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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Margaret and Jim Perkins, longtime benefactors of |
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Stephen F. Austin State University, have been honored with the 2023 |
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Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally presented in 1977, the Texas Higher |
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Education Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals and |
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organizations who have made a profound impact on higher education |
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in Texas or who have significantly benefited the faculty, staff, |
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and students of an institution through their leadership, service, |
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or philanthropy; and |
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WHEREAS, Margaret and Jim Perkins have long been champions |
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for education, and their efforts over the past several decades have |
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touched the lives of thousands of students and families across the |
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state; Mr. Perkins' affiliation with Stephen F. Austin State |
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University has included two terms on the SFA Board of Regents from |
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1969 to 1981, during which time he served as chair of the board and |
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led the establishment of the SFA Foundation; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2007, the College of Education was renamed the |
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James I. Perkins College of Education, and it has continued to |
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thrive with the support of the couple; for 13 years, the Perkins |
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Professional Development Travel Fund has enabled faculty to make |
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more than 850 national and international trips to present their |
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research, and Mr. and Mrs. Perkins have also helped promote |
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excellence at the college through the establishment of the |
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Hoover-Perkins Professorship and through their funding of seven |
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awards within the Department of Education Studies; every year, the |
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couple hosts a reception for College of Education faculty to |
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acknowledge their dedicated service to their students, their |
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profession, and the university; and |
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WHEREAS, Beyond their extensive support for the College of |
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Education, Mr. and Mrs. Perkins provided a grant for the JacksTeach |
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program within the College of Sciences and Mathematics to help |
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students attain STEM teaching certifications; for two decades, they |
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have also served as lead partners in the Nacogdoches County Chamber |
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of Commerce's Nacogdoches Opportunity for Better Learning |
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Experience program, which awards scholarships to attend SFA to 20 |
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area students each year; and |
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WHEREAS, Few can claim such an admirable record of leadership |
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and service to a university as Margaret and Jim Perkins, and they |
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may indeed reflect with pride on their many contributions to SFA; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Margaret and Jim Perkins on |
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receiving the 2023 Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service |
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Award and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Perkins as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |