Texas State prepares for fall commencement

Posted by University News Service
Dec. 9, 2009

            Oil businessman T. Boone Pickens will be the keynote speaker at one of four commencement ceremonies to be held at Texas State University-San Marcos Dec. 18 and 19 in Strahan Coliseum.

            Pickens will speak during the 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19. Degree candidates from the College of Liberal Arts and the University College will attend the Saturday ceremony.

            Degree candidates from College of Applied Arts and the College of Fine Arts and Communication will attend the 10 a.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18.

            Candidates from the College of Science and the McCoy College of Business Administration will attend the 2 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18.

            Candidates from College of Education and the College of Health Professions will attend the 6 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18.

            Pickens is founder and chairman of BP Capital Management, which manages one of the nation’s most successful energy oriented investment funds. Last year, he launched a grassroots effort to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. He pursues a wide range of business interests, including water resources, wind power and a company named Clean Energy, a transportation fuels company he founded and took public last year. He pursues a wide range of philanthropic interests and is consistently ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as among the nation’s most generous donors. This year, Time magazine listed him as among the 100 most influential people in the world.

            The university will award honorary doctoral degrees to Bruce and Gloria Ingram of New Braunfels during the 2 p.m. ceremony on Friday. The Ingrams are among Texas State’s most generous benefactors, having donated $7 million in support of programs and scholarships in the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State. Bruce Ingram is the founder of Ingram Readymix, a manufacturer of concrete that operates 26 plants in 22 Texas cities. Both are active community volunteers. They are co-chairs of the Texas State Pride in Action Campaign Academic Excellence pillar.

            There are 2,681 Texas State students who are candidates for bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees this fall at Texas State.