Educational Leadership Jack Staggs Dissertation Award

Dr. Staggs earned his bachelor’s degree from the State College of Arkansas, his master’s from George Peabody College for Teachers, and his doctorate from the University of Houston. He came to Sam Houston State in 1960 and served 13 years as director of the Department of Education. Dr. Staggs served on many university councils and committees, as president of the university chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and he worked on behalf of the First United Methodist Church. He served as president of the Board of Trustees of Huntsville Independent School District and as president of Region VJ School Board Association. He also served on the Huntsville Arts Commission, the Cultural Activities Board, and the Huntsville Education Foundation Board. It was in the military, working with enlisted men who were high school dropouts, when Staggs decided to become a teacher. This fascination with educating Led him to get his teaching certificate at Central Arkansas University. He taught math for a few years while working on his master’s degree. In 1949 he completed his doctorate at the University of Houston in educational leadership and counseling. During his 34 years at SHSU, Staggs served as director of the education department, later combining developmental psychology with the department and eventually developing the program from two courses into its own separate department. He helped transform the education department from a 12-member faculty to a 40-member faculty. Dr. Staggs also helped create the campus Counseling Center and began teaching in counselor education. He retired in 1986 and continued teaching part-time until 1993. He was named by the SHSU board of regents as professor emeritus of education. While working with Kappa Delta Pi, the undergraduate honor society in education, he was approached about having a scholarship created in his name. Through his and other contributions, the Jack Staggs Kappa Delta Pi scholarship is given annually to several students. With his efforts and contributions, Dr. Staggs has helped create the Valine Hobbs Elementary Education Scholarship, the Mozelle Powell Spanish Endowed Scholarship, and the Jessie A. Lewis Reading Scholarship. When the Educational Leadership and Counseling doctoral program began, he established the Jack Staggs Educational Leadership and Counseling Dissertation Award.
Dr. Staggs funded state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment for the counseling doctoral program. The clinic was named Jack Staggs Counseling Clinic.