Stephen F. Austin State University

State Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville will deliver the commencement address at Stephen F. Austin State University at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

Nichols is a businessman who has built four successful manufacturing facilities, earned 32 U.S. patents and created more than 900 jobs for East Texas families, accordin to biographical information on his Web site.

He was elected state senator for District 3 in 2006. In 1997 Gov. George W. Bush recruited Nichols to serve on the Texas Transportation Commission. While fulfilling his six-year term on the Transportation Commission, Nichols earned the reputation for being a committed problem-solver, helping to triple the number of roadway construction projects built each year without raising taxes, according to his Web site.

Gov. Perry reappointed Nichols to a second term in 2003.

Nichols previously serve a mayor of Jacksonville and served as chairman of the Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation for seven years. He served two terms on th Jacksonville City Council, and he currently serves as a board member for Lon Morris College. He is a board member for East Texas Medical Center and the Nan Travis Hospital Foundation.

SFA will award 584 degrees during the graduation ceremony, including 421 bachelor’s degrees, 161 master’s degrees, one doctorate degree in forestry and one doctorate degree in education. Twenty-seven students are graduating cum laude; 18 are graduating magna cum laude; and 16 are graduating summa cum laude.