A dedication ceremony for the renaming of Pat Coursey Park, formerly named Center Park, was held on Saturday afternoon. Family, friends and city officials were present for the ceremony as the new park name was unveiled.
The park was renamed after the former Brownwood city councilman in February of this year based on significant and lasting contributions by Coursey to the City of Brownwood.
The name change request originally came from one of Coursey’s former employees, Kathy Hall, from his previous business Banner Printing. Hall prepared a document outlining the Coursey’s contributions to the community.
Coursey moved to Brownwood with his parents as an infant and has been a lifelong resident, graduated from Brownwood High School in 1958 and attended Howard Payne College (now University).
Some of his contributions to the community include:
- Helping wake and ultimately save a family from a house fire in 1969 with a friend, Joe Sones.
- Member of the Brownwood Jaycees, helping to organize their first Rattlesnake Roundup.
- Member of the Brownwood Rotary Club
- Chairman of the Brown County Historical Society in 1979, helped to get the old county jail donated for use as a museum (now the Brown County Museum of History), saving it from possible demolition and helping to raise over $70,000 for its renovation/restoration.
- City Councilman for 21 years (1983-2003). During this time the new Aquatic Center and Bert Massey Sports Complex were voted in; however he retired before they became an actuality. He also contributed to the renovation of Riverside Park
- Helped in securing names for the Truman Harlow Overpass, Bill Monroe Overpass (honoring the former Mayor of Brownwood), Shelton Drive (in honor of George M. Shelton, the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient born in Brown County), and the T.R. Havins Unit (in memory of Dr. T.R. Havins, longtime History Professor at HPU, Brown County author and former member of the Prison Board of Directors).
- Representative of the West Central Texas Council of Governments board, serving as the board president in 1990-1991, playing an instrumental part of bringing TSTC to Brownwood.
- Member of the Hospital Authority Board from 1994-2002, twice serving as its president.
- Member of the Brownwood Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors (2004-2010).
- Influenced the renovation of downtown Brownwood when Center Avenue was rebuilt, was instrumental in securing the grounds where the original JC Penney building once stood, so that a city park could be built for the public to enjoy, which was named Center Park, now renamed Pat Coursey Park.
Center Park was completed in October 2003 as part of the Downtown Renovation Project and is located at 200 Center Avenue at the intersection of Center and E. Baker Street. Many recognize the park for the horse décor of the fountain.
Pictured above is Coursey sitting on the wall at the park that now bears his name.
