Texas A&M System Regents Authorize Naming of Texas A&M- Commerce Building for ‘Beloved Mentor’
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Thursday authorized the naming of the Hall of Languages on the Texas A&M-Commerce campus in honor of the late Dr. David A. Talbot, a longtime professor and mentor to students.
A dedication ceremony, which will include an address by former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, is planned for April 18.
In 1968 Dr. Talbot joined the faculty of what was then East Texas State University as the first African-American professor.
Over the next 18 years, he served as Special Assistant to the President for Affirmative Action, as professor in the Department of Counseling and Guidance, and as Director of the Counseling Center. He also planned, organized and directed both a Multi-Cultural Teacher Training Institute and an Inter-Cultural Living Experience.
Regent William “Bill” Mahomes Jr. of Dallas said he had the opportunity to work with the late Dr. Talbot when Mahomes was on the board of East Texas State University.
“He was a beloved mentor to hundreds of students, faculty and staff,” Regent Mahomes said. “He was known for his untiring efforts to bring about justice and fairness for everyone and it has been said that he did more to bring about cultural understanding than any single individual in the history of the university.”
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 148,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $946 million in FY 2015 and helped drive the state’s economy.
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