History

History

Sam Houston's criminal justice program was the dream of three visionary men, George J. Beto, former director of the Texas Department of Corrections, Arleigh B. Templeton, former president of Sam Houston State College, and David W. Crews, a local legislator who authored and introduced the resolution that would serve as the Center's foundation. Together, the trio launched what is now one of the oldest and largest programs of its kind in the country.

Their goal was to establish a program of excellence in criminal justice education, utilizing the Texas state prison system as a laboratory for research. The creation of the Criminal Justice Center is marked by the culmination of an era in which the idea of "theory into practice" was vigorously pursued. This idea was the defining credo of the College's founding director, George G. Killinger, and the foundation on which the Center has built its curriculum and reputation as a leader in the field of criminal justice.

For a more detailed history click on a decade.

  • 2010 - Present
    2015
    • The College celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a gala, an annual golf scholarship tournament, a symposium and a special Honors Day
    • Phillip Lyons named the sixth Dean of the College of Criminal Justice
    • College introduced the first multi-disciplinary Ph.D. degree in Forensic Science in the nation
    • The Impaired Driving Initiatives Program added training for parole and probation officers on the signs and symptoms of impaired driving
    • The National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice became the first student chapter of the organization in the U.S.
    • Joining the faculty were Brandy Blasko and Sparks Veasey in Criminal Justice and Criminology and Patrick Buzzini in Forensic Science
    2014
    • College opened the first freshman learning community specifically for criminal justice students at Sam Houston State University
    • The College introduced a revised master's degree in Homeland Security Studies
    • The Institute for Forensic Research Training and Innovation launched to build partnerships with professionals and provide training for laboratory staff for certifications
    • Liberty & Security Lecture Series introduced to explore conflicta between security policies and practices and individual civil liberties
    • The Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas initiated Project EnCRiPT, a series of trainings to strengthen civil and criminal environmental enforcement efforts
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas introduced an annual Mental Health conference for those in the criminal justice field
    • Longtime professor Jerry Dowling retired; new faculty include Brittany Hayes, Melinda Tasca and Mary Breaux in Criminal Justice and Criminology and Nathan Jones and Russell Lundberg in Security Studies
    2013
    • College reorganized into three Departments, Criminal Justice and Criminology, Forensic Science and Security Studies
    • The College added the country's first master's degree in Victim Services Management
    • Joining the faculty at the College were Lisa Muftic and Erin Orrick in Criminal Justice and Criminology; Jasmine Drake in Forensic Science; and John Payne and Magdalena Denham in Security Studies
    2012
    • Sam Houston State University opened a new satellite campus in The Woodlands and began offering criminal justice classes at the facility
    • The Impaired Driving Initiatives introduced a new program for Texas employers to learn the signs and symptoms of drug impairment among workers in an effort to make roads safer
    • The Tenth Court of Appeals held oral arguments in criminal cases in the Courtroom
    • Longtime faculty members, Rolando del Carmen and Glenn Kercher, retired; new faculty joined the College, including Drs. David Pyrooz, Danielle Boisvert, Sheree Hughes-Stamm and Ryan Randa
    2011
    • The College's doctoral program celebrated its 40th Anniversary, with 263 Ph.D. students graduating from the program
    • The College ranked third among U.S. criminal justice programs in the number of academic articles published by its faculty
    • The Texas State University System approved a new Bachelor of Science in Victim Studies
    • The Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas developed model eyewitness identification policies and procedures for Texas law enforcement agencies
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas helped open a national resource center for jail leadership and succession; trained cohort of corrections managers for the Bureau of Indian Affairs
    • Todd Armstrong elected a Fellow to the Academy of Experimental Criminology; Matt Nobles received a 2011 SAGE Junior Faculty Professional Development Teaching Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
