- Business
CONTACT: Dr. Anne Macy, 806-651-2523, amacy@wtamu.edu
Jean Walker, 806-651-2515, jwalker@wtamu.edu
CANYON, Texas—In a year of economic turmoil, the phrase "since the Great Depression" has taken on a new meaning. A look back in time to the Great Depression and its differences and parallels to the current recession will be the topic of "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," a statewide event for teachers on Wednesday, July 22 at West Texas A&M University.
The event examines the West Texas economy and how it relates to what is going on nationally and globally. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a keynote address by Richard Ware, president of Amarillo National Bank, who will give an overview of the local economy.
Blair Roberts from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas will present "Looking Back in Time: The Great Depression," demonstrating hands-on teaching materials on The Great Depression which the Federal Reserve will provide to teachers.
Jean Walker, director of the West Texas Center for Economic Education, will explore the local economic history of the late 1920s and the 1930s, discussing the Oil Boom, the Dust Bowl and the completion of Route 66. Teachers will tour exhibits relating to this time period in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.
Bill Gilmer, vice president and senior economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will be the featured luncheon speaker. He will present "Taking the Pulse of the U.S. Economy." Gilmer is the officer-in-charge of the El Paso branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
After lunch, a panel of local business leaders will address the topic "What Drives the West Texas Economy?" Moderator will be Dr. Jim Owens, chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance at WTAMU. Panel members include H. Wayne Hughes, executive vice president of Panhandle Producers & Royalty Owners Association; C. E. Williams, general manager of Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District; A. J. Swope, executive director of Class 4 Winds; Bobby Lee, co-owner of the Big Texan Steak Ranch; and David Terry, executive director of the WTAMU Enterprise Center.
The program will conclude with presentations by Tim Shaunty, president of the Texas Council on Economic Education, and Dr. Anne Macy, Gene Edwards Professor of Finance at WTAMU. Both speakers will focus on "Taking the Economics Content to the Classroom."
Sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Texas Council on Economic Education, and the West Texas Center for Economic Education in the WTAMU College of Business, the event will be held at the Alumni Banquet Facility on campus from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Local teachers who have not already registered through Region 16 may call Jean Walker at 806-651-2515 to register and pay the $15 registration fee at the door. For more information, call Walker or Dr. Anne Macy at 806-651-2523.
—WTAMU—