Class Notes

1930s

Emmett E. Day, Sr. (B.A. '36) was recently inducted into the Commerce ISD Hall of Honor.

1940s

Fred E. Allen (B.S. '49) was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Mt. Pleasant.

Wayne C. Pierce (B.S. '49, M.Ed. '50) was inducted in September 2010 into the Mount Vernon School District's League of Honor.

1950s

Martha Jane Morgan McCaskill (B.A. '50) was recently honored following her death (10-16-10) by being named officially as the First Librarian of the Hong Kong International School (HKIS). Today four HKIS campus libraries serve the students from state of the art technology centers with more than 110,000 books from a humble beginning made possible by Martha.

1960s

Dr. Algia Allen (B.S. '67, M.S. '69, Ed.D. '72) is the new provost at Trinity Valley Community College's Campus
in Terrell.

Naomi Bledsoe (B.S. '56, M.S. '68) recently published at age 91, a 400-page autobiography I wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey Now. She is retired from 26 years of teaching in Tyler and lives in Chandler.

Fred C. Bunch (B.S. '65) writes from Albuquerque, N.M., that he is now retired as the picture editor from the Houston Chronicle and now is a watercolor artist and guerrilla painter.

Elmer Ellis (B.S. '64, M.B.A. '69) was recently honored by Paris Junior college as a 2010 Distinguished Alumni.

Nancy Joe Yarbrough Haywood (B.S. '60, M.Ed. '68) was recently surprised with a party commemorating her 90th birthday.

Albino R. Hinosa's (B.S. '66) paintings were recently displayed by the Pearce Museum on the campus of Navarro College.

Judy Castle Scott (B.S. '68, M.S. '77) was recently inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame.

Bobbie Jean McCarty Smith (B.S. '68) recently retired after 22 years in public education. Her last 20 years she served as principal of Commerce Elementary School.

George S. Smith (B.S. '68, M.B.A. '80) was honored as the 2010 Public Relations Person of the Year by the Professional Construction Association of Equipment Manufacturing Facilities. He is currently the director of communications for Top Con Position in Cabot, Ark.

Dr. Rosie M. Sorrells (M.Ed. '69) was honored by Dallas ISD by the naming of The Rosie Sorrells School of Education
and Social Services.

Rita Stout (M.S. '54) published her second book Daybreak in Odessa.  This follows the success of her first book Not So Small a Circle. www.ritastout.com.

Frank K. Turner (B.S. '61) co-owner of the Blacklands Railroad, was recently named the 2011 Short Line Railroad of the Year by Railway Age magazine.

1970s

Warren “Gene” Anderson (B.B.A. ‘75, M.B.A. '83) was appointed interim City Manager for the City of Paris effective January 1, 2011. He has served as director of finance for the City since 1985. He is also a member of the adjunct faculty of Paris Junior college. He is married to Deborah Seiferman Anderson (B.A. ‘88).

Dr. David L. Brown (B.S. '73, M.Ed. '76, Ph.D. '84) was recently honored with the 2010 William L. Mayo Award from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Jeanne Lorene Furrh Cotton (B.S. '76) retired from teaching in the Forney ISD in 2009.

Rebecca J. Drummond (B.S. '77) writes that she has been teaching in Canton ISD for 32 years. She is married to former student Kim Drummond who is a Texas DPS Sergeant stationed in Mt. Pleasant. Their youngest daughter is now attending A&M–Commerce.

Kenneth Henderson (B.S. '75, M.Ed. '92) retired from Dallas ISD after 29 years as a media specialist.

Doug Kretzinger (B.S. '74, M.S. '76) has retired from athletic training after 40 years. He started the profession as a student trainer at ETSU in the fall of 1969.

Harold L. Pace (M.S. '71) has been named by Wake Forest University to be the new Registrar and Assistant Provost for Academic Administration effective July 1, 2011.

Cecile (Lori) Moore Stricker (B.S. '74) is the office manager at First United Methodist Church in Red Oak. She has her husband Mike have been married for 30 years and have two beautiful children. Mike attended Commerce in 1972 and he is the owner of Quick Parts Supply.

Dr. Patricia R. Turner (B.B.A. '70, M.B.A. '73, Ed.D. '91) recently celebrated her 75th birthday in San Antonio.

Dr. Mollie Johnson Williams (M.Ed. '70) enters private practice with the opening of the Dr. Mollie A. Johnson Williams Counseling and Human Development Center in DeSoto.

JB Zahn (B.S. '76) retired after a 30 year career with Chevron USA. He and his wife Sherrie recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

1980s

James C. Blaylock (M.S. '80) was honored last October for his 50 years in the ministry, most recently at Corinth Baptist Church, Jacksonville, for the past 25 years.

