President Wright recalls first year on the hill

In its long and diverse history, PVAMU has had seven university presidents, a position held previously only by principals, until Dr. E. B. Evans, the eighth principal, became the first president on Dec. 3, 1948.
Dr. George C. Wright, the current president, is on his way to becoming one of the university’s most ground-breaking presidents, literally.
“The day I started work here at Prairie View A&M University, I had on a hard hat and a shovel in my hands and I broke ground for a new building, to later, in 2006, go on to be named the Nathelyne Archie Kennedy Building to house the School of Architecture. This, on my first day,” said Wright.
He had no idea the amount of change to come to Prairie View under his tenure; from breaking ground for many other new high-tech facilities on the campus such as the Willie Albert Tempton Sr. Memorial Student Center, the Don K. Clark building for the College of Juvenile Justice, and Psychology, and the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center, the resurrection of the Benjamin Banneker Honors program, first launched by fourth president Dr. Percy A. Pierre, or the Panther football team winning the SWAC championship.
Speaking on his first day as president, Wright said, “I became President at the right time, when all these wonderful suggestions of the Bush committee and the Texas Higher Education Board were going into place. However on September 1st, 2007, the money ran out. During the following legislative sessions a majority of my time was spent in Austin, asking for more money to continue our outstanding research and developments here at Prairie View. I was on Capitol Hill in 2007, 2009, and 2011 arguing constantly and intensely for the investment.”
The passion behind Wright’s efforts for the university come from a new wealth of information that was gained while serving students as president of this prestigious institution.
“My career would not have been complete, had I not come to Prairie View. Before coming here, I had never experienced what it is like at a historically black university. There is a sense of identity here that I have never seen at any predominantly white school I have attended, taught at, or served as an administrator.” Wright explained he had never before met second, third, or fourth generations of black alumni until he got to Prairie View and because of this dedication to tradition, he decided to give back the school to the alumni.
“I wanted to have the buildings and various auditoriums of the school named for alumni in acknowledgement of their accomplishments and achievements, and their contributions and dedicated service to the university,” the president said.
Wright added that the alumni of PVAMU know how important it is to protect the school’s accreditation. With low alumni assistance, their alma mater may not be recognized as having valid degrees and securing their education.
“I will say this of my message to Prairie View A&M University students, staff and faculty, on the beginning of my tenth year here: I am here to inspire my students. I want the students of Prairie View to see that we must prioritize of school funding, just as white schools do, to keep the doors open. We must see that if things are not better, we must blame ourselves, and from here, recognize the need to build upward. Anything we want to do, we can do it. And yes, the best is yet to come,” Wright concluded.