    • The College added a sixth student organization, the Crime Victim Services Alliance
    • New faculty members included Kelly Knight and Visiting Professor Stephen Sloan
    2010
    • Through a $1.5 million federal grant, Sam Houston State University opened an independent, accredited Regional Crime Lab to serve more than 100 law enforcement agencies in Southeast Texas
    • The first online bachelor's degree program launched at SHSU in criminal justice
    • Rolando del Carmen received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
    • New additions to the faculty included Matt Nobles and Brian Boutwell
  • 2000 - 2009
    2000
    • The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas dedicated its building, a $5.5. million, 30,000-square-foot facility that combines traditional, satellite, and online classes for Texas law enforcement management and administration
    • The College received a $1 million grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to fund the National Institute for Victim Studies
    • Associate Dean Jurg Gerber selected as the recipient of a Fulbright Grant, which included a yearlong lectureship in Russia
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas received four grants totaling over $320,000, including the creation of Center for Project Spotlight; the continuation of the Texas Probation Training Academy; the Texas Drug Offender Education Program; and research and curriculum on the special needs of female offenders
    • The Center established the Institute for Law Enforcement Training
    • Former Dean and Professor Peg Farnworth retired
    2001
    • The Texas Legislature created a permanent funding source for the Correctional Management Institute of Texas
    • The College of Criminal Justice introduced the Master of Science in Forensic Science program
    • The College welcomed three new faculty members, Carrie Butler, Richard Li, and Holly Miller
    2002
    • Charles M. Friel named Distinguished Professor, the most prestigious recognition that Sam Houston State University can bestow upon a member of the faculty
    • Carrie Butler received a $150,000 research analysis grant from the U.S. Attorney's Office for a study called Project Safe Neighborhoods
    • The Center received a major library donation from Professor Gordon E. Misner, which focuses on planning and policy issues that helped frame policing over the last 50 years
    • The CJ Center and the Houston Police Department signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation for better collection and analysis of data
    2003
    • The CJ Center hosted the Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Police Studies on terrorism
    • The Center hosted Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a 1979 doctoral graduate of the College
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas recognized as an “exemplary program” by the Texas Corrections Association; Executive Director Dan Richard Beto earned George M. Keiser Award for Exceptional Leadership; the George J. Beto Leadership Seminars began
    • The Crime Victims' Institute transferred from the Office of the Attorney General to Sam Houston State University
    • Sam Souryal honored with the 2003 Excellence in Service Award for helping to establish the mechanism for democratic elections in Indonesia through the United Nation's High Commission on Human Rights
    • Carrie Butler received a research analysis grant of $150,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice in Houston and was appointed Primary Investigator for the Southern District of Texas as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods
    • Larry Hoover presented the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Founder's Award
    2004
    • Research conducted by James Marquart and graduate student Chad Trulson presented in a Supreme Court case considering the constitutionality of racial segregation in the nation’s prisons
    • Richard Ward and graduate student Sean Hill published the second edition of Extremist Groups, highlighted 222 terrorist groups around the world
    • Janet Mullings appointed Assistant Dean in the College of Criminal Justice
    • The Center welcomed new faculty members Sparks Veasey, Yan Zhang, Robert Keppel, Willard Oliver, and Kathleen Latz
    • SHSU and University of Houston partnered to offer a joint JD/Ph.D
    • The Center received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create the National Resource Center for Police-Corrections Partnerships, a project to deliver training and technical assistance for partnership between law enforcement and community corrections agencies in five regional locations in the U.S.
