Pat Harper, Ed.D (1975)
Educator
Class of 1975 | Inducted 2025
Pat Harper began her education at Navarro College in 1974-75. She later attended Stephen F. Austin State University, the University of Texas at Tyler and Tarleton State University, earning her B.A., M.A., and Ed.D. Dr. Harper enjoyed a successful, seven-year banking career in the areas of Operations and Mortgage Lending prior to entering the field of education in 1985. During her 40-year career as a public educator, she served in numerous capacities as a teacher, educational diagnostician, executive director of special education, and an autism specialist. She served as Executive Director of Special Education for the Freestone Navarro Bi- County Coop for fourteen years, during which time she also taught graduate level classes as an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M Commerce, Corsicana (2000 - 2004).
Dr. Harper has served on the Navarro College Foundation Board for the past twelve years, along with many other boards, such as: Camp of the Rising Sun, Navarro College President Selection Committee; Advisory Board Member to Success Ed., Inc., and Board of Trustee at School on the Hill Christian Academy. Dr. Harper has received numerous awards throughout her professional life, including the Superior TEA Audit Award, National Excellence in Reading Award, and Employee of the Year Award at both First National Bank, Corsicana, Texas, and Capital Savings and Loan, Olympia, Washington. As an accomplished subject matter expert and lifelong professional educator, Dr. Harper has been invited to speak at numerous national, state, and local conferences including: the Council of New York Directors of Special Education, the National Read Right Conference, Olympia, Washington, Tarleton State University Principals’ Conference, Fort Worth, Texas, the Region 12 Education Service Center, Waco, Texas, and more.
While her professional accolades are numerous and inspiring, Dr. Harper points to one accomplishment of which she is most proud. During her tenure as the Executive Director of Special Education, through the implementation of Read Right, Inc., she was able to empower more than two thousand nonreaders with the life-changing, transformative gift of reading. In her accounting of her own professional achievements, the opportunity to touch so many lives with the invaluable ability to read has no rival.
Pat and her husband, Robert, are active members of Kerens Church of Christ and reside in Corsicana.