Texas State Technical College celebrated 50 years of serving the state as the technical college of Texas on Wednesday in Austin during an event hosted by The TSTC Foundation.
Nearly 700 supporters of TSTC that included current and former students, civic and educational leaders, state elected officials, employers and private citizens attended the celebration raising $300,000 for the Foundation.
“Our founders had vision,” TSTC Chancellor Michael Reeser said. “In Texas, we have a wide array of colleges and universities already and we saw a need to diversify. Our economy needs diversity and TSTC does that by providing a skilled workforce in high-tech and high-demand jobs. For the past half century, we’ve been providing this for Texas and for the next 50 years we’ll be doing it bigger, better and faster than before.”
Governor Greg Abbott delivered the keynote address and praised TSTC for its continued commitment to providing a skilled workforce to Texas, that in turn contributes to the economic development of the state.
Abbott recounted a trip to Schertz to visit the Amazon Fulfillment Center, where he took a tour of the plant with one of the company’s executives.
“That executive said we have the best workforce in America,” Abbott said. “We need to continue to support TSTC to make sure it continues to provide that skilled workforce for the state. As governor, I will be that visionary leader that looks into what we can do over the next 50 years for TSTC.”
Abbott also praised TSTC for its focus on training and preparing the country’s military veterans to join the workforce.
“One of our shortcomings in this country is that we’re not doing an adequate job of hiring veterans,” Abbott said. “TSTC focuses on recruiting veterans and I implore all the employers here to hire a vet.”
TSTC Board of Regents Chair Ellis M. Skinner II said TSTC was now a major player in the higher education system in Texas.
“I’ve been to other events for other colleges and this far exceeds any of those,” Skinner said. “What this says to the state of Texas is that we’re very serious about supplying the state with the workforce it needs for companies and firms to come do business in Texas.”
TSTC was established in 1965 on the former James Connally Air Force Base in Waco as James Connally Technical Institute of Texas A&M. In 1967, the Connally Technical Institute expanded to Harlingen moving into the old Harlingen Air Force Base. In 1969, the college separated from Texas A&M and became an independent state system with a new name, Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) and its own Board of Regents. Additional campuses were created in 1970 in Amarillo in the Panhandle of Texas and in Sweetwater in West Texas. As the demand for quality technical education continued to grow, extension centers were established in McAllen (1983), Abilene (1985), Breckenridge (1989), Brownwood (1991) and Marshall (1991). TSTI was renamed Texas State Technical College in 1991 and the TSTC campus in Marshall began serving the needs of East Texas. In 1999, the Marshall extension center was officially designated a stand-alone campus by the Texas Legislature, and it became known as Texas State Technical College Marshall. In 2001, the Fort Bend campus opened its doors.
In 2011, the Legislature redefined the TSTC West Texas campus as one that serves West Texas with four strategically positioned, permanent locations at Sweetwater, Abilene, Breckenridge and Brownwood. That same year, the Ingleside campus opened. In 2013, the Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a Marshall extension center in Ellis County creating TSTC Marshall North Texas Extension Center also known as TSTC North Texas. The East Williamson County campus also opened in 2013.
Among the advancements TSTC has made recently is the move to integrate all 11 campuses in order to pursue single accreditation and align programs to better serve the state.
To date, more than 97,000 students have graduated from the 11 campuses statewide.
Texas State Technical College (www.tstc.edu) serves Texas through eleven campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Ingleside, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater, Waco and Williamson County. TSTC is the only college in Texas to adopt a funding model based entirely on student employment outcomes – aligning with its purpose of strengthening Texas with a highly skilled, technically competent workforce. Founded in 1965, TSTC is celebrating 50 years of service to the State of Texas in 2015.
Founders Award Recipient –
The City of Harlingen
As Texas State Technical College celebrates 50 years of serving the state as the technical college of Texas, The TSTC Foundation honored the City of Harlingen with the South Texas Founders Award on Wednesday, April 22, at TSTC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Austin.
