First University President, Dr. Billy F. Cowart, Passes Away
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jan 4, 2022, 0 Comments
Courtesy Steve Harmon,
(Laredo, Texas)-Dr. Billy F. Cowart, the first president of the former Texas A&I University at Laredo, now Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), passed away December 25, 2021 following a brief illness at the age of 89 in Temple, TX.
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said Dr. Cowart’s hand in the University’s story was beyond historical, and his campus model was duplicated across the state and nation.
“Dr. Cowart truly planted the seed for the 300-acre campus and expansive mission we enjoy today. He began to build this University from within a small study carrel at then-Laredo Junior College. He developed an innovative hybrid, the upper-level senior institution, which was embraced by others seeking to bring higher education to their communities. His strategic use of community engagement, which we follow today, helped the University to create and implement programs that advanced our community and region. We will be forever indebted to his leadership and vision that helped create the remarkable campus reality we see today,” Dr. Arenaz said.
