East Texas State University’s name may only be a memory for ETSU alumni, but former A&M-Commerce Associate Vice President of Development Larry Goddard wants it to remain unsullied by troubled Hollywood actresses.
In 2007, actress Lindsay Lohan was photographed wearing a navy and gold East Texas State University shirt, a photo that has Goddard talking.
“We are so sorry that she is having a hard time, but if you were a parent and looking across the web for schools and you saw that Lindsey [sic] Lohan had the t-shirt from the school you were thinking of sending your child, I think you would back out or think of another school,” Goddard said in an interview with KLTV in Tyler, Texas.
In light of Lohan’s recent stay in jail, Goddard said he thinks she is not a good representation of ETSU.
“We are not trying to be malicious or mean, but it is just ‘Lindsey [sic], good luck with your recovery, but we would rather have our shirt back,'” Goddard said.
A Facebook group that Goddard created titled “We want our East Texas State University Shirt Back from Lindsey [sic] Lohan” currently has more than 100 members.
Goddard serves on the East Texas State Alumni Association Board of Directors and is the executive director of the Tyler ISD Foundation. In August of this year, Goddard was given the Texas School Public Relations Association’s 2010 Key Communicator award.
Goddard’s comments, which were picked up by CNN, inspired no response from the A&M-Commerce administration.
“I have no comment,” A&M-Commerce Director of Alumni Relations Derryle Peace said.
A&M-Commerce President Dan Jones’ office and Assistant Vice President of Marketing Communications Randy Jolly also had no official comment on the story.
Even Goddard refused to comment when the East Texan contacted him.
“Mr. Goddard does not wish to comment on this any longer,” an e-mail from Goddard’s office read. “He feels the story has run its course. Thank you for your interest.”
Texas A&M University-Commerce was known as East Texas State University from 1962 until the university joined the Texas A&M system in 1996.