The TSTC Founders Award recognizes those whose leadership, vision and contribution have been unusually significant to Texas State Technical College. The City of Harlingen was one of four Founders Award recipients. Also honored were former State Senator Murray Watson Jr. of Central Texas; the Honorable R. Temple Dickson III (awarded posthumously) from West Texas and the Marshall Economic Development Corporation from East Texas.
“TSTC’s success in changing the lives of Texans and building a stronger Texas is due to the valiant efforts of these four individuals and organizations,” said TSTC Chancellor Michael L. Reeser. “They were able to envision a future that involved a qualified, highly-skilled workforce supporting Texas business and industry – and our economy’s dependence on a technically-skilled workforce will be even greater in the 50 years to come,” added Reeser.
Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell said he was honored and the city was appreciative of the relationship it has fostered with TSTC over the past 50 years.
“Partnering with TSTC has been invaluable to Harlingen,” Boswell said. “Harlingen has invested heavily in the development of this great institution and is really proud to have TSTC as a partner and someone we can always turn to when we need to train our workforce.”
Following the closure of Harlingen Air Force Base in 1962, a small group of visionary leaders from Harlingen looked to the James Connally Technical Institute (JCTI) in Waco and found an opportunity for educational growth in the Rio Grande Valley.
JCTI opened its doors in Waco in 1965 and a couple of years later, Harlingen welcomed its own branch of the state’s newest technical college.
Rio Grande Valley resident the late D.B. Dunkin, former Harlingen Mayor George Young, former McAllen Mayor and Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Paul G. Veale, Economic Development Administration official Sam Lattimore, Economic Development Administration official Richard R. Morrison, former Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce Board President Robert Farris, former Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce President David Allex and former Harlingen City Commissioners A.B. Chapa and Chuy Rodriguez were all credited with spearheading the move to bring JCTI to Harlingen.
“We had great leadership in this city and as good private leadership as any city in the United States,” Allex said.
Boswell said TSTC has helped the city move forward the past 50 years.
“When the old Harlingen Air Force Base close down, Harlingen was devastated,” Boswell said. “Since then, TSTC has been the cornerstone of economic development in the city.”
In 1969, the college separated from Texas A&M and became an independent state system with a new name, Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) and its own Board of Regents. TSTI was renamed Texas State Technical College in 1991.
Among the advancements TSTC has made recently is the move to integrate all 11 campuses in order to pursue single accreditation and align programs to better serve the state.
Founders Award Recipient –
West Texas– R. Temple Dickson III
As Texas State Technical College celebrates 50 years of serving the state as the technical college of Texas, The TSTC Foundation posthumously honored the honorable R. Temple Dickson III with the West Texas Founders Award on Wednesday, April 22, at TSTC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Austin.
The TSTC Founders Award recognizes those whose leadership, vision and contribution have been unusually significant to Texas State Technical College. Dickson was one of four Founders Award recipients. Also honored were former State Senator Murray Watson Jr. of Central Texas; the City of Harlingen from South Texas; and the Marshall Economic Development Corporation from East Texas.
“TSTC’s success in changing the lives of Texans and building a stronger Texas is due to the valiant efforts of these four individuals and organizations,” said TSTC Chancellor Michael L. Reeser. “They were able to envision a future that involved a qualified, highly-skilled workforce supporting Texas business and industry – and our economy’s dependence on a technically-skilled workforce will be even greater in the 50 years to come,” added Reeser.
Similar to the events that unfolded in Waco and Harlingen following the closure of air force bases in those cities, the closure of Avenger Field, a training facility for the Women Airforce Service Pilots, presented an opportunity to enhance the technical skills of the citizens of Sweetwater.
Through the leadership of State Senator Dickson, the Rolling Plains Campus in Sweetwater opened in 1970 as TSTC continued to grow in Texas.
