More than 350 college and university presidents, chancellors and other higher education officials joined Governor Mike Beebe in honoring Claiborne Deming with the first Tip of the Spear Award, designed to recognize those who value the importance of higher education and its direct impact on the state’s future economic development, on the final day of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities’
Deming, the former CEO of Murphy Oil, founded the “The El Dorado Promise,” which guarantees college scholarships to El Dorado high school graduates – increasing enrollment in El Dorado public schools and providing the opportunity of a higher education to thousands of El Dorado High School graduates.
“Education is one of the biggest challenges you have to overcome, but if you meet that challenge – more than likely you’ll be successful,”
The Arkansas Association of Public Universities created the Tip of the Spear Award after the 2008 Higher Education Conference where Governor Beebe coined the phrase “higher education is the tip of the spear with regard to economic development in Arkansas.”
“The mission of four-year institutions is to take our state from where she is now to where she wants to be,” Governor Mike Beebe said. “And our four-year colleges are indeed the tip of the spear in that effort.”
Governor Beebe, a strong supporter of education from pre-K to higher education, had a specific message for the leadership of four-year colleges and universities. “Times are a changing but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: You’re still the tip of the spear, like you were last year, 10 years ago, and a generation ago. A college education is essential to living the lifestyle we want to live.”
The AAPU Board of Trustees, made up of the presidents and chancellors of member institutions across the state, selected Claiborne Deming from among several finalists as the first to be honored with the award.
“Claiborne Deming understands the importance of higher education to future success and we all have to remind ourselves of that once in awhile,” said Tim Wooldridge, executive director of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities. “We discussed many of the challenges higher education faces at this week’s conference and I can say that the spirit of collaboration is alive and well between the many organizations that are working together on the common goal of educating the future of our state.”
Representatives from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development and the Arkansas Science Technology Authority as well as Miss Arkansas Sarah Slocum also took part in honoring Deming.
