The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Wall of Honor was established by the CHSS Alumni Advisory Board to acknowledge faculty and alums who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers through personal and professional achievements and who have made significant contributions to SHSU, the students, society, and thus have brought honor and distinction to our university.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is pleased to announce the 2012 Wall of Honor Recipients:
Distinguished Alumni - Robert Gammage
Ron Koska
Distinguished Faculty - Dr. John W. Holcombe
Dr. James Olson
The official ceremony for the Wall of Honor was held on Friday, March 23, 2012, in the CHSS building on the Sam Houston State University campus. A dinner honoring the recipients followed the ceremony. Please click here to see pictures from the Wall of Honor ceremony and dinner.
Dr. John de Castro, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, notes, "The 2012 CHSS Wall of Honor recipients are wonderful exemplars of the College's distinguished alumni and faculty. We are proud of all that they have accomplished, the honor that they have brought upon the College and University, and their outstanding contributions to the education of our students. We are pleased to be able to recognize and honor these extraordinary individuals and present them as role models for future generations."
Hebert O'Quinn, Chair of the CHSS Advisory Board, comments, "On behalf of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Advisory Board, it is with great pleasure we announce the recipients of the 2012 Wall of Honor. Each recipient of the award was selected because of their dedication to the college and university, either as a distinguished member of the faculty or distinguished alumni. The example set forth by the recipients will be a reminder to all who view their plaques on the Wall of Honor in the Humanities building."
Robert "Bob" Gammage earned an M.A. from Sam Houston State University. He was elected to the United States Congress, as well as to the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate. Judge Gammage was elected to the Texas Supreme Court and the
Texas Court of Appeals, and served as Assistant Attorney General of Texas. Judge Gammage taught at South Texas College of Law, San Jacinto College and Sam Houston State University.
Ron Koska, Class of 1961 with a bachelor's degree in Sociology, founded his own Houston-based firm in 1969. His successful business, Institutional Sales Associates, has offices in Houston, Austin, Lubbock, Dallas and Albuquerque. Mr. Koska has served on the CHSS Advisory Board and is a lifetime member of the Alumni Association of Sam
Houston State University. He serves as a benefactor of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Delta Tau Delta National Fraternity, the Brookwood Community, the University of St. Thomas, Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce, the Special Olympics, along with other organizations.
Dr. John W. Holcombe was a Professor of Political Science at Sam Houston State University and received a B.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1963 and his Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School in 1972. He was awarded the Excellence in Teaching
Award at Sam Houston State University in 1991. Dr. Holcombe authored numerous publications throughout his career, including "Party Systems in Texas: A Two-Party System and a Modified One-Party Democratic System" in the Texas Journal of Political Studies; and "Texas: Our Taxes" in Ernest Crain, Charles Deaton, and William E. Maxwell, The Challenge of Texas Politics. In addition, Dr. Holcombe participated in numerous panels at political science conventions.
Dr. James Olson is Distinguished Professor and a former Chair of the Department of History at Sam Houston State University. He received a B.A. from Brigham Young University and M.A., Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Dr. Olson is the recipient of Sam Houston State University's Excellence in Teaching Award and Excellencein Research Award. In 2004 the Council for the Advancement of Education and the Carnegie Endowment for Education named him "Professor of the Year, Texas, for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching." Additionally, Dr. Olson is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than thirty books.
For more than 130 years, Sam Houston State University has been preparing students for
meaningful lives of achievement. Its motto, “The measure of a Life is its Service,” echoes
across SHSU’s five colleges and beyond campus through student research, creative
endeavors, service learning, volunteering and more. Named for Sam Houston, Texas’
greatest hero, SHSU continually strives to honor its historical roots through academic
excellence that includes exceptional teaching from faculty members who care as much
about their students’ success as they do about furthering the knowledge of their fields. For
more information, please visit www.shsu.edu.