James B. Cowley (B.S. '87, M.Ed. '90, Ed.D. '03) was recently named superintendent for Lindale Tisdale ISD.

Richard M. Crummel (M.Ed. '81) was named the Burleson IDS's lone finalist for superintendent.

David A. Darrow (B.B.A. '81) has been called to serve as pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in Paris, Texas.

Dr. Richard De la Garza (B.S. '85) was recently elected as the new president-elect for the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) which has been in existence since 1929 and is the longest standing group in the US addressing problems of drug dependence and abuse.

Larry P. Goddard (B.S. '80, M.S. '91) was recognized as the 2010 Key Communicator by the Texas School Public Relations Association.

John M. Jenkins (B.B.A. '80) the VP and CIO of Management Systems for Moses Cone Health System is the new president of the North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communication Alliance, Inc.

Gentry “Ace” Little (B.S. '87) was honored for broadcasting excellence on the Floor of the Texas House and Senate on March 15. It was also declared “Gentry Little Day” in Texas. He was recently honored for calling his 900th game on the radio.

Davia Means Madariaga (B.S. '86) received her Master in Educational Administration from Concordia University-Texas. She, her husband, and two children currently live in Allen, and she works for the Allen ISD.

Terrence E. Pope (B.S. '88) is retiring after 42 years of US Navy and civilian career work with aircraft and design. His plan is to pursue both land travel and sailing of his yacht around Puget Sound, British Columbia and the Pacific Coast.

Steve M. Thurman (B.S. '81) has been named Director-Global Business Development for Adjuvants Unlimited, LLC, a crop protection technology development company. He is also an investment Partner at Lane-Link Group, an investment banking firm.

1990s

James F. Chester (B.S. '94) co-authored a chapter on trademark licensing trends in the recently published book Inside the Minds: Intellectual Property Licensing Strategies, published by Aspatore Books.

Troy L. Kemp (M.Ed. '98) was named principal of Memorial Parkway Elementary School in the Katy ISD.

John C. Lindsay (B.S. '91) was named Volunteer of the Year for downtown Denver and also received from the Hard Rock Café Sales and Marketing Conference “Public Relations Manager of the Year” Award. He was also one of two US managers to receive the “Sales and Marketing Merit Award.”

James L. Richardson (B.S. '72, M.S. '75) has been the Headmaster of Dallas Academy for the past 27 years. He was in Delta Tau Delta Fraternity and was President of the Senior Class.

Susan D. Sikes (B.S.I.S. '95), a sixth grade teacher, was recognized as a Greenville ISD Teacher of the year.

Thomas A. Wallis (M.Ed. '97) was named lone finalist for the position of Superintendent of Bryan ISD. He has previously served as Palestine Superintendent since 2008.is a P.E. teacher and coach at W.H. Ford High School.

2000s

Carla Ackley (B.S. '02) is the Associate Director of Admissions at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant.

Judy Burnett Fane (B.S. '02, M.S. '05) recently published Paddy the Pelican Survives the Storm written after experiencing Hurricane Ike and its aftermath. Judy lives in Houston and teaches sociology at Lonestar College.

Crystal N. Flanagan (B.S. '05) recently published her first novel 10 Seconds from Glory and held her first book signing. Visit Crystal at www.crystalflanagan.com.

Dr. Louis C. Glover (Ed.D. '09) has been hired as an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Tennessee beginning in August 2011. He currently teaches physics for the Dallas ISD.

Michael A. McMahon (B.S. ‘02) and Amanda K. Thompson (B.S. '09) were married April 30 in Colleyville.

Derrick D. Parks (B.B.A. '00) was promoted to Commercial Staff Appraiser at the Dallas Central Appraisal District.

Josuah D. Ragsdale (B.S. '02) was named head football coach and athletic director at Dallas W.H. Adamso High School.

Stephen C. Rogers (B.S. '05) began working as an assistant director of residence life at SMU in Dallas.

John H. Rose (M.S. '06) received his certification as a Professional Strategic Advisor (CPSA) from the Category Management Association.

Elena Gregory Shaw (B.A. '05) received her Master of Arts degree in pedagogy from Northern Michigan University
in December 2010.

William C. Wilson (B.S. ‘09) and Shara B. Utley (B.S. ‘09) were married August 7 in Duncanville.

Jeremy R. Woods (B.B.A. '08) has recently completed his Masters of Business Administration at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla.

2010s

David M. Taylor (B.S. '05) and Dina McDaniel Taylor (B.S. '08) announce the birth of their first son, Carson Micah, on November 30, 2010.

Phil McLeod (B.B.A '84) recently traveled to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to hold a baseball clinic for men, women and high school players from three area schools. It was a privilege to work with such a diverse group. His group also shared Biblical truths 2 or 3 times per day in short segments during water breaks and lunch as the day progressed.