Wednesday afternoon Lamar State College Orange dedicated the Harmon Lecture Hall for long-time business and civic leader Carlton “Corky” Harmon.
“No one has been a more loyal or dedicated supporter of Lamar State College – Orange than Corky Harmon,” stated Lamar State College-Orange president Mike Shahan. “For over forty years, he has worked to promote the cause of higher education in Orange. It has been my pleasure to work with him for the past twenty-two years, and I have witnessed his efforts to improve the campus and raise scholarship funds. He deserves credit for helping create the campus that our students, faculty, and staff enjoy.”
In 1969, Harmon, who was already owned a successful car dealership and heavily involved in developing the area, was the driving force in bringing college courses to Orange as an extension of Lamar Beaumont.
When a fire in 1971 burned down the building where those classes were held, Harmon headed a community drive to raise the money needed to purchase the college’s first building on Front Street.
That endeavor lead to the establishment of the Lamar State College – Orange Foundation in 1983, which Harmon has been the chairman of for more than 30 years. Local attorney and board member Jack Smith, who also spoke at the dedication said harmon was instrumental in the success of the foundation. “We started with about $300,000 and now we have more than $5 million to benefit the downtown campus and its students. Corky Harmon had a lot to do with that.”
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