Early Life
Janice Suber McNair was born on September 30, 1936, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She attended Columbia College, a private women's liberal arts college. It was during her college years that she met her future husband, Bob McNair.
Rise to Success
Janice McNair co-founded the Houston Texans with her husband Bob McNair in 1999. Following Bob's death in 2018, Janice became the team's principal owner, with the title of "senior chair". She delegated most responsibility for team operations to her son Cal, who became CEO and operating head of the franchise. The franchise's value reached $7.4 billion as of 2025.
Key Business Strategies
Janice McNair was the right-hand to her husband throughout much of his career, including when he founded Cogen Technologies. After Bob McNair's successful career in energy, including the 1999 sale of Cogen Technologies for $1.5 billion, the couple co-founded the Houston Texans as an NFL expansion team.
Philanthropy
In 1989, Janice McNair and her husband established the Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation. The goal of the foundation was to remove some of the financial barriers that were preventing Rutherford County High school graduates from attending college. To date, the McNair foundation has awarded approximately $2.6 million in financial aid. In August 2019, McNair donated $5 million to Pro Vision Inc, a community building project in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Houston. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Houston, McNair donated $1 million to the Houston Rent Relief fund. The McNairs have contributed more than a half billion dollars to charity.