Social Justice (& Injustice) Begins at Brownwood's Front Door

Thursday April 7, 2005
News
HPU to begin work on Center for Social Justice
By Gene Deason -- Brownwood Bulletin
Photo by Scott Coers -- Work on the restoration of the old Coggin Academy Building at Howard Payne University is expected to begin soon.  
Work on the restoration of the historic Coggin Academy Building is expected to begin within 30 days, Howard Payne University President Dr. Lanny Hall said.
It is anticipated the work will take at least six months to complete.
The facility, on the Daniel Baker campus of Howard Payne, will become the Bettie and Robert Girling Center for Social Justice, an undergraduate multidisciplinary program involving the departments of social work, sociology and criminal justice and the legal studies program, Hall said.
"Howard Payne University is deeply grateful to the Girlings for their vision, their generosity and their commitment to give back to this community," the university president said. "They are wonderful Christian entrepreneurs who are meeting the needs of thousands of people on a daily basis."
A $500,000 gift from the Girlings, principal owners of Girling Health Care Inc. of Austin, has made the restoration possible. For more than 37 years, Girling Health Care provided care to people in their homes through a variety of services, and now series serves clients in Texas, Florida, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Illinois. Mrs. Girling is a Brownwood native and a graduate of Daniel Baker College.
Hall said the total cost of the restoration project, including site work, furnishings, technology, landscaping, and architectural and engineering services is projected to be $649,721. A total of $550,000 has been raised, and fund-raising continues as the university invites individuals, foundations and corporations to be a part of the restoration project.
"This first floor of the two-story facility will house a courtroom and two seminar rooms, all designed in the style and feel of the 19th century," Hall said. "The second floor will include up to seven faculty offices, a conference room and work space for support staff and student employees."
The Center for Social Justice will provide formal educational programs for undergraduate students, structured conferences for scholars, practitioners and the general public, and other existing educational programs to promote greater understanding in the field of social justice on the local, state and national levels. The center will encourage networking among universities, public schools, governmental agencies, independent counselors and social workers in West Central Texas.
Gregory Free and Associates, historic restoration specialists based in Austin, will be leading the design team. Based in Austin, this firm is involved with the development and design of several restoration projects in Brownwood, including the Lyric Theater.
ATC Services of Georgetown has been chosen as the contractor for the project. ATC Services has worked with Free on a number of historic renovation projects.
Built in 1876, the Coggin Academy Building is described as the oldest school building in continuous use west of the Mississippi River in the United States.
source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2005/04/07/news/news04.txt