Jim and Margaret Perkins, longtime friends of Tyler Junior College, were honored during Thursday's TJC Board of Trustees meeting for their recent gift of property in their hometown of Rusk.
TJC President and CEO Dr. Juan E. Mejia said, “The Perkins name is associated with paying it forward, and we truly appreciate and celebrate all that they do on behalf of others. The College’s master plan encompasses our entire service area, and very important to our work is how we better serve the southernmost part of our region, specifically Rusk and Jacksonville, and their surrounding areas. Communities need champions, and the Perkins family came forward and gifted the property to the TJC Foundation, and today that is being transferred to the Tyler Junior College District.”
Located on the downtown square in Rusk, the 6,700-square-foot building on S. Henderson Street is known by many as “the train building,” as it features a mural of the historic Texas State Railroad, a 25-mile heritage railroad that runs between Rusk and Palestine.
Mejia also highlighted the Perkins’ many contributions to TJC, including their statewide recognition in 2023 through the Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service Award, when CEOs from public and private institutions of higher learning recognized their positive impact to the entire state.
Also present at the TJC board meeting was Tom Seale, TJC Foundation board chair, who provided leadership through the acceptance of the gift and who, along with the foundation board officers, identified the perfect alignment to the institution’s master plan. Mejia added that this very generous gift will accelerate efforts toward a comprehensive community/learning center that will be focused on making available workforce and academic programs, in addition to key learning opportunities for members of the surrounding communities.
Mitch Andrews, TJC vice president for institutional advancement, said, “Jim and Margaret Perkins have a legacy of partnering with TJC. We share in their vison of reaching more students in the region with educational opportunities. Their donation of a building and land in the community of Rusk will help TJC impact more East Texas students. We applaud them for their leadership and generosity.”
Jim Perkins said, “When you receive an honor like this, the best thing about it is to be around people who work hard and embrace our efforts to make our communities stronger and stronger. I’ve said before that, to me, Tyler Junior College is the best junior college in the United States. I thank the TJC Board, the TJC Foundation, and the College community for their steadfast commitment to Rusk. We’re going to stay fully behind it and ensure that TJC continues to be a leader in meeting the needs of our communities.”