Adams State to award honorary degree to Lewis Entz (04-20-07)
Adams State College will present an Honorary Doctorate in State and Local Government to former state senator Lewis H. Entz at Adams State's commencement ceremonies, May 5.
"Mr. Entz has a long list of accomplishments that merit an honorary degree," said Dr. David Svaldi, president of Adams State College. "He has done quite a lot for Adams State College and the San Luis Valley."
Entz (R-Hooper) was an Alamosa County commissioner for 14 years, served 16 years in the state House, and was appointed to the state Senate in 2001, winning re-election in 2002, but losing to Democrat Gail Schwartz of Aspen last year.
Reacting to news of the honorary degree, Entz said, "I can't believe it. It only took 38 years for me to get a degree. When I graduated high school I already had a potato crop planted.
"I really appreciate working with Adams State all these years. I was with them all the way, and tried to listen and do what was needed. Adams State is a great institution and we've got to keep it going. It's a necessary asset for people in the southern part of the state. We need state colleges in rural areas."
Throughout his years in Denver, Entz was a loyal supporter of Adams State College in Alamosa, working to ensure access to quality higher education in the San Luis Valley. Entz was key in the successful 2005 struggle to allocate Floor Funding for Colorado's State Colleges, which had been delayed for 3 years. ASC's annual share of Floor Funding is $1.6 million. He was also instrumental in securing more than $5 million last year to renovate the college's athletic facility, Plachy Hall.
In 2006, Entz supported Referendum C, passed by voters to safeguard state funding for schools, colleges, roads, and communities. Trustee Mark Cavanaugh said Entz was one of only a handful of legislators who was accessible by phone on the issue. Cavanaugh said Entz was a straightforward legislator who worked for his district and didn't always toe the party line. "It was common sense over stupidity."
"I don't know anyone who's more deserving of this honor, added Adams State Trustee LeRoy Salazar.
Entz served 8 terms, from 1983-1998, in the Colorado House of Representatives, then was elected to the Colorado State Senate, representing District 5. One of the largest and most diverse districts in the state, it encompasses 11 counties in south central and western Colorado, including the entire San Luis Valley.
A lifetime farmer and native of the San Luis Valley, Entz's career was characterized by his work on behalf rural Colorado. · Entz's efforts resulted in over $2 million of state funding to keep jobs at the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. · He sponsored legislation to strengthen penalties for pollution of water and streams. · Entz opposed bills that would place crippling regulations on farmers and small businesses
Entz said his most memorable accomplishment in the Legislature was the passage of a bill following the 2002 drought that allowed for the creation of subdistricts for groundwater in the Rio Grande basin. He also played a part in the struggle of the San Luis Valley to stop proposals in the 1990s by American Water Development, Inc., and Stockmen's Water Co. to pump groundwater out of the valley to the Front Range. This work was recognized by the Colorado Water Congress, which presented Entz with its 2007 Wayne Aspinall Colorado Leadership Award.
A twin, one of 11 children, Entz was farming potatoes even prior to his graduation from Sargent High School in 1949. He enlisted in the Marines during the Korean War, then resumed farming afterwards. Entz and his wife, Lorie, have four children: Cindy, Mike, Sandy, and Cathy. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and belongs to the Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Water Congress, Colorado Cattleman's Association, the American Legion, and the National Rifle Association.
By Julie Waechter
