The first academic building on the Texas A&M system’s RELLIS campus, which belongs to Blinn College, is now open.
Thursday was the dedication of the building named for Walter “Onion” Schwartz, whose career at Blinn began as a part time instructor and eventually became chancellor.
Blinn trustees president Charles Moser noted Schwartz not only had a nearly 50 year career at the college, he also served in the legislature.
A&M system chancellor John Sharp noted Blinn’s RELLIS campus location reflected Schwartz’s vision.
Schwartz’s son Charles, who chairs the A&M system’s board of regents, reminisced about his father’s life and career. He also applauded the first semester enrollment at the new RELLIS building at 1,500 students; which is three times what Blinn officials originally estimated.
Additional information from Blinn College:
State and community leaders, representatives from The Texas A&M System and various state agencies, and approximately 700 students, faculty, and members of the community joined the Blinn College District in celebrating the grand opening of Blinn’s first building at the RELLIS Campus.
The ceremony included remarks from Dr. Mary Hensley, Chancellor of the Blinn College District; Charles Moser, Chair of the Blinn College District Board of Trustees; John Sharp, Chancellor of
The Texas A&M University System; Charles W. Schwartz, Chair of The Texas A&M System Board of Regents; Ruth R. Hughs, Texas Workforce Commission Chair and Commissioner Representing Employers; Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst; and Representatives John Raney and Kyle Kacal.
Opening in time for the start of the Fall semester on Monday, the 83,000-square-foot Walter C. Schwartz Building features 19 classrooms and eight laboratories, and will allow students to learn cutting-edge, high-demand skills in an environment that encourages collaboration between public institutions and private companies.
“This facility reflects the ambition of the RELLIS partnership and the incredible legacy of its namesake, former Blinn College President and Chancellor Walter C. Schwartz,” Hensley said. “For generations of Blinn students, the Schwartz Building will serve as a gateway to discovery and innovation.”
Each program at the RELLIS Academic Alliance creates a seamless pathway for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in related fields from an A&M System University, including Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Prairie View A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University-International, West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University-Central Texas.
Blinn will provide the freshman- and sophomore-level coursework that aligns seamlessly with the bachelor’s degrees offered by the A&M System universities.
Blinn’s new facility is named after the late Walter C. Schwartz, who served as Blinn’s 11th president from 1984 until he was named the College District’s first chancellor in 1994. During his 46-year tenure with the College, he helped to oversee Blinn’s growth from approximately 300 to more than 12,000 students.
Schwartz was a graduate of Brenham High School, Blinn College, the University of Texas, and the University of Houston. The former educator held a variety of positions during his 46-year career at Blinn, beginning as a night school teacher for returning veterans in 1948, and including service as the Dean of Students from 1959-1984.
Schwartz also held numerous public offices, including two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, member of the Brenham City Council from 1962-1979 and 1982-1984, and Mayor of the City of Brenham from 1994-2003. An active civic leader, Schwartz volunteered with the Washington County Little League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, United Way, March of Dimes, Brenham Maifest Association, Bohne Memorial Hospital, Trinity Medical Center, Washington-on-the-Brazos Park Association, and was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Brenham.
On Thursday, the same day that Blinn celebrated the grand opening of the Walter C. Schwartz Building at the RELLIS Campus, the College District reached another momentous milestone: 1,509 students enrolled at RELLIS for the inaugural year of an academic partnership unlike any other in the nation.
“Blinn’s outstanding enrollment at the RELLIS Campus is a credit to the vision Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp had in establishing the RELLIS Campus, and the wisdom of Blinn’s Board of Trustees in taking this leap of faith,” said Dr. Mary Hensley, Chancellor of the Blinn College District. “We look forward to welcoming each and every one of these students to class on Monday.”
The Fall semester begins Monday, and registration will remain open through Tuesday. Blinn will offer extended registration hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at its Central Administrative Services Building (3125 S. Texas Ave., Suite 1900) at the Tejas Shopping Center in Bryan.