John Sharp is one of those people to whom you take an instant liking. He is down-to-earth but brilliant and is truly devoted to public service.
Two opportunities to view the Texas A&M University System chancellor revealed a man who seems to always be relaxed and at ease talking to anyone.
My first introduction to Sharp came in Lockhart in 1982. An energetic state representative, Sharp was running for the Texas Senate and, of course, did so successfully. That intro made me a Sharp fan and I have remained an admirer of the man for his down-to-earth manner and his every-man’s-friend appearance.
Pat Patton of Lockhart introduced me to Sharp. Patton was a longtime Democrat and served the party on county and state committees and was active in a number of political campaigns.
Of course, he was a strong supporter of Sharp’s political career.
After being named “Outstanding Freshman” of the Texas House of Representatives, Sharp was elected to the Senate in 1982. He continued his successful run of election to office in 1986 when he was chosen to the Texas Railroad Commission. He then was elected to two terms on the Texas Railroad Commission, then voters tabbed him for state comptroller where he followed up on his pledge to make government work more like our more successful businesses. Sharp’s administration of that agency made it a high-quality, low-cost customer service operation and saved taxpayers billions. He helped steer the state away from a state income tax and his agency became a model operation.
While I found him to be affable and willing to talk to a member of the press in a very informative and informal way, our meeting several years later in Jasper was a treat for me.
He came there with a group to fish on famed Lake Sam Rayburn and I took their pictures as the comptroller loaded up on chewing tobacco and fishing gear for a fun excursion with some friends and a guide.
Sharp’s success at Texas A&M has come as no surprise to me. He seems to always have both feet solidly on the ground and while his head is not in the clouds, his mind and spirit coincide on lofty goals and accomplishments.
A&M’s board of regents chose him as the university system’s chief executive officer to oversee the 11 universities, seven state agencies, two service units and comprehensive health science center. This system, under Sharp’s direction educates more than 131,000 students and makes more than 22 million educational contacts through service and outreach programs.
Outside funding finances the operation for $820 million in research and makes the A&M system a significant factor in the Texas economy.
In order to continue to be a Sharp admirer, I’ve had to put aside my lifelong propensity to tell Aggie/Maggie jokes and to generally badmouth Aggies. It has always seemed that everyone who WASN’T an Aggie had a joke to tell about A&M students.
It was a lot easier to “badmouth” the Ags before several major things happened to tone down me and a lot of other jokesters on this Aggie joke thing.
First, it was fun to add the tag “Maggie” to the assortment when Texas A&M relented and let women attend school there.
For years, A&M was seen as an all-male military school in that membership on the Corps of Cadets was mandatory.
Then, dadgummit, two brothers got immersed in the maroon sea and became Aggies. Neither went all the way with the corps thing and such but, make no mistake, they are Aggies through and through. Brother #3 in order of age (I’m #1, the eldest), Clydell, transferred to A&M after a freshman year at North Texas State. Brother #2, Kerry, actually got his bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State (some say A&M East) but did post-graduate work in College Station where the Valhalla (the Norse version of heaven) campus is located.
Sharp’s intelligence and his mastery of Texas politics make him a natural to run an educational institution reliant upon the state for a great deal of its funding.
I don’t know if the chancellor’s position requires him to give up chewing tobacco (if he hadn’t already), but I suspect it’d be alright with most Aggies.
As far as service and integrity goes, I rank John Sharp right behind my personal hero, Price Daniel, Sr.
Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. Webb worked all over Texas during those 50 years.
