South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008
H. 5226
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Leach, Agnew, Alexander, Allen, Anderson, Anthony, Bales, Ballentine, Bannister, Barfield, Battle, Bedingfield, Bingham, Bowen, Bowers, Brady, Branham, Brantley, Breeland, G.Brown, R.Brown, Cato, Chalk, Clemmons, Clyburn, CobbHunter, Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Crawford, Daning, Dantzler, Davenport, Delleney, Duncan, Edge, Erickson, Frye, Funderburk, Gambrell, Govan, Gullick, Hagood, Haley, Hamilton, Hardwick, Harrell, Harrison, Hart, Harvin, Haskins, Hayes, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hodges, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Hutson, Jefferson, Jennings, Kelly, Kennedy, Kirsh, Knight, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Loftis, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, Mahaffey, McLeod, Merrill, Miller, Mitchell, MoodyLawrence, Moss, Mulvaney, J.H.Neal, J.M.Neal, Neilson, Ott, Owens, Parks, Perry, Phillips, Pinson, E.H.Pitts, M.A.Pitts, Rice, Rutherford, Sandifer, Scarborough, Scott, Sellers, Shoopman, Simrill, Skelton, D.C.Smith, F.N.Smith, G.M.Smith, G.R.Smith, J.E.Smith, J.R.Smith, W.D.Smith, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stewart, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, Toole, Umphlett, Vick, Viers, Walker, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Witherspoon and Young
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24293ab08.doc
Introduced in the House on May 28, 2008
Adopted by the House on May 28, 2008
Summary: Dr. Thomas Barton
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
DateBodyAction Description with journal page number
5/28/2008HouseIntroduced and adopted HJ257
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
5/28/2008
A HOUSE RESOLUTION
TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DR. THOMAS BARTON, OF GREENVILLE COUNTY, FOR HIS SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP AT GREENVILLE TECHNICAL COLLEGE, AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AFTER FORTYSIX YEARS AS ITS ONLY PRESIDENT.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are grateful for the educational vision and legacy that Thomas Barton has built over fortysix years as president of Greenville Technical College; and
Whereas, reared in Lancaster during the Great Depression, he joined the United States Navy after high school and returned home at the end of World War II; and
Whereas, as part of his own educational odyssey, Thomas Barton was known as the “Black Cat” on the Clemson University football team, earning the name for his full shock of black hair and for his agility and speed on the field while playing for the legendary Frank Howard; and
Whereas, he earned more than a reputation which placed him in the Clemson Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Hall of Fame. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson and a draft into the National Football League; and
Whereas, after an injury ended his brief professional football career with the Pittsburg Steelers, he coached high school football briefly, earned graduate degrees in educational administration, and became a school superintendent before joining the new Greenville Technical College in 1962; and
Whereas, as its only president, Dr. Barton has led Greenville Technical College since its inception from a single building on eight acres with one hundred fifty students training in ten programs focused on trades and crafts to today’s institution on four campuses across six hundred acres with over fifteen thousand students studying for an available one hundred fifty different degrees and certificates; and
Whereas, he has instituted groundbreaking programs and innovative initiatives at Greenville Technical College by avidly studying the work of successful institutions and seeking to implement any aspect that would benefit his students; and
Whereas, the longestserving college president in the nation, Dr. Barton has led Greenville Technical College to enjoy national prominence as a model for twoyear colleges across the country and to become the third largest college in the State; and
Whereas, his winsome enthusiasm has inspired trust and built a consensus at Greenville Technical College through his stated philosophy, “Make a new friend every day”; and
Whereas, although the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are saddened to learn that Dr. Barton will leave Greenville Technical College on June 30, 2008, after fortysix years of dedicated service, they wish for him many years of health and happiness in his muchdeserved retirement. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Dr. Thomas Barton, of Greenville County, for his successful leadership at Greenville Technical College, and congratulate him upon the occasion of his retirement after fortysix years as its only president.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Thomas Barton.
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