    • The Center hosted the first annual CJ Summer Camp for high school students
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas created a Technical Assistance Center to provide specialized services at no cost to institutional and community agencies
    • The Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas launched its Incident Command Simulation Training program to train crisis management teams
    2005
    • Charles M. Friel and Dan Richard Beto retired
    • James Marquart and Rolando del Carmen recognized by the Academy of Criminal Justice with the Bruce Smith Sr. Award and Founder’s Award, respectively
    • The Center welcomed new faculty members Hee-Jong Joo, Brian A. Lawton, Joseph L. Peterson, Jennifer L. Schulenburg, and Victoria Brewer Titterington
    2006
    • Richard Ward announced his resignation, and Vincent J. Webb named the new Dean and Director
    • The College added a new academic program, the Master of Science in Security Studies
    • The Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas launched its Major Cities Research Initiative, a program to provide special assistance to police agencies in Texas' largest cities
    • The Correctional Management Institute of Texas welcomed Doug Dretke as its new Executive Director
    • New faculty members included Joan A. Bytheway, Jim Dozier, Howard Henderson, Sarah Kerrigan, Scott Menard, Melissa Tackett-Gibson, and Michael S. Vaughn
    2007
    • The College launched the Institute for Institute for Legal Studies in Criminal Justice, a program to help Ph.D. students develop legal scholarship
    • Rolando del Carmen received the Texas State University System Regents Professorship Award, which recognizes exemplary performance and contributions to the educational community at large
    • The College received a Texas Department of Transportation grant exceeding $650,000 to train police officers in identifying drug-impaired drivers
    • The College welcomed new faculty members Gaylene Armstrong, Todd A. Armstrong, David Atilio Gangitano, William Wells, and Jihong (Solomon) Zhao
    2008
    • The College established a memorandum of understanding with Zhejiang Police College in Hangzhou, China, creating a new international exchange program to teach Chinese police officers in training
    • Raymond Teske, Jr., received the Humboldt Research Award and embarked on a research stay at the Max Plank Institute for Foreign and International Penal Law in Freiburg, Germany
    • Vincent Webb and co-author Charles M. Katz received the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Outstanding Book Award for Policing Gangs in America
    • Construction began on the new Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility
    • Mitchel Roth named an Academic Fellow by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and accepted a fellowship to Tel-Aviv Israel
    • The College welcomed new faculty members Cortney Franklin, Travis Franklin, Ling Ren, and Jorn Yu.
    2009
    • The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, one of only four "body farms" in the world, opened at Sam Houston State University
    • The Criminal Justice Undergraduate Research Conference introduced to share ideas on important criminal justice issues and to develop presentation skills for future employment
    • The first Criminal Justice Job Fair held to link graduates and alumni with jobs in the field; 650 students and 30 agencies attended
    • The College offered the first online degree option with master’s program in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management
    • College began a collaboration with Zhejiang Police College in Hangzhou, China, hosting 16 students to study at SHSU for a year
    • Sam Souryal named an Academic Fellow by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan policy institute headquartered in Washington, D.C.
    • Joining the faculty were Jeffrey A. Bouffard, Leana Bouffard, Kate Fox and William King
  • 1990 - 1999
    1990
    • The College celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a two-day conference on the future of justice featuring Norman Carlson, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Judge Larry Gist; and Norval Morris of the University of Chicago School of Law. Over 300 friends and alumni attended the anniversary dinner
    • The Houston Endowment awarded the Defensor Pacem Medal at the annual honors convocation
    • A time capsule created to hold memorabilia from the Center, bearing a sculpture by noted artist Charles Pebworth
    • The sundial dedicated in front of the Criminal Justice Center to "honor the alumni of the Criminal Justice Center who serve the cause of justice throughout the world and in memory of those who have perished in this service"
    1991
    • The College mourned the passing of George Beto, one of the founders of the criminal justice program at Sam Houston State University
