The Fifth Decade

Laredo Morning Times | lmtonline.com | Sunday, January 19, 2020 | E7 50 Anniversary the education, but we’re also going to give them the intangibles, things that make them stand out like our co-curricular activities, our leader- ship programs and our study abroad programs. We make sure they get the skills they need to be successful. That’s what I’m most proud of is that our graduates are competitive. They are making an impact.” A decade of loss In a decade of rapid growth, TA- MIU also featured notable losses through both deaths and retirements. One of them was the loss of Sue Kil- lam -- who along with her husband Radcliffe Killam significantly im- pacted the university – as she died Nov. 18 at 100 years of age. The Kil- lams had a wide impact including helping get the university launched in 1970 and helping get the land for TAMIU’s 300-acre campus. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of this university’s most enduring friends and partners,” Arenaz said. “Sue Spivey Killam was a true force for the betterment of higher edu- cation in South Texas. She c h a m p i o n e d this univer- sity singly and alongside her husband Rad- cliffe Killam and their fami- ly. As a member of the Board of Regents of the Univer- sity System of South Texas, the governing body for the former Texas A&I University at Laredo and Laredo State University, she provided keen insight and cul- tural awareness that greatly influenced the univer- sity’s initial years and subsequent growth. With Radcliffe, both built a truly astounding legacy now known as Texas A&M International Uni- versity.” TAMIU had several additional losses in its fifth decade. In Febru- ary 2013, the university honored its 3,000th student to enroll in 1998 dedicating a memorial scholarship in the name of beloved local science educator Esther Buckley. A memo- rial was held in June 2014 honor- ing the memory of 30-year faculty member and Professor Emeritus Dr. Rafael A. Lecuona and dedicating a scholarship in his honor. Another memorial was held in August 2017 for Robert “Bob” Batey, a former employee within the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2018, a memorial concert was held to celebrate the legacy of E.H. Corrigan. A passionate supporter of the arts, Corrigan gifted the Sharkey Corrigan Organ to TAMIU in 2012, and it was played during his memo- rial concert. TAMIU also saw this decade the retirements of two employees who had been with the university since at or near the beginning. David Ver- Milyea joined the university in 1970 and retired in June 2012 after 42 years of service. His last post was as the director of international student services. In January 2018, Dr. Julio F. Madrigal wrapped up a 45-year career retiring as the executive di- rector of TAMIU Special Programs. “It feels like family here,” Are- naz said. “It is a very different atmo- sphere here than other places I’ve been. I attribute that to some extent to Ray Keck. He tried to create that kind of environment and we’ve tried to keep it. It is important. One of the things that is different about Texas A&M International is we are com- mitted to mission here. We are com- mitted to ensuring the people of this region, Laredo and Webb County and beyond, have access to quality higher education. Our faculty and staff are committed to that.” Thanks to that commitment, a summary of the accomplishments and noteworthy events of the past decade for TAMIU could go on even longer than the extensive list on the university’s 50th anniversary web- site. As the relatively young univer- sity embarks on its sixth decade, its sixth president is confident the ex- ponential growth will continue. “We are on the precipice of do- ing even greater things than we’ve done,”Arenaz said. “We have an out- standing faculty. We have the largest student body we’ve ever had. Our students are competitive. I would put our students up against anybody. They are getting jobs with Fortune 500 companies and are getting into outstanding graduate schools. Our nurses are all employed, often even before they graduate. Our teaching candidates are highly sought after. “We are on the precipice and are going to see a huge leap in the next two or three years. We already are receiving national accolades for lots of things, and a lot of them are things I’m very proud of like upper mobility and return on investment. That says a lot about the quality of the graduate we produce.” For more information on TAMIU’s 50th anniversary, follow TXAMIU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Spotify, use the hashtag #TAMIU50 and visit the school’s website at 50.tamiu.edu .