The Pride Online The Pride Online A&M Commerce Home page
News ReportAlumni ReportFrom the ChancellorOLD ETNew Strategic PlanFoundation ReportTraining SchoolClass NotesIN MemorySports Report
page numbers Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24
The Pride April 2001 Vol. 53, No. 3 Alumni Association Alumni Calendar A&M Commerce Foundation Contact Info.

Page 19

former students who, themselves, had to be listed in “Who’s Who Among American High School Students.”

Paul Richards (BS ’00) is the horticulturist in charge of building a garden for the blind and physically handicapped in Longview, with the expected completion date of December 2001. All flora will excite the senses of touch, smell, hearing and taste, and will be 100% organic.

Sherryl-Lynn Williams (BS ’00) is currently working as a newspaper editor at the Temple Daily Telegram. She works with another alumni, Ralph Dice (BS ’82).

Former Students

Kathie Morgan Annett married Johnny A. Gray on December 31, 2000. She is a real estate broker with Century 21 Patterson in Greenville.

Jim Faires and wife, Sandy, announce the arrival of their son, James O’Neal Faires, III, on November 16th in Melbourne, FL. The couple also has a daughter, Taylor. Grandparents are James and Dee Faires, both alumni of the University.

Kevin James participated in Fan Fair 2000 and the Country Weekly/TNN Award Show last summer in Nashville. He has released a new CD.

Carol Ray has been named superintendent at the Lovejoy ISD. She previously served as assistant superintendent.

Ronald Rushing, a science teacher with the Navasota ISD, was among 54 teachers who were selected to experience field-based research and teaching approaches in environmental science during three weeks of intense study in Costa Rica last summer. He teaches sixth-grade science and ESL and was recognized last year as the Secondary Teacher of the Year by TEA Region VI.

Randolph N. Wisener recently announced the formation of his new firm for the general practice of law, with partner Robert H. Nunnally, Jr., in Garland, TX. He is married to Barbara Wisener (EDD ’92).

In Memory

Elizabeth Clinton Burtschell (BS ’28) recently passed away. She lived in Columbus, TX.

Pauline Julian Childers (BA ’33, MED ’61) passed away on March 4, 2001 at her home in Noble, TX. She began teaching in the Roxton ISD in 1946 and retired there in 1978. Over the years, she taught math, English, Spanish, home economics, and coached girls’ basketball.

Troy E. Kern (BA ’35, MA ’41) passed away on November 2, 2000. He was a longtime dairyman, former president of the American Dairy Association, and former Delta County Judge. He taught in the Post Oak community in Delta County and later taught government at Sulphur Springs High School. He served in the Texas Legislature during the 1937 and 1939 terms. In 1967 he received the Hoblitzelle Award for the Advancement of Texas Rural Life. He retired in 1972 and moved to the Cedar Creek community in Delta County.

Alice Carrie Newsom (BA ’36, MA ’50) passed away on May 26, 1998. She was a long-time teacher, having retired from the Mt. Pleasant ISD.

Waymon Carl Newsom (BS ’37) passed away on March 22, 1992. He was a retired dairyman and horse breeder.

Annie May Schrimsher (BS ’37) passed away on January 6, 2001 in Emory. Her career in education spanned 44 years, teaching 22 years in Rains County.

James W. Birdsong (BS ’38) passed away on December 1, 2000. He worked as the school principal in the Cypress (TX) Community, earned an FCC license, and taught radio in the U.S. Navy. In the 40s, he joined KRLD in Dallas, doing remote broadcasts of news and sports, later being asked to work directly for the Texas Rangers baseball club. He provided the engineering side of broadcasting games until his retirement in 1984. He was very active in community and civic affairs.

Bethol Petitfils Kern (BS ’38) passed away on February 10, 2001. Her family was one of the original founding families of Delta County. She began her teaching career in a three-teacher school in the Brushy Mound community in Delta County and later taught at Lamar Elementary School in Sulphur Springs. She was employed by the Texas Education Association while her husband served in the Legislature.

T. C. Newsom (BS ’38, MED ’54) died on May 26, 1997. He retired from the Lindale ISD.

Margaret Lucile Reeves (BS ’38, MS ’50) passed away on February 16, 2001 in Paris, TX. She was a teacher for 46 years in Ladonia, and at both Graham and Justice elementary schools in Paris. She retired in 1973.

Bessie L. Rogers (BS ’38) passed away on January 7, 2001 in Seagoville. She was a retired teacher, having taught 45 years in the public schools of Kaufman and Dallas, retiring from Seagoville Elementary in 1977.

Fay A. Springfield (BS ’38) died on December 27, 2000. She retired from the Dallas ISD after 36 years of teaching.

