The College of Southern Nevada will remember former State Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson by naming the North Las Vegas student union in his honor, after a unanimous vote from the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents earlier today.
Thompson was an active education and mentor advocate, as well as a longtime CSN supporter. He regularly attended CSN events and was actively involved in mentoring efforts. He passed away in May during the 2019 legislative session. At the time of his death, he was actively working with CSN officials to pass important education legislation.
“Assemblyman Thompson was a tireless champion for our students,” said CSN President Federico Zaragoza. “His legacy will live on through their success and in the community he served so selflessly. Countless community leaders have expressed their support for naming the student union in his honor, and we feel privileged to be able to make that happen.”
The formal naming will take place in the fall, when the new student unions open all three campuses.
The student unions will serve as a gathering place for students between classes, will play host to various events on campus and will house the student government offices.
Thompson will join a host of other influential lawmakers and community members whose contributions to the CSN community are honored on CSN buildings. Here’s a look at a few of them:
- The Paul Laxalt Education Center, also on the North Las Vegas Campus, is named in honor of the former Nevada governor and senator. During his time as governor, Laxalt made a major push to establish community colleges in the state.
- The North Las Vegas Campus is also home to the June Whitley Student Lounge, named after a former university Regent.
- The Charleston Campus includes the Paul E. Meacham Student Services Building, named after the 11-year president of CSN, which was known as Clark County Community College. Not only did Meacham bring stability to the college, which had run through seven permanent and interim presidents before him, but he was also the first African-American president of any of the institutions in the state system.
- The Ralph & Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences is the first school at CSN to be named after community members. The health sciences building on the Charleston Campus also bears the couple’s name.
- In 2009, CSN received a transformational $8.2 million gift to support the health sciences field. Money from that gift was used to expand the health science building and to establish a scholarship in the Engelstad’s name.
- The C Building on the Henderson Campus is named after Caesar J. Caviglia, who played a significant and critical role in the establishment of that campus. He died in 2013 at age 84, after spending much of his life as a priest in Henderson. During his lifetime, he was also a faculty member at CSN, teaching sociology, anthropology and philosophy.
For more on the student union being named after Assemblyman Thompson, read our press release.