to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from spermatogenesis to the origins of new species, asexual reproduction, and chromosomal variation in reptiles.

“Bill’s enthusiasm and passion for pursuing biology’s most pressing questions was pervasive,” said Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D. “He exemplified the qualities of what it means to be the best scientist you can be.”

Neaves is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, D’Laine Neaves Rutledge and Jeromy Rutledge of Spur, Texas, and grandsons, William Cade Rutledge and his wife Mariko, and Thomas Carson Rutledge. His vision, leadership, and lifelong dedication to science will continue to shape research, inspire scientists, and benefit future generations for decades to come.