March 15, 2016
MARSHALL, Texas (3/15/16) – The 2016 Sam B. Hall Jr. Dinner and Lecture will be held on Tuesday, March 22, at 7:00 p.m. in the Woods and Cornish Great Rooms on the second floor of the Ornelas Student Center at East Texas Baptist University. A reception will precede the program at 6:30 p.m.
The lecture series program commemorates the late United States Representative and United States District Court Judge Sam B. Hall, Jr., who was a Marshall native and an alumnus of the College of Marshall, ETBU's forerunner.
Marshall Attorney Mr. Michael C. Smith, will speak at the evening event on the topic, “Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law.” Mr. Smith will also reminisce about his work as judicial law clerk with Judge Hall.
A significant portion of the proceeds from this year’s program will be contributed to the Sam B. Hall Jr. Scholarships for graduating seniors at Marshall High School. Two scholarships of $5,000 will be given. Proceeds from the event otherwise are applied to Sam B. Hall Endowed Programs at ETBU.
The program will also include presentation of the sixth annual Sam B. Hall Civic Service Award. The award will be presented to Smith in recognition of his distinguished civic and community service. Harrison County District Judge Brad Morin will present the award this year.
Previous honorees were Madeleine Segal Hall (in memoriam), Ray and Mona Lawson of Marshall, Sue Jordan (formerly administrative assistant to Congressman and Judge Hall), Frank and Bonnie Strauss of Marshall, Sam R. Moseley of Marshall, and Glenn Bickerdike of Marshall.
Tickets for the event are $65 per person and can be reserved by calling Janet Breckenridge in the President’s Office at ETBU at 903.923.2222 or by emailing jbreckenridge@etbu.edu. Please inquire regarding table reservations- tables may be reserved at the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond levels. Advance reservations are recommended by March 17 as seating is limited.
The Sam B. Hall Professorship and the Lecture Series were endowed in 1993 by the family and friends of Congressman and U.S. District Judge Sam B. Hall, Jr. A native of Marshall and an alumnus of the College of Marshall, now ETBU, and the Baylor University School of Law, Judge Hall served in and was president of several civic organizations and the Board of Directors of the Marshall Regional Medical Center before his death in 1994. The Hall Professor of History is Dr. Jerry L. Summers, Dean of the School of Humanities at ETBU.