Thank You, Dr. Haragan

Thank you hardly seems enough......

By Sharon Yeates

It would be impossible to overstate the contributions Dr. Haragan has made to Texas Tech. He has served as a professor, chair of the department of Geosciences, Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Executive Vice President and Provost of TTU, Interim President of TTU (twice), President of TTU, and Interim Chancellor of TTU. Dr. Gary Elbow, former Associate Dean and current faculty member of the Honors College and Dr. James Brink, former Senior Vice Provost and current faculty member of Honors, both remarked that Dr. Haragan often joked about the many hats he wore at Texas Tech, referring to himself as "the epitome of interimity." Dr. Mark McGinley joked that he loved working with Dr. Haragan, "but the guy couldn't hold onto a job." His legacy, however, is not simply in the offices he held. It is what he did while occupying those offices.

Dedication to quality education via expanding opportunities to students and faculty is a trademark of Dr. Haragan. His dedication and service extend well beyond the Tech campus. Dr. Haragan has served as the Academic Specialist to the U.S. Information Agency, and as a consultant to the University of Jordan in Amman. In 1988, he was one of two U.S. representatives to the International Conference on University Governance in Ankara, Turkey. He chaired the Academic Affairs Committee for the Commission on International Affairs of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. He served as President of the Southwest and Rocky Mountain division of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. He has served as Chairperson of the formula advisory committee for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He has been a strong supporter of arts in the Lubbock area, and has served on the board of Broadway Festivals, Inc., and was on the steering committee for Imagine Lubbock Together. Dr. Haragan was a founding member of the Lubbock Entertainment Performing Arts Association (LEAP). He established the first admissions standards for Texas Tech. In 1985, he helped negotiate the first tenure policy for TTU. He also negotiated the establishment of a Staff Senate. He was an active participant in the establishment of the Office of International Affairs, the Study Abroad Program, the Texas Tech Press, the Office of Institutional Research, the University Writing Center, the Congressional Internship program, the establishment of the Wind, Science and Engineering Institute, the establishment of the TTU Center in Seville Spain, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Center for the Integration of Science Education and Research, and the creation of TTU satellite campuses in Houston, Dallas, the Hill Country, and El Paso. He was also a proud faculty member of the Texas Tech Honors College, and continued to teach and mentor undergraduate students throughout his career.

The Honors College is proud to be, as Ms. Chavez described, "one of Dr. Haragan's children." We are also proud to call him our friend. We wish him and his lovely wife, Willie, much joy as they move to be nearer their daughters and grandchildren. We thank him for all he has done, and for sharing his laughter, his leadership, his service, and most of all his wisdom.