    • Timothy J. Flanagan appointed Dean and Director, replacing Dean Friel who returned to the classroom after five years of administrative service
    • James Barrum appointed Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies
    • James Marquart received the Outstanding Book Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences for An Appeal to Justice, co-authored with Ben M. Crouch
    • Among new textbooks published by the University Press under the Books Project were Supervision and Treatment of Sex Offenders; Alcohol and Drug Awareness and Prevention in Texas; Texas Juvenile Law and Practice; and Responding to Workplace Drug Use in Probation and Parole: A Guide
    • Roland Chilton of the University of Massachusetts served as Beto Chair Professor, with lectures from Michael Gottfredson, Hans Toch, and Jim Fyfe
    1992
    • The Criminal Justice Center was named in honor of George J. Beto
    • The Center completed a comprehensive program review, forming the foundation for a continuing strategic development process
    • Ken Adams joined the College as Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies; Sam Souryal appointed as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies
    • Don Gibbons, editor of Crime and Delinquency, served as the Beto Chair Professor and Nils Christie, Joycelyn Pollock-Byrne, and Lee P. Brown served as lecturers
    • New faculty appointed were Myrna Cintron, Wesley Johnson, and Laura Myers
    1993
    • The Center mourned the passing of Founding Director George G. Killinger
    • The Texas Legislature relocated the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) to Sam Houston State University
    • Jurg Gerber and Raymond Teske appointed co-editors of The Criminologist, the newsletter of the American Society of Criminology
    • Margaret Farnworth began service as the Associate Dean for Academic Administration
    • Leo Carroll served as the Beto Chair Professor, and Hans-Jorg Albrecht of the Max Plank Institute and David Farrington of Cambridge University served as lecturers
    1994
    • The Center mourned the loss of Wayland D. Pilcher, a master professor who earned the University’s Excellence in Teaching Award
    • Gerald Williams named Executive Director of Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas
    • Dan Beto hired as Director of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas; CMIT selected to serve as the secretariat for the Texas Probation Association and as the publisher of its journal, Texas Probation
    • The Center's professional programs set new records for both the diversity and the number of training courses, offering 375 programs serving more than 20,000 attendees
    1995
    • The Criminal Justice Center celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a ceremony, the dedication of a commemorative bench honoring the memory of Dr. Pilcher, and the display of a collection of memorabilia in the lobby of the Center
    • Rolando del Carmen named Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice, the highest faculty honor that the University can give to a faculty member; Raymond Teske received the University's Excellence in Research Award
    • The Criminal Justice Center named secretariat for the National Association of Probation Executives and produced the association's journal, Executive Exchange
    • New faculty members included Victoria Brewer, Kelly Damphousse, Nancy Horton, Phillip Lyons, and Mitchel Roth
    1996
    • The undergraduate curriculum revamped to offer broader career choices in the field
    • New faculty included Randall Garner and Michael Smith
    1997
    • The Center adopted a strategic plan, which included the development of the Doctoral Endowment Fund, professional development for faculty and staff, bachelor and master degree programs for the University Center in Montgomery County, and adoption of computer-assisted technologies
    • The College of Criminal Justice offered undergraduate courses on several campuses of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District
    • Charles Friel received the University's Excellence in Service Award
    • The Beto Chair Lecture Series provided presentations from Gerald Gaes of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Elliott Currie of the University of California at Berkeley; Thomas Constantine, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and Peter Reuter, head of social policy in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Maryland
    1998
    • The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas awarded $5.6 million for the construction of a new building
    • Rolando del Carmen named a Piper Professor
    • SHSU headed the National Institute of Justice, Office of Science and Technology’s Advanced Technology Against Crime (ATAC), a program designed to train police agencies in the use of emergent technology
    1999
    • Richard Ward appointed as the new Dean of the College and Director of Criminal Justice Center