Dickson, a prominent lawyer and rancher, was responsible for procuring the state funds needed to partially match Economic Development Administration grant funds.
Dickson, known to his colleagues as “Senator TSTC,” proved to be an invaluable asset to TSTC through his efforts in the Texas Legislature.
Dickson’s wife, Kathryn, said TSTC was Temple’s passion.
“Everyone in Sweetwater wanted a technical college here,” Mrs. Dickson said. “We had an opportunity to provide technical training through a state-funded institute.”
Temple’s daughter Angie Dickson said TSTC continues to build up the West Texas community years after her father started it all.
“When you have an institution in the community that trains a skilled workforce for the community, you get to keep your community,” Ms. Dickson said. “When you have a college like TSTC in place that can train skilled workers, then industry will come to you because they know the workers will be there.”
After the Sweetwater campus opened, Dickson was instrumental in setting up three more campuses in the area in Abilene, Breckenridge and Brownwood.
“I know he’s smiling down on us and saying ‘good job and keep going,'” Mrs. Dickson said.
TSTC was established in 1965 on the former James Connally Air Force Base in Waco as James Connally Technical Institute of Texas A&M. In 1969, the college separated from Texas A&M and became an independent state system with a new name, Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) and its own Board of Regents. Additional campuses were created in 1970 in Amarillo in the Panhandle of Texas and in Sweetwater in West Texas. As the demand for quality technical education continued to grow, extension centers were established in McAllen (1983), Abilene (1985), Breckenridge (1989), Brownwood (1991), Marshall (1991).TSTI was renamed Texas State Technical College in 1991. In 2011, the Legislature redefined the TSTC West Texas campus as one that serves West Texas with four strategically positioned, permanent locations at Sweetwater, Abilene, Breckenridge, and Brownwood.
Among the advancements TSTC has made recently is the move to integrate all 11 campuses in order to pursue single accreditation and align programs to better serve the state.
Founders Award Recipient –
Waco- Sen. Murray Watson Jr.
As Texas State Technical College celebrates 50 years of serving the state as the technical college of Texas, The TSTC Foundation honored former State Senator Murray Watson Jr. with the Central Texas Founders Award on Wednesday, April 22, at TSTC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Austin.
The TSTC Founders Award recognizes those whose leadership, vision and contribution have been unusually significant to Texas State Technical College. Watson was one of four Founders Award recipients. Also honored were the Honorable R. Temple Dickson III (awarded posthumously) from West Texas; the City of Harlingen from South Texas; and the Marshall Economic Development Corporation from East Texas.
“TSTC’s success in changing the lives of Texans and building a stronger Texas is due to the valiant efforts of these four individuals and organizations,” said TSTC Chancellor Michael L. Reeser. “They were able to envision a future that involved a qualified, highly-skilled workforce supporting Texas business and industry – and our economy’s dependence on a technically-skilled workforce will be even greater in the 50 years to come,” added Reeser.
When the James Connally Air Force Base in Waco was deactivated in the early 1960s, city leaders looked for ways to fill the void.
Watson, along with another former State Senator William Moore, coauthored Senate Bill 487, creating a technical institute for the state of Texas. And on April 22, 1965, Governor John B. Connally signed he legislation into law, creating Texas’ first comprehensive vocational and technical training facility known as the James Connally Technical Institute (JCTI) of Texas A&M University.
A couple of years later, JCTI severed its ties with Texas A&M and created its own Board of Regents and made its first expansion establishing a campus in Harlingen.
Watson said the mission of TSTC has remained the same over the past 50 years.
“People in Central Texas have always been interested in education,” Watson said. “We built a technical institute and took people who came from households with a family income of $10,000 and came to TSTC and started making $30-40,000 after just one year of training. TSTC teaches people how to make a living and support a family.”
Watson said TSTC has been a labor of love from day one and felt greatly honored to receive the Founders Award.
