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DR. RALPH H. POTEET HIGH SCHOOL

Dr. Poteet (MED ’61, PHD ‘68) started out in Mesquite, Texas, as a teacher and coach and quickly became a leader in the school system. He was named superintendent in 1964 and served until 1986. The district reports that his vision of excellence, financial
wizardry, foresight, and expertise in operational efficiencies formed the foundation for long-term progress in MISD.

Of the five public high schools in Mesquite, only two are named for people rather than for their location. Both of the schools named for individuals are A&MCommerce Alumni. You’ll find the second Alumni titled high school, Horn High School, listed below.

CLARENCE G. ALLEN STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

Dr. Allen graduated from what was then East Texas Normal School during Professor Mayo’s time and then went on to medical school. He came back to Commerce and served as the school physician during the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Wife Coye was an Alumna (BS ’32, MS ’62) who went on to become the Dean of Women and was a campus institution in her own right. The Clarence G. Allen facility is located on the west side of Henderson Hall.

ARNOLD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Located in Grand Prairie, Texas, Arnold Middle School is named after Mr. Bill Arnold (BS ’50, MED ’53). It was 1954 when he began his career as a teacher for the district. By the time he retired after 32 years there, he was deputy superintendent. (He did not leave the superintendency for leisurely pursuits, however. He retired after having been elected to the Texas Legislature, where he served during the 70th, 71st, and 72nd sessions.)

ELAINE BALLARD ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

With more than 15 years at the helm of schools in Paris, Texas, Elaine (MS ’68) is the longest-serving female superintendent of schools in the state. She has more than 33 years in at Paris ISD, having worked as an elementary teacher, curriculum director, principal, and, now, as superintendent.

LLOYD BOZE SECONDARY LEARNING CENTER

The Boze Secondary Learning Center is named after Lloyd Boze (BS ’39) who was an administrator with the Grand Prairie ISD for 27 years. Mr. Boze began his employment in 1952 as principal and retired in 1978 as an assistant superintendent. The school was dedicated in his honor in 2001. And get this: Of the four schools recently dedicated in Grand Prairie, three are named for Alumni of A&M-Commerce.

KATHRYN WOLFE CRISWELL ELEMENTARY

Kathryn Wolfe Criswell graduated from high school in Quinlan, Texas, in January of 1927 and began teaching there that spring. She graduated from East Texas State University in 1939. In her career that spanned nearly 40 years, she was known as an unassuming woman devoted to her students. So says the district in Forney, Texas, which has dedicated an elementary school to her.

HENDERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The newest school in Forney, which is east of Dallas, was dedicated in November. The ceremony was a double-Alumni dedication, as the school is named for the Hendersons, a couple who graduated from East Texas State Teachers College, as the University was known at the time. Johnnie Henderson (BS ’48, MS ’50) coached a championship football team in Forney and eventually became the district’s superintendent. In 2001 A&M-Commerce named him an Outstanding Alumni Coach. Johnnie’s wife of 57 years , Evelyn C. Young Henderson (BS ’48, MS ’50), also was a Forney fixture, having served 20 of her 35 years as a teacher there.

DR. JOHN D. HORN HIGH SCHOOL

Located in Mesquite, Texas, Horn High School was dedicated in 2001 in honor of John Horn (BS ’63, MED ’66). Among his honors are being named Texas Superintendent of the Year. Of course his highest honor came from A&M-Commerce, which in 2002 named him a Distinguished Alumnus.

Horn High School

C.J. & ANNE HYMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

JERRY D. KEEBLE EARLY CHILDHOOLD/ PREKINDERGARTEN CENTER

This facility in Houston’s Aldine ISD was named in 1998 for Jerry Keeble (BS ’59). It serves prekindergarten-age students with a Montessori curriculum. By the time Jerry retired in 1991 after 30 years with Aldine ISD, he had become the district’s financial specialist. Jerry’s wife, Theta, graduated from A&M-Commerce the same year as her husband, then joined him as a teacher in the Aldine district for 30 years.

JAMES & MARGIE MARION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Margie Marion received her master’s in library science from East Texas State University in 1971. She taught in the Allen School District from 1964 until she retired in 1990 as the district’s head librarian. She was, in fact, the district’s first full-time librarian. Because both Margie and her husband, James, spent their careers in Allen, the district honored them recently by naming its new elementary school for the two. “Margie has fond memories of her time at East Texas,” said her daughterin- law, Kim Marion (BS ’81, MED ’92), “and certainly in her long career, touched the lives of thousands of children.”

MCDOWELL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

The BA building on the A&M-Commerce campus is actually named for two Alumni—the husband-and-wife duo of F.H. “Bub” (BA ’38, MS ‘42) and Martha Jo McDowell (BS ’37, MS ’69). In 1936 Bub came as a student to East Texas State Teachers College, where he played quarterback on two

championship teams. In 1938 he was appointed ET’s assistant business manager, a position he held until he entered the service in 1942. In 1946 he returned to ET, becoming business manager and, later, comptroller. In 1972 the Board of Regents selected Bub as University president, an office he held until retiring in 1982 at the age of 70. Martha Jo was a longtime secretary here and served as the executive administrative assistant to two presidents even as she earned her master’s. She ultimately became a faculty member in the College of Business Administration. Since the BA building where she taught is also where the presidential offices are, it’s especially fitting that particular building is named for the McDowells.

SAM RAYBURN MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER
Built in 1963 under the leadership of University President James Gee, it was named for the man who was Speaker of the House longer than anyone. But signage on the facility didn’t include Mr. Rayburn’s name until after President Gee retired—purportedly because he was not on the best of terms with Speaker Rayburn.

ERVIN C. WHITT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Most schools in Grand Prairie, Texas, are named for Texas heroes such as Lorenzo de Zavala and David Crockett or for national figures such as U.S. presidents. When the district decided local educators also should be eligible to be recognized as heroes, the name of Ervin Whitt (MED ’51) was at the top of the list. He was one of the district’s most beloved longtime administrators, said a spokesman. At the school’s dedication ceremony, it was said that Ervin often went beyond the call of duty, graciously serving as everything from custodian and coach to principal and superintendent.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO LET US KNOW
WHO ELSE HAS MADE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES!

Do you know other Alumni who have had a building named for them? Send us the facts, including contact information for verification, and we’ll include the updated list in an upcoming Pride. See page 2 for how to reach us.