    • SHSU joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to form the National Institute for Victim Studies
  • 1980 - 1989
    1980
    • The College accepted a $1.5 million contract to provide the Saudi Arabian Traffic Training Program to prepare the first cadre for the kingdom’s newly created highway patrol system
    • Gary McDonald, the Center's media director, debuted his film "Doin' Life" at SHSU
    • Lambda Alpha Epsilon brought home 20 of 27 awards at the Region II Conference; Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, established at the College
    • The College became the first program in the nation certified by the Criminal Justice Education Council
    • Jerry Dowling appointed Assistant Director for Professional Programs
    • Wallace Miller and Douglas McKenzie joined the faculty, and Diane Cochran and Jimmie Harvey joined the staff
    1981
    • John Conrad served as the first Beto Chair Professor and was later honored as the first recipient of the Defensor Pacem Medal
    • The Master of Science program launched as an intensive weekend program for working professionals
    • The 100 Club of Houston, Inc., initiated a scholarship program to support Harris County officers seeking masters’ degrees in criminal justice and later expanded the program to create endowed scholarships for law enforcement undergraduates
    • The Judge’s Chamber dedicated to John H. Crooker Sr., an unyielding opponent of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s
    1982
    • In conjunction with the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the Center hosted the first annual certification program for the Texas Association for Court Administration (TACA)
    • Leslie T. Wilkins, Professor Emeritus of the State University of New York, and James W. Osterburg of the University of Illinois served as Beto Chair Professors
    • Paula Loveless appointed Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies
    • Larry Hoover elected President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
    1983
    • The Center co-hosted an international conference with the United Nations on procedures for the collection and analysis of international statistics on crime and victims, judicial dispositions, and the rehabilitation of offenders
    • A bachelor's degree in Social Work was introduced
    • C. Ray Jeffery and Simon Dinitz joined the faculty as Beto Chair Professors, and Jamie Tillerson joined the staff
    1984
    • William Pelfery appointed Associate Dean for Academic Administration, and Dennis Longmire named Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies
    • The Criminal Defense Lawyers Project hosted its annual criminal trial advocacy workshop at the Center
    • Rolando del Carmen received the University's prestigious Excellence in Research Award; Sam Souryal awarded the Shield of Honor by the Ministry of the Interior of the Arab Republic of Egypt
    • Jerome H. Skolnick of the University of California at Berkeley joined the faculty as the Beto Chair Professor
    1985
    • Dean Victor G. Strecher resigned, and George J. Beto once again served as Interim Dean
    • The Beto Chair Program this year included Beto Chair Sue Titus Reid as well as lectures by Ron Akers, John Conrad, and Simon Dinitz
    • Sam Houston State University ranked as one of the top criminal justice graduate programs and unique in its emphasis on both theory and practice in an article in Criminal Justice Review
    • The 5000th criminal justice student graduated from the College
    1986
    • A third era in the history of the Center marked by the appointment of Charles M. Friel as Dean and Director
    • The Auditorium dedicated to Founding Director George G. Killinger, who also received the Defensor Pacem Medal, the Center's highest honor
    • Doug Moore received a National Institute of Justice grant to develop a manual to assist law enforcement agencies in conducting multiagency investigations of suspected serial killings
    • The Beto Chair Program included Beto Chair Dorothy Bracey and lectures by Alfred Blumstein, Steven Schlesinger, and Norval Morris
    • Joining the faculty was James Marquart
    1987
    • Sandra Wachholtz became the first Sam Houston student to receive a Fulbright Grant to conduct comparative research in Sweden; undergraduates served in internships with ILANUD, a United Nations Institute in Costa Rica, and the UN Crime Prevention Office in Vienna, Austria
    • A delegation of high-ranking police officials from the People's Republic of China visited the Center in an effort to begin an exchange program
    1988
    • Raymond Teske published Crime and Justice in Texas, which was a compendium of facts and figures on crime and justice in Texas
    • Apple Computer, Inc. donated a complete computer lab, and Microsoft contributed a software library to the Center
    • The Criminal Justice Alumni Association organized from a base of 2,000 graduates
