Dr. Terry Patton, professor and chair of accounting and management information systems, was named Hardin Professor for 2024 during Midwestern State University’s commencement ceremony May 11. Hardin Professor is the highest honor bestowed upon a faculty member at the university each year.

Patton earned his BBA in Accounting from the Midwestern State University. He holds an M.S. in accounting from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Texas Tech University. He currently is the Robert Madera Distinguished Professor of Accounting at the Dillard College of Business Administration.

Recognized as a national expert in governmental accounting, Patton has served on multiple national boards. He travels to Washington, D.C., several times annually as a member of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board, having been appointed to that position by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He is the lead author of a leading textbook in governmental accounting, which is used in institutions such as Harvard, Auburn, and the University of Florida. He teaches both introductory accounting courses and some of the most advanced accounting courses that prepare students to become CPAs, excelling in both environments. He embodies the very best of MSU Texas—a love for this community, this university, its students, and his colleagues.

The Hardin Foundation for Wichita County established the annual award in 1962 for a member of the MSU faculty whose teaching and research during the preceding 12 months has brought distinction to the faculty member and the institution. The award carries with it a stipend of $5,000. Patton is the 64th professor to receive the honor.