State Representative Kyle Kacal, R-College Station, authored House Resolution 825 last week commemorating Texas State Technical College’s 50th anniversary and honoring its administration, staff and students.

The resolution was read on the floor of the House of Representatives during the 84th Texas Legislature and among other things also recognized TSTC’s collaboration with industry, government agencies and other institutions of higher learning.

Kacal said TSTC has been at the forefront of transforming lives through its highly specialized and advanced technical educational programs since its founding 50 years ago.

“It’s imperative for the State of Texas to have a well-educated, highly skilled workforce to attract and retain businesses and TSTC does an extraordinary job in preparing its students for future career opportunities,” Kacal said. “I am honored to have authored HR 825, recognizing TSTC on their 50th anniversary and wish the TSTC System many more years of continued success.”

TSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser said the resolution is a sign of the strong relationship between TSTC and the State of Texas.

“It is a great honor to receive this resolution from Representative Kacal,” Reeser said. “It’s important that we stop to commemorate this milestone in our great history and celebrate the thousands of students whose lives we have helped to change, the industries we’ve helped to grow and this great state we’ve helped to build.”

TSTC will be hosting a 50th Anniversary Celebration in Austin on April 22 with Governor Greg Abbott serving as the keynote speaker.

Texas State Technical College 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 colleges 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.

“More than ever as we integrate into one statewide college, we are poised to support industry and meet the workforce development demands Texas into the next fifty years,” Reeser said.

To date, more than 97,000 students have graduated from one of the 11 TSTC campuses statewide.