Stephenville, Texas – Tarleton State University will host a community-wide reception honoring President Dennis P. McCabe on May 6, 2008, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The reception, titled “Celebration of Excellence,” will be held in the ballrooms of the Barry B. Thompson Student Center located on the corner of Lillian and Vanderbilt streets.
“We invite campus and community members to join us in celebrating Dr. McCabe’s many contributions to the university and the greater Cross Timbers region,” said Rusty Jergins, associate vice president of student life and dean of students. “This celebration will allow individuals the opportunity to extend best wishes to Dr. McCabe as he returns to the classroom.”
McCabe, the university’s 14th president, will step down from his position effective Aug. 1. He joined Tarleton in 1988 as vice president for university operations and was named president on July 27, 199l, following a six-month interim term in the role.
McCabe’s presidency saw many changes on the Tarleton campus. Enrollment numbers grew from approximately 6,300 students to almost 9,500 students. Tarleton also experienced many structural transitions with the construction of a new dining hall, recreational sports facility and the Barry B. Thompson Student Center. There are also extensive plans for a new nursing building and dairy facility.
As Tarleton’s chief executive officer, McCabe supervised more than 1,000 employees, managed a $101-million annual budget and provided vision for a comprehensive curriculum for more than 9,400 students located at campuses in Stephenville, Killeen, Fort Worth, Granbury, Thurber and at various remote locations.
McCabe’s more than 35 years of extensive leadership in education have included dean for the College of Education at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, from 1984 to 1988; head of the Department of Secondary and Higher Education at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce, from 1976 to 1984; and assistant professor at Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas, from 1972 to 1976.
He is married to Dr. Mary Lou McCabe, also an educator. The couple has two married sons: Brian and wife Janice of Stephenville; and Tim and wife Tricia of Austin; as well as five grandchildren: Brianna and Conner of Stephenville; and Nicholas, Bianca and Claudia of Austin.
