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Harvey Roberts "Bum" Bright (October 6, 1920 – December 11, 2004) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the owner of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys from 1984 to 1989.
In his first season as owner, the Cowboys finished with a record of 9–7 and missed the playoffs. The following year, the team went 10–6 and made the playoffs, losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round. The team's performance declined over the next three seasons, posting records of 7–9, 7–8, and 3–13.
In the late 1980s, Bright suffered massive financial losses, including an estimated $29 million in the 1988 collapse of First Republic Bank Corporation. With most of the rest of his money tied up in the Cowboys, Bright sold the franchise to Jerry Jones in 1989 for $140 million. Jones made many changes to the team, including firing longtime head coach Tom Landry, the only head coach of the team up to that time. Later, Bright claimed that he wanted to fire Landry himself as early as 1987, but Schramm claimed he didn't have a successor in place yet." Ex-Cowboys Owner Bright Almost Fired Landry in '87." Los Angeles Times. 26 February 1990. Accessed 14 July 2011. In 2016, Jones revealed that Bright offered to fire Landry before Jones introduced himself as the Cowboys' new owner. According to Jones, Bright knew Jones would almost certainly be pilloried by the media and fan base if he fired Landry, and wanted to relieve Jones of the pressure by making the decision himself. However, Jones declined the offer, wanting to tell Landry himself that he was being let go.
He also disapproved of the extent of federal welfare programs. In a 1990 interview with Texas Monthly, he stated, "Our unrestrained welfare programs encourage people to be non-productive, and therefore, hungry and helpless."
He was the chairman of Texas A&M University System Board of Regents from 1981 to 1985. In 1991, Texas A&M named him a distinguished alumnus. A&M also presented him with the Sterling C. Evans medal in 2002." Sterling C. Evans Medal recipients." Texas A&M Foundation. Accessed 16 July 2011.
Bright donated an unrestricted contribution of $25 million to Texas A&M in 1997. In 2000, he donated another $5 million to support renovation of the school's football stadium, Kyle Field. Two buildings on Texas A&M's campus bear his name: the Bright Football Complex and the H. R. "Bum" Bright Building.
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