The First Decade

Laredo Morning Times | lmtonline.com | Sunday, September 15, 2019 | F7 Â $QQLYHUVDU\ )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ 7$0,8·V WK DQQLYHUVDU\ IROORZ 7;$0,8 RQ )DFHERRN ,QVWDJUDP 7ZLWWHU <RX7XEH /LQNHG,Q DQG 6SRWLI\ XVH WKH KDVKWDJ 7$0,8 DQG YLVLW WKH VFKRRO·V ZHEVLWH DW WDPLX HGX HUUH] FKDLUPDQ RI WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ System of South Texas building committee, was joined by Sen. John 7UDHJHU 5HS %LOO +DOO DQG &RZDUW as they broke ground. 8QLYHUVLW\ +DOO ZDV UHDG\ E\ the fall of 1979 and cost about $1,398,357. Although on LJC’s ODQG LW PDUNHG WKH VFKRRO·V ÀUVW physical building. $IWHU WKH ÀUVW EXLOGLQJ IURP /-& the university functioned but needed even more space. There were also discussions it would merge with Laredo Junior College, but that plan fell through. In 1977, the 65th Legislature ap- proved changing the center’s name WR /DUHGR 6WDWH 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG HV - WDEOLVKLQJ WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ 6\VWHP RI South Texas under Gov. Dolph Bris- coe. %\ /68 JUDGXDWHG graduates and offered bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, elemen- tary and secondary education, and bilingual education. There were also master’s degrees in general busi- ness, international trade and other HGXFDWLRQ ÀHOGV =DIÀULQL ZRXOG JR RQ WR EHFRPH senator and head the charge in de- IHQGLQJ /68 IURP EXGJHW FXWV DQG closure by the Texas Legislature. She would eventually write and pass a bill establishing itself as a four- year university with its own campus. She said that in hindsight, working for Conally back in 1967 and many others over the following decades helped pave the way toward creat- LQJ 7H[DV $ 0 ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 8QL - versity. “Little did I know that as I worked as a part-time staff member I would have that bill 26 years later,” Zaf- ÀULQL VDLG University Hall opens in 1979