EDITOR'S NOTE: A video of the swearing-in ceremony is available.

January 30, 2004

By Francine Parker
Staff Writer

It was a homecoming of sorts for two University of Houston alumni who were sworn in as UH System regents at the Athletics/Alumni Center Wednesday night in front of more than 200 faculty, staff, students and political, business and community leaders.

With family and friends nearby, Dennis D. Golden, one of the state’s leading optometrists, and Lynden B. Rose, a Houston attorney and former Cougar basketball player, pledged to “roll up” their sleeves and work to make UH one of the nation’s most prominent urban research universities.

“I’m very excited about the future of the University of Houston and the role it’s going to play in the city of Houston,” said Golden, who received his bachelor’s of science and optometry degrees from UH.

Owner of Golden Eye Associates in Carthage, Texas, Golden is a member of the Texas Optometric Association (TOA) and the American Optometric Association. He is a past president of TOA, which named him optometrist of the year in 2003.

Saying that serving as a UH System regent “is something I always wanted to do,” Golden expressed gratitude to Gov. Rick Perry, who appointed him and Rose to the board earlier this month. The men will serve six-year-terms.

“This truly is a humbling experience,” Golden said.

Recalling when he first came to Houston with his twin brother, Dixon, to attend UH in the 1970s, Golden said he was “totally in awe of the greatness of the campus.” Today, he is even more impressed with UH.

“There is more spirit here, an openness, a transparency and a spirit of cooperation,” he said.

Golden’s remarks came after he was sworn in by J. Davis Armistead, UH alumnus and a former regent who was instrumental in the growth and development of the College of Optometry. D.D. Golden, his nephew and UH student majoring in architecture, assisted.

Before leaving the podium, Golden joked that he has a basketball in his car and that he was ready to play ball with Rose, who was a co-captain of the Cougar basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 1982.

Former president of Rose Sports Management Inc., Rose currently serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and the Harris County Sheriff’s Department Civil Service Commission.

Rose, who earned both his graduate and law degrees at UH, was sworn in by his older brother, Cecil, who also is a UH alumnus.

“What a golden day for a rose to blossom,” Rose said. “I am honored and humbled. This is a great opportunity, and it is something special for me and my family.”

President of L.M. Rose Consulting and a native of the Bahamas, Rose thanked his friends and his wife, Marilyn, his brother and three sisters, two of whom who flew in from the Bahamas to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

“My brother is the Christopher Columbus of the Bahamas. That’s why we came to Houston,” he said, adding that he and his three sisters followed his brother to the city. His wife, also a Bahamas native, graduated from the university.

Rose continued, saying that his religious beliefs will help guide him as a regent.

He then added, “the charge I make tonight is that if I’m slow or don’t understand, please be patient. If I say the wrong words, and I’m not a team player, put me on the bench and give me another chance,” he said. “But, if I fail to uphold the integrity of the board, you have no choice but to discharge me.”