Mike A. Myers receives honorary doctorate from Tarleton State University

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Tarleton State University Distinguished Alumnus Mike A. Myers received an honorary doctorate of humane letters during commencement ceremonies on Aug. 9. Pictured (l-r) are Dr. Kyle McGregor, Vice President of Institutional Advacement; Dr. Karen Murray, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs; honorary doctorate recipient Mike A. Myers; and Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio.

STEPHENVILLE (August 9, 2019) — Longtime Texas businessman and Tarleton State University Distinguished Alumnus Mike A. Myers received an honorary doctorate of humane letters during today’s commencement ceremonies for his extraordinary contributions and service to higher education.

Myers received the doctorate during the second of three ceremonies, with Tarleton awarding some 600 degrees — associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate.

“Honoring Mike this summer just before the reopening of Tarleton’s Memorial Stadium and dedication of the Lonn Reisman Athletic Center is fitting,” said President F. Dominic Dottavio. “Mike’s generous gift to help renovate and expand the stadium, along with his continued support as a founding member of the Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc., and lifetime member of the university’s alumni association, proves that he is a true Tarleton Texan with a love and appreciation for higher education and a well-rounded university experience.”

Myers attended Tarleton for two years before earning his bachelor’s and law degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. At Tarleton he ran track and was on the first football team to win a conference championship since 1928. He was voted a class favorite and served as vice president of the student council.

Tarleton honored Myers as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1978 and Ring of Honor recipient in 2004. He received the President’s All-Purple Award in 2005 and was inducted into the Tarleton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2017 he was presented the President’s Legacy Award for Excellence through Leadership and became a platinum member of the John Tarleton Society.

In 1993 he established the Mrs. Harold Myers Presidential Honors Program Scholarship at Tarleton in honor of his mother, and in 2005 Tarleton track-and-field alumni honored him and legendary track coach Oscar Frazier with a scholarship in their names.

As chairman of Myers Financial Corp. for almost 50 years, his business career includes owning and operating 13 community banks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and developing thousands of residential lots in multiple communities throughout Texas. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2008, and UT Austin Track and Field Stadium bears his name.

“Mike Myers is a longtime supporter of Tarleton,” Dottavio said, “and it is a great honor to recognize his remarkable contributions to higher education throughout Texas. He is a valued partner in our shared passion for making higher education accessible and turning out graduates who are well prepared to lead in their professions and communities.”

The Mike A. Myers Foundation was established in 1982 to support higher education and human service organizations.

“One of the highlights of my life is to help young people with their education, advancing their self-esteem and building their confidence,” Myers said. “Education is the bottom line to solving a great percentage of our problems.”

In January, Myers received the esteemed Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal, named for the second president of the Republic of Texas. Created in 1977, the medal goes annually to individuals, foundations and organizations for extraordinary contributions and service to higher education in Texas. Members of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, and the Texas Association of Community Colleges bestow the honor.

Last November the UT System Board of Regents gave Myers its highest honor — the Santa Rita Award — recognizing his contributions and commitment to higher education. The regents have bestowed the honor only 27 times since it was created in 1968.

Myers received the UT Austin Presidential Citation in 2004, UT Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1996, and the UT School of Law honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Community Service Award in 2010.

He has served in organizations such as the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Dallas Assembly, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas County Community College Foundation, Longhorn Foundation, Texas Interscholastic League Foundation and Parkland Hospital Foundation.

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