RIP Herb

Legendary founder of Dallas' Southwest Airlines Herb Kelleher dies

Herb Kelleher, 1931-2019.

Photo courtesy of SW Airlines

Herb Kelleher, the legendary founder of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, died on January 3 at age 87.

The airline published a memorial to Kelleher on its website, calling him a freedom fighter, pioneer, maverick, and innovator who revolutionized the skies by blazing a trail of low fares and exemplary customer service.

It listed his countless achievements and awards, as well as the profound and elevating impact he had on his coworkers and as a leader of the company.

Born Herbert David Kelleher on March 12, 1931, he was raised in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, received a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan, and a law degree from New York University. He practiced law on the East Coast before relocating to Texas with plans to start his own law firm.

In 1967, Kelleher and client Rollin King incorporated Air Southwest, Inc., with the idea of offering low-fare, intra-Texas airline service. Southwest Airlines took to the skies on June 18, 1971.

He served as executive chairman of the company from 1978-2008, and as president-CEO from 1981-2001.

Kelleher's numerous awards and honors include the U. S. Chamber Business Leadership Hall of Fame, Chief Executive magazine; CEO of the Century from Texas Monthly; National Sales and Marketing Hall of Fame; a Wright Brothers Memorial; induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame; and recipient of the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Public Service Medal.

"Herb has been quoted as saying, 'It is my practice to try to understand how valuable something is by trying to imagine myself without it,'" the memorial says. "We now have to imagine ourselves without Herb. Our Founding Father has passed on, but the legacy that he has left to each of us is still very much alive. Southwest will grieve as families do, but we know he’d want us to laugh through our tears."

Kelleher is survived by his wife, Joan, three of their four children, and many grandchildren.

deaths transportation

money woes

Texas is no longer the No. 1 most financially distressed state in U.S.

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

undefined

After spending an unfortunate year as the No. 1 state with the most people in financial distress, Texas has slightly recovered. But the Lone Star State isn't out of the woods yet: it's still among the five most financially distressed states in America for 2026.

According to WalletHub's 2026 report, Texas sits in the No. 4 spot this year, while Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida moved up to become the top three states with the most financially distressed residents.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states based on residents' average credit scores, the share of people with "accounts in distress" (meaning an account that's in forbearance or has deferred payments), the one-year change in bankruptcy filings from March 2025, and search interest indexes for "debt" and "loans."

Despite improving in the overall ranking, the study found Texas has had the fourth-biggest spike in bankruptcy filings nationally from March 2025 to March 2026. Texas residents also have the 10th worst average credit scores in the country, according to the findings.

This is how Texas ranked across the study's six key dimensions, where No. 1 means "most distressed:"

No. 4 – Change in bankruptcy filings from March 2024 to March 2025 rank
No. 5 – Average number of accounts in distress rank
No. 8 – "Loans" search interest index rank
No. 8 – People with accounts in distress rank
No. 12 – Credit score rank
No. 13 – “Debt” search interest index rank

It feels like inflation and affordability are top-of-mind for many Americans over recent years, and uncertainty around the national economy also adds another level of distress. That's especially true for Dallas residents, which were dubbed the fourth most financially distressed people in America earlier in 2026.

"Americans have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, as inflation, shifting unemployment levels, public health emergencies, and natural disasters have made it more difficult for many households to stay on top of their bills," the report said.

The top three states that have the least financially distressed residents are Maine (No. 50), Rhode Island (No. 49), and Hawaii (No. 48).

The top 10 most financially distressed states in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Lousiana
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – South Carolina
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Georgia
No. 8 – California
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Kentucky