Gaertner Investiture is Feb. 21

James F. Gaertner 12th President of Sam Houston State University

Classes will be dismissed beginning at 12:30 p.m. to allow faculty, staff, and students to attend the ceremony. A reception is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Health/Kinesiology Building, and classes resume at 5 p.m.

A 24-member Investiture Committee chaired by James Gilmore, dean emeritus of the College of Business Administration and former vice president for academic affairs, is planning the event.

An Investiture Website has been established to provide a central source for investiture information. Additional information will be added to that Website as the event nears, as well as coverage of the event itself.

Gaertner was named to the SHSU presidency in June. He succeeds Bobby K. Marks, who was named president emeritus. Marks retired Sept. 1 after 41 years as a faculty member and administrator and six years as president.

Gaertner previously served in various capacities at the University of Texas at San Antonio including dean of the College of Business and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. His career includes seven years at the University of Notre Dame where, among other positions, he served as director of their London master of business administration program.

Gaertner earned his bachelor of business administration (1965) and master of business administration (1970) degrees from Sam Houston State and his doctorate (1977) from Texas A & M University.

Gaertner and his wife, Nancy, who is an award-winning elementary school teacher, were both students at Sam Houston State University. They have a son who is a medical doctor in Hawaii, a daughter who is a dental technician and a daughter attending the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
Dec. 14, 2001
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