A&M-Texarkana Announces Naming of New Academic Building and Division of Engineering

TEXARKANA, Texas – Texas A&M University-Texarkana held a press conference on Friday, November 15^th to announce the naming of its new Business, Engineering, and Technology Building along with the naming of the Division of Engineering, which will be housed in the new facility. The $45 million academic building is currently under construction and expected to be completed in the spring of 2026. The three-story, 50,000 square foot building will support growing demand for degrees in business and technology-related fields, will house the Center for Financial Literacy and Investment, numerous laboratories for mechanical engineering and design, and will include a 225-seat lecture hall/auditorium to support large lectures and other events.

The new facility will officially be named the James C. Morriss Business, Engineering, and Technology Building. Named for the founder of JCM Industries, the naming of the building was made possible by a donation from Cynthia Goerke, daughter Mr. Morriss. The Division of Engineering has been named the James C. Morriss Division of Engineering, made possible by a donation from Jim and Cindy Morriss, son and daughter-in-law of Mr. Morriss.

In 1976 Mr. Morriss and his wife Gladys began JCM Industries as a way to implement product design concepts engineered by James that he believed would fill a need in the pipeline industry. James was recently retired from a successful career in the pipeline industry and knew that the ability to deliver quality products, delivered when the customer needed them, would fill a needed void in the pipe fittings and manufacturing space.

For more than 40 years JCM’s commitment to excellence, innovative pipe fitting solutions and fabrication methods, and the ability to provide quality products in a timely manner helped make JCM Industries an industry-leading provider of supplies for the water and wastewater industries nationwide.

“We are beyond proud to have this state-of-the-art academic facility named for Mr. Morriss and are profoundly grateful to his family for the contributions they have made to honor his legacy,” said Texas A&M University-Texarkana President Dr. Ross Alexander. “Mr. Morriss and the company he founded have a long history of excellence in manufacturing and engineering design, and an unwavering commitment to exceed the needs of their customers. We are proud to know that generations of future engineers will walk these halls and hone their skills in the James C. Morriss Division of Engineering inside the James C. Morriss Business, Engineering, and Technology Building.”