Bernice Jeter Cherry (BS ’39, MED ’62) passed away on December 12, 2000 at Baylor Hospital in Dallas after a short illness. She taught school for 34 years in Texas, retiring from Cooper ISD. She was a member of several civic organizations, serving in a variety of leadership positions.

Violet Turner Ellis (BA ’39) passed away on December 21, 2000 in a Tyler nursing home. She taught school for more than 40 years at Brownsboro ISD and Athens ISD.

Ava Ellison Hines (BS ’39, MED ’54) died November 29, 2000 at her home in Grand Saline. She taught high school English, speech and library science in Alba, Van, Grand Saline and Hawkins. She was a long-time member of the Grand Saline Study Club and wrote a community newspaper column for the Grand Saline Sun and The Times-Dispatch.

Claudine Lancaster Montgomery (BA ’39) passed away on February 2, 2001 in Denison. She was a retired public school teacher.

Robbie Rex Newsom (BS ’39) passed away on January 17, 1999. He owned Homestead Furniture and Homestead Clocks.

W. T. “Willie” Taylor (BS ’39, MS ’47) passed away on February 14, 2001 in Fort Worth. He was a teacher at North Side and Arlington Heights high schools in Fort Worth in the 1950s through the 1970s.

Eva Raynes Turner (BA ’39, MA ’41) passed away on December 7, 2000 in a Longview hospital. She taught four years during her career, including two years in her home community of Fairlie, TX and two years in the Glenwood community near Gilmer, before marrying her husband of 57 years.

Linnie Collins Alexander (BS ’40) passed away on November 25, 2000. She taught elementary art for Alvin ISD from 1941 until her retirement in 1969, at which time she sold real estate in the Alvin area.

Antonio A. Benavides, Sr. (BA ’40, MA ’50) died on December 2, 2000 at Brownsville Medical Center. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and then joined the Brownsville ISD, serving as a teacher and principal during his career. He retired in 1980 after 39 years.

Ethel M. Hillhouse (BS ’41, MS ’49) passed away on October 14, 2000 at the age of 91. She spent 46 years in the teaching profession, the last 31 of which was in the Memphis ISD (Hall County, TX) as principal of Austin and Travis elementary schools. She retired in 1978.

Florene Webb Long (BS ’41) died on February 2, 2001 in Paris, TX. She taught elementary school in Indiana and Texas for 39 years, retiring from the Roxton ISD.

Dorothy Jane Richards (BS ’41, MS ’42) passed away on January 30, 2001 in Arlington. She was a graduate of the Training School on the campus of East Texas State University, as well as a teacher there for two years. She also taught mathematics and music at the Hockaday School in Dallas and the Los Angeles City Schools, taught private piano lessons, and was church organist since the age of 14.

Mary Benton White (BS ’41) passed away on December 28, 2000 in Beeville, TX. She was a teacher with the Beeville ISD for 27 years before her retirement.

William C. “Billy” Wooldridge (BS ’41, MED ’49) passed away on November 30, 2000 at a Longview nursing home. He retired in 1988 after 52 years of service to public education in Texas. He and Senator A. M. Aikin, of Paris, co-authored the Texas School Act, which guaranteed a quality public education for every child in Texas, as well as the Texas Teacher Retirement System for teachers and administrators.

George T. Cates (BS ’47, MS ’47) died on July 31, 2000 at his ranch in Manchaca, TX. In 1959 he began a 28-year career with the National Federation of Independent Business, where under his leadership, the Texas and South Texas divisions became the most productive in the nation. After his retirement from NFIB, he established his own consulting service, specializing in work with membership-funded organizations.

James Cecil Hanes (BS ’47, MS ’49) passed away on November 17, 2000. He taught and coached for Dalhart ISD and was a principal for the Valley View ISD in Valley View, TX. He was also a farmer and long-time resident of Commerce.

Taylor Norris (BS ’47, MS ’49) passed away on December 4, 2000 in Tyler. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a retired teacher with the Chapel Hill ISD.

O. D. Adair (BS ’48, MS ’51) recently passed away at his home in Burleson. He and his wife taught in public schools in Ennis, Falfurrias, Big Springs, San Angelo, and Fort Worth.

Billy Joe McDowell (BS ’49, MS ’70) passed away on December 30, 2000 in Tyler. He served in the Marine Corp and was awarded the Purple Heart. He taught school in Athens and Mount Pleasant.

Jack P. Newsom (BS ’49) died on December 24, 2000 in Sulphur Springs. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II and was retired from the Sulphur Springs ISD, having taught for more than 33 years. He was also a retired dairyman.

Nancy Elaine Deen Cole (BS ’50) passed away on July 12, 2000.

Derylene Crawford (BS ’50, MED ’58) passed away on February 7, 2001 in Greenville. She taught in the DeSoto ISD for two years, and then moved to Commerce where she was office man- ager for Alumni Records and Services at East Texas State University. She retired in 1988.