College Station, Texas (KBTX) – The Mariachi band playing the Aggie War hymns is not an average retirement postponement. But John Sharp was by no means your average prime minister.
On Thursday afternoon, the University of Texas System and five affiliate fundraising organizations hosted a full-scale retirement fiesta for Premier John Sharp, giving the men who had a major impact on Texas higher education the opportunity to say “Hasta Lugo” to the community, state leaders and A&M system leaders.
The evening was completed to honor Mariachi music, nachos and hundreds of guests who have influenced the nation.
Throughout the evening, speakers reflected on Sharp’s efforts in transforming the university as it is today, including former Texas governor Rick Perry, who first met Sharp in a legion of cadets.
“The traces you’ve done at this agency are decades in the future and we don’t even know,” Perry told Sharp.
Sharp has led the Texas A&M System for the past 14 years, and under his surveillance, the system has grown to include 11 universities and eight state institutions.
“Someone called me and said, ‘Hey, you’re the longest serving prime minister in history,’ and I said, ‘Really? I wasn’t going to do that,'” Sharp laughed.
Under Sharp’s leadership, the A&M system has responded to crises such as Hurricane Harvey and the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrating the resilience of the University and Sharp.
“He made a huge difference to the university system, and in doing so, I think he made a huge difference to Texas and the country,” said Mark Wales, President Texas A&M.
Prime Minister John Sharp led a major university system project in 2013, including the acquisition of the Texas A&M School of Law.
“We don’t only have law schools, we’re also the top 25 ranked law schools across the country,” said Scott Walker, former vice president of student affairs. “It’s unprecedented that law schools will stand up very quickly in the rankings, but that was one of his visions.”
But he didn’t stop there. In 2019, Sharp led the establishment of the Texas A&M Rellis campus, a hub for research, education and workforce training.
“The research went through the roof from $600 million to $1.4 billion,” Sharp boasts.
When Sharp prepares to retire on June 30th and hands the keys to Texas Secretary Glen Hegar, he says at the end of it all, it’s not about a new campus or admiration. It’s about the legacy of service, leadership and the system he is proud to leave it stronger than he found.
“It was a great experience for me. I always cherish it, but it’s time to do something else,” Sharp added.
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