    • The first Texas Peace Officer Academic Licensing Academy created, a program allowing undergraduate law enforcement majors to become certified police officers prior to graduation
    • The Beto Chair Program punctuated the year with a discussions by Beto Chair Dorothy Bracey and lectures by Simon Dinitz, Larry Sherman, Joan Petersilia, and Hal Pepinski
    1989
    • University President Elliott T. Bowers retired. and Martin J. Anisman was named the new President of Sam Houston State University
    • The Center initiated the Books Project, joint ventures with field practitioners to produce applied textbooks in the field. Among the titles were Probation Law and Practice; and Pursuing Justice: The Management of the Texas Trial Courts
    • The CJ Mandate, the College of Criminal Justice alumni newsletter, first published; board of directors selected for The Criminal Justice Alumni Association
    • R.W. Burnham of the United Nations served as Beto Chair and lectures were provided by Rita Simon, Don Gottfredson, Herman Goldstein, and Richard Quinney
    • Among new faculty members hired were Steven J. Cuvelier, Margaret Farnworth, and Bernard Licarione
  • 1970 - 1979
    1970
    • Templeton resigned the presidency of Sam Houston. and Elliott T. Bowers was appointed President
    • The Coordinating Board of Texas Colleges and University Systems approved the doctoral degree in criminal justice, one of the first in the nation
    • Sanford Bates, founding director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, donated his 5,000 piece collection to the library
    • Among new faculty hires were James Allman, Walter Bennett, Billy Bramlett, William Browning, Edwin Heath, Glen Kercher, Robert McCullough, John Matthews, William Megathlin, Robert Walker, and James Weber
    1971
    • Construction began on the Criminal Justice Center with funds from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, the Texas Legislature and Houston Endowment; facility built by inmates from the Texas Department of Corrections
    • The College developed a special master’s program in institutional corrections for the Department of the Army; within a few years, every U.S. military stockade throughout the world was commanded by one of the alumni of this unique program
    • Nine new faculty member added, including John Cocoros, Coordinator of the Continuing Education, Gary Copus, Don E. Kirkpatrick, John Matthews, Leo McCandlish, Wayland Pilcher, Robert Shearer, Robert Sheldon, and Linda Snyder
    1972
    • Hazel Kerper's book, Introduction to the Criminal Justice System, became the first text providing an overview of the criminal justice system, incorporating theory with emerging justice policy and administrative practice
    • The Texas Probation Training Academy created to provide uniform training for officers and a statewide forum for probation administrators to discuss common interests and emerging concerns
    • The College received a curriculum development grant from the Criminal Justice Council of the Governor's Office to foster the development of the doctoral program; Glenn Kercher became the coordinator of this program
    • After retiring as Director of the Texas Department of Corrections, George J. Beto joined the faculty, along with Ann Baker, Jerry Dowling, Erwin Ernst, Dick Kiekbusch, and Doug Moore; Dianne Key hired as Administrative Coordinator
    1973
    • Randall P. McCauley and Ronald J. Waldron received the first doctoral degrees in criminal justice at the College
    • The Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Doctoral Fellowship Program created to provide generous scholarships to recruit outstanding scholars from throughout the country
    • New faculty included Jimmy D. Shaddock, Sam Souryal, and Milton O. Womack
    • The Study Abroad Program conceived and hosted opportunities to study criminal justice systems in England and Egypt
    1974
    • In concert with the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Institute received a major grant to study the mentally challenged offender
    • Rolando del Carmen, Rodney Henningsen, Gregory Riede, and Pauline Loveless joined the program as new faculty
    1975
    • The 10th Anniversary of the Interagency Workshop, funded by grants from the Criminal Justice Council and the Rockwell Foundation with support from the Texas Department of Corrections, featured Commissioner Benjamin Malcolm of the New York Department of Corrections; Pierce Brooks, the Director of Public Safety in Lakewood, Colorado; Norval Morris, Director of the Center of Studies in Criminal Justice at the University of Chicago; and Judge Tim Murphy of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
    • The College mourned the passing of Hazel B. Kerper
    1976
    • The College moved into the $7 million Criminal Justice Center, which included a 197,000 square feet, 26 classrooms, 106 offices, a 500-seat auditorium, a courtroom, crime laboratory, television studio, library, computer center, and a 98-room hotel for continuing education trainees
