{"id":867597,"date":"2026-04-16T09:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T09:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867597\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T09:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T09:20:12","slug":"robert-cluck-mayor-who-brought-dallas-cowboys-to-arlington-dies-at-87","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867597\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Cluck, mayor who brought Dallas Cowboys to Arlington, dies at 87"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"<div>Arlington<\/p>\n

Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck joins GM officials to announce a new stamping facility on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. The expansion will add jobs. (Ron T. Ennis\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram\/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Brief<\/p>\n

Former Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert Cluck has passed away at age 87, leaving a legacy of transformative leadership in the North Texas city.<\/p>\n

His tenure (2003\u20132015) was defined by major economic growth, most notably leading the successful effort to bring the Dallas Cowboys to Arlington.<\/p>\n

Cluck oversaw landmark projects including the construction of AT&T Stadium, the Arlington Highlands, and significant redevelopment of the city’s downtown.<\/p>\n

ARLINGTON, Texas – Former Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert N. Cluck, a physician-turned-public official whose leadership helped transform the city into a major sports and economic hub, has passed away at age 87.<\/p>\n

Remembering Dr. Robert Cluck\u2019s impact on Arlington<\/p>\n

What we know<\/p>\n

Cluck served on the Arlington City Council and as Arlington mayor from 2003 to 2015. The City of Arlington announced Cluck died on April 14, 2026.<\/p>\n

Visionary behind AT&T Stadium, Dallas Cowboys Move\"<div>27<\/p>\n

27 May 2009 – Arlington mayor Robert Cluck (left) and owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys move a lever to open the stadium doors during the Cowboys Stadium ribbon cutting event in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith\/Icon SMI\/Corbis\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

During his tenure, Arlington experienced significant growth, highlighted by the arrival of the Dallas Cowboys and the opening of AT&T Stadium in 2009. He first helped initiate discussions to bring the Cowboys to Arlington in 2001 while serving on the City Council, reaching out to team owner Jerry Jones.<\/p>\n

He later led efforts that culminated in the construction of the stadium, now one of the most recognizable sports venues in the country. The venue has since become a centerpiece for major sporting events, concerts and international competitions, including upcoming FIFA World Cup matches.<\/p>\n

Economic Growth, redevelopment<\/p>\n

Dig deeper<\/p>\n

Beyond sports, Cluck played a key role in major development projects across Arlington, including the Arlington Highlands shopping center, the Viridian master-planned community and redevelopment efforts in the city\u2019s downtown. He also supported projects tied to the University of Texas at Arlington, including College Park and the Levitt Pavilion.<\/p>\n

His administration emphasized economic development, including efforts to retain the Texas Rangers and secure continued investment in the General Motors Arlington Assembly Plant, which resulted in more than $1.4 billion in upgrades.<\/p>\n

A city park and a prominent space inside AT&T Stadium were later named in Cluck’s honor.<\/p>\n

What they’re saying<\/p>\n

Mayor Jim Ross described Cluck as a “visionary” leader whose efforts reshaped the city\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

“His ability to build partnerships and see the community\u2019s future potential fundamentally changed our trajectory,” Ross said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Cluck is survived by his wife, Linda, and three children, along with four grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Source<\/p>\n

Information in this article was provided by the City of Arlington.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck joins GM officials to announce a new stamping facility on Tuesday, January 31, 2012…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":867598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[6784,14373,230,229,257,2461,7,6,117686,117687],"class_list":{"0":"post-867597","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-arlington","9":"tag-att-stadium","10":"tag-cowboys","11":"tag-dallas","12":"tag-dallas-cowboys","13":"tag-dallascowboys","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-robert-cluck","17":"tag-robert-n-cluck"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116413653109946304","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=867597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/867598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}