On Friday, the Texas Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from the Texas A&M University System, including the presidents of all A&M Universities. Chancellor John Sharp, who last year announced his retirement for later this year, attended the hearing to present his final priorities and funding requests after serving as Chancellor since 2011.
During the hearing, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa praised Chancellor Sharp for being an outstanding leader of the Texas A&M University System. He thanked him for playing a key role in transforming and expanding higher education opportunities and access to healthcare resources in the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend.
Senator Hinojosa specifically acknowledged Chancellor Sharp’s contributions to the Rio Grande Valley, referencing a report released by Sharp in 1999 during his tenure as Comptroller. This report highlighted the challenges and opportunities in the border area and included recommendations for specific initiatives. “We implemented those initiatives, and they have made such a difference in taking the Valley out of poverty and making it into an economic success,” Hinojosa stated. He added, “Sometimes people don’t realize the impact that Chancellor Sharp has had throughout our state and the nation. And for that, we are very grateful and thankful.”
Senator Hinojosa also recalled that before the 2013 session, when leaders from the Rio Grande Valley were working to create a medical school in South Texas, they received some pushback from the University of Texas. In 2012, Chancellor Sharp stepped in and offered to create a medical school in South Texas. “Almost within days after that story came out, UT relented and said, ‘Okay, we’ll support a medical school in South Texas.’ Now we have a medical school. Thank you for doing that for us,” Hinojosa said.
Chancellor Sharp recounted how the proposal came to fruition. “How that really happened is Chuy Hinojosa and Alonzo Cantu came to me and said, can you come down to the Valley and act like you’re putting a medical school in the Rio Grande Valley? True story,” he explained. Sharp continued, “They took me to the Country Club, made sure everybody saw me, made sure all the UT folks saw me. Then they put it in the paper that we were going to create a medical school. That got the attention of a member of my board of regents asking, what are you doing? I said, you know, everything’s alright. Then two days later, UT came and gave them a check for $50 million (joking about the $50 million).” He concluded, “It worked.”
During the 2013 legislative session, Senator Hinojosa was the lead author of Senate Bill 24 which created UTRGV and the UTRGV School of Medicine. In November 2013, the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved nearly $200 million from the Permanent University Fund to pay for the construction of the medical school.
Senator Hinojosa also thanked Chancellor Sharp for establishing the A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen, which connects students directly to Texas A&M College Station, providing them with the same degree and opportunities. Hinojosa wrapped up his remarks by stating, “Chancellor Sharp has made the State of Texas a better place for all of us, and he has earned his upcoming retirement. I look forward to working with him in his final months as Chancellor of the A&M System.”