    • The Courtroom hosted its first change of venue trial, State of Texas v. Nicol, tried by the Hon. Stanley C. Kirk
    • Raymond Teske joined the College as a faculty member
    1977
    • The Criminal Justice Center dedicated and eminent psychiatrist, Karl A. Menninger, delivered a dedicatory colloquium; Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe spoke at the ceremony
    • Founding Director George G. Killinger retired, and George J. Beto assumed the position of Interim Director
    1978
    • The second era of the program launched with the appointment of Victor G. Strecher as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Institute
    • The Center published the first annual Texas Crime Poll, led by Teske, which questioned adult Texans concerning their perceptions about the crime problem
    • The Center's courtroom was named in honor of Hazel B. Kerper
    • Ralph Marshall joined the faculty
    1979
    • The Beto Chair Lecture Series, named in honor of George J. Beto, was created by the Houston Endowment to bring experts from across the world to campus to discuss crime and justice
    • James V. Bennett, the second Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Austin H. MacCormick, a penologist, donated their collections to the library
    • Rolando del Carmen appointed Coordinator of the Doctoral Program; James Barrum as Coordinator of the Correctional Education Program; and Larry Hoover as Assistant Director for Professional Programs and Development
    • Frank Williams III joined the faculty and added to the staff were Steve Bullard, University Hotel manager and Gene Blair, Police Academy
  • 1960 - 1969
    1963 - 1964
    • Texas Legislature approved House Resolution 469, which created a cooperative program between the College and the Texas Department of Corrections to establish an education program for students; provide continuing education programs for professionals; conduct research; and provide technical assistance to criminal justice agencies in Texas
    1965
    • The Institute of Contemporary Corrections and Behavioral Sciences opened as part of the Sociology Department
    • George G. Killinger named founding Director of the Institute
    • The sociology faculty included David Richmond, Lowell Mayrant, J. D. McLeod, Phil Morris, and Robert Van Burkleo; Killinger added Hazel B. Kerper, Hal Caldwell, and Larry Hazelrigg to the faculty
    • The Annual Interagency Workshop established to bring together leaders from the criminal justice community to discuss the state's crime problem
    1966
    • Sam Houston State College underwent a decennial accreditation by the Southern Regional Education Board; criminal justice program cited as "...the best model of a university-agency program in correctional rehabilitation in the nation"
    • Texas Legislature appropriated $25,000 for the development of continuing education programs, research studies, and technical assistance to the state's criminal justice agencies
    • Curriculum completed for undergraduate and graduate courses
    • An aggressive initiative undertaken to recruit field practitioners to the program
    • 58 undergraduates matriculated through the program
    1967
    • Grant received from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare to study career opportunities in law enforcement and corrections
    • To meet growing demand for the master’s program, the Institute established extension centers in urban areas throughout the state where faculty taught once a week
    • New faculty included Charles M. Friel as Director of Research, Don Weisenhorn, Ralph Anderson, Beverly Bradbury, and John Wodarsky
    • Texas Legislature enacted House Concurrent Resolution 11, commending the Institute's progress and pledging continued fiscal support
    1968
    • Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) created by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which provided grants to professionals in the field to pay for their education
    • New faculty included Berry Barnes, Robert W. Cassidy, Dorothy Hayes, Howard Katz, Hugh Pratt, and Muhammed Solomon
    1969
    • The College received the Manpower Development in Social Rehabilitation and Social Services Grant to create a sequence of courses and an internship program for those interested in the diagnosis and treatment of offenders
    • The College awarded the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Corrections Grant to develop specialized training programs for juvenile probation officers and professionals working in juvenile institutional settings
    • First master's graduate, Al Havenstrite, finished his career as Chief Federal Probation Officer for the Northern District of Texas
    • New faculty members included James Barrum, James Bynum, Michael Eernisse, and John Watkins, Jr.; staff member Betty Small added