“I hope TSTC gets its due recognition and continues to grow as an institution of higher education where students can go and learn a skill or trade and be the economic driving force not just in Central Texas but the whole state of Texas,” Watson said. “This is very important to me and my family. It’s like seeing your first born learn to crawl, then learn to walk and then grow up. You just want it to do well and that’s how it’s been with TSTC and me. I just want it to do well.”
In 1967, the Connally Technical Institute expanded to Harlingen moving into the old Harlingen Air Force Base. In 1969, the college separated from Texas A&M and became an independent state system with a new name, Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) and its own Board of Regents. TSTCI was renamed Texas State Technical College in 1991.
Among the advancements TSTC has made recently is the move to integrate all 11 campuses in order to pursue single accreditation and align programs to better serve the state.
To date, more than 97,000 students have graduated from the 11 campuses statewide.
Founders Award Recipient –
Marshall- MEDCO
As Texas State Technical College celebrates 50 years of serving the state as the technical college of Texas, The TSTC Foundation honored the Marshall Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) with the East Texas Founders Award on Wednesday, April 22, at TSTC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Austin.
The TSTC Founders Award recognizes those whose leadership, vision and contribution have been unusually significant to Texas State Technical College. MEDCO was one of four Founders Award recipients. Also honored were former State Senator Murray Watson Jr. of Central Texas; the Honorable R. Temple Dickson III (awarded posthumously) from West Texas and the City of Harlingen from South Texas.
“TSTC’s success in changing the lives of Texans and building a stronger Texas is due to the valiant efforts of these four individuals and organizations,” said TSTC Chancellor Michael L. Reeser. “They were able to envision a future that involved a qualified, highly-skilled workforce supporting Texas business and industry – and our economy’s dependence on a technically-skilled workforce will be even greater in the 50 years to come,” added Reeser.
The Marshall campus opened in 1991 following a collaborative community effort through partnerships that included the City of Marshall, the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders that came together to fill the need for technical training and a skilled workforce.
MEDCO invested more than $13 million for land, infrastructure, buildings, instructional equipment and start-up costs to assist in the creation of the Marshall campus.
Former MEDCO Board member Rusty Howell said MEDCO has always worked closely with the City of Marshall to encourage business and expand existing businesses. Howell said the creation of TSTC in Marshall supported that philosophy.
“Our number one asset is a quality labor force,” Howell said. “We realized early on when we started MEDCO that in order to succeed we needed to have the right attitude and a well-trained labor workforce.”
That’s when the collaborative effort started that led Marshall to welcoming TSTC to East Texas.
“The political dynamics of the people in office highly favored us,” Howell said. “We issued a challenge to the legislature and the city that there was not a technical college east of I-35 and we all met that challenge. We operated under the Waco umbrella until we were able to stand alone.”
Howell said The TSTC Founders Award is a tribute to all the people that have been a part of MEDCO over the years.
“The success of an educational facility is similar to success of business,” Howell said. “If you don’t have the market for the product or merchandise, then you’re not going to be successful. We wanted to make sure we could provide jobs for 90 percent of the TSTC graduates and they’ve exceeded that.”
TSTC was established in 1965 on the former James Connally Air Force Base in Waco as James Connally Technical Institute of Texas A&M. In 1969, the college separated from Texas A&M and became an independent state system with a new name, Texas State Technical Institute (TSTI) and its own Board of Regents. TSTI was renamed Texas State Technical College in 1991 and the TSTC campus in Marshall began serving the needs of East Texas. In 1999, the Marshall extension center was officially designated a stand-alone campus by the Texas Legislature, and it became known as Texas State Technical College Marshall. In 2013, the Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a Marshall extension center in Ellis County creating TSTC Marshall North Texas Extension Center also known as TSTC North Texas.
Among the advancements TSTC has made recently is the move to integrate all 11 campuses in order to pursue single accreditation and align programs to better serve the state.
To date, more than 97,000 students have graduated from the 11 campuses statewide.
