Texas State to rename two streets on Round Rock Campus

On Monday, Oct. 11, Texas State University will name two streets on the Round Rock Campus in honor of Adolfo “Sonny” Barrera, a former university administrator, for his work in multicultural programming, and Elvin Holt, the first Black professor in the Department of English, for his work in multicultural curriculum development.

The ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Avery Hall, Room 252. The Round Rock Campus is located at 1555 University Blvd.

The two roads on the Round Rock Campus will be named Adolfo Barrera Drive and Elvin Holt Drive.

Adolfo Barrera

Barrera was a Latino counselor, leader and administrator at Texas State from 1983-2002. Barrera played an integral role in the development of multicultural programming at Texas State, overseeing the recruitment and retention of multicultural students, expanding TRIO programs such as Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search and Youth Opportunities Unlimited/Pre-College Summer Enrichment Program. He also oversaw the Summer Research and Graduate School Preparation Program, the Brownsville Educational Summer Outreach Program, the Student Learning Assistance Center, the Supplemental Instruction Lab Summer Food Service Program and the Underrepresented Student Advisory Council. He was involved in the enhancement of scholarship opportunities for students at Texas State. His work paved the way for Texas State to become a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Elvin Holt

Holt, professor emeritus at Texas State, was the first Black tenured professor in the Department of English, serving the Texas State and San Marcos community for 37 years. He was one of 20 professors selected to participate in the university's first year long excellence in teaching and learning seminar. Holt received three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and was named professor of the year by the Association of Black Students in 1989. Holt's research, publication and conference presentations focused on African literature, African American literature, cultural studies and folklore. He was responsible for bringing the model used for the multicultural course transformation program to Texas State. He co-edited Acting Up and Getting Down: Plays by African American Texans and co-authored Stages of Struggle and Celebration: A Production History of Black Theatre in Texas, both with Sandra Mayo. Holt also served as an original board member and president of the Calaboose Museum, which serves as a home for African American history and culture in San Marcos and Hays County.