Chet Edwards For Congress

Texas Aggie: Class of '74

Congressman Chet Edwards is one of only four Aggies in the U.S. Congress and has been a loyal supporter of Texas A&M University for 35 years.

At A&M, Chet chaired SCONA XVIII and earned the Earl Rudder/Brown Foundation Award upon his graduation in 1974. One month later Edwards was hired as a Legislative Assistant by Congressman Olin E. "Tiger" Teague, Class of 1932.

Congressman Teague chaired the House Science Committee and represented College Station, so Edwards worked closely with Texas A&M officials for over three years to earmark research funding for Texas A&M and its components, helping make A&M one of the top research institutions in the country.

As a State Senator from 1983-1990, Edwards strongly supported A&M funding issues. He was on the Texas Sunset Commission, which he later chaired, when he, along with Senators Kent Caperton and John Sharp, changed the state law to ensure an A&M representative would serve on the Board overseeing the Permanent University Fund, which is a key component of A&M’s funding.

As a U.S. Congressman since 1991, and as one of only a handful of House members to serve on both the Appropriations and Budget Committees, Edwards has worked very closely with Texas A&M on numerous appropriations projects.

As the Representative for Fort Hood, the only two-division U.S. Army installation in the world, Edwards has played a key role in bringing together the Army and A&M on important research projects, including the Army’s vital digitization process. In 2003, Edwards received the "Legislator of the Year" Award from the Association of the U.S. Army, headed by retired General Gordon Sullivan, the former Chief of Staff of the Army.

As Chairman of the powerful Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and co-chairman of the bipartisan House Army Caucus, Edwards is in a position to support future cooperative efforts between the Army and A&M; and it is helpful for Ft. Hood, A&M and the state of Texas to have Chet Edwards as a senior appropriator.