The Texas State University System Board of Regents has authorized Texas State University to award honorary doctoral degrees to Sergio Rodriguez, James Taylor and Mark Updegrove.
The Board of Regents approved the honors during its quarterly meeting Nov. 20-21 in Huntsville.
Rodriguez, Taylor and Updegrove will be the 22nd, 23rd and 24th individuals to be so honored by the university. Their degrees, Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, will be awarded at a future date.
Rodriguez is an accomplished business leader and philanthropist dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for first-generation college students. In 2017, the Hector and Gloria López Foundation (HGLF) was established to honor the legacy of his great-aunt and uncle Hector and Gloria López. Under Rodriguez’s leadership as president and CEO, HGLF has become a leading advocate for first-generation college students in Texas. In 2023, HGLF partnered with TXST to launch the López Scholars, a $1.79 million initiative supporting 15 first-generation students annually for five years. This program prioritizes opportunities over traditional metrics, empowering students from diverse backgrounds to achieve academic and professional success.
Taylor, a 1981 TXST alumnus, is a distinguished business leader and global strategist who has dedicated his career to fostering cross-border economic development, advancing public policy and supporting higher education. Taylor worked as special assistant for Hispanic affairs and Mexico Relations to United States Senator Lloyd Bentsen and as Chief of Staff to the Commissioner of the U.S. International Trade Commission. In 1992, he founded Public Strategies, Inc., pioneering a public affairs model that applied political campaign strategies to corporate initiatives. He also co-founded ViaNova, a strategic advisory firm serving clients at the intersection of business, policy and politics. Taylor received the TXST College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2017 and was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2020. He has served on the Texas State Development Foundation Board, including terms as vice chair and chair, and is a current member of The Wittliff Collections Advisory Council.
Updegrove is an acclaimed presidential historian, author and media executive. He has dedicated his career to chronicling and interpreting the American presidency while advancing civic education and public discourse. In 2009, Updegrove was appointed director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. Over the course of eight years, he oversaw major exhibitions, educational programming and archival stewardship. In 2018, Updegrove became president and CEO of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, supporting the LBJ Library and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of “Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House” (2006), “Baptism by Fire” (2009), “Indomitable Will” (2012), “The Last Republicans” (2017), “Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency” (2022) and “Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents” (2025).
Texas State awarded its first honorary doctorate in 1962, when the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred upon Lyndon Baines Johnson. At the time, Johnson was vice president of the United States and had already served as a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator. He would go on to serve as president of the United States, the only president to have graduated from a Texas university. Johnson graduated from TXST in 1930.