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Texas Democratic Chairwoman Molly Beth Beene Malcolm has resigned the post, telling reporters she wants to spend more time with her family. She attended A&MCommerce 1973-’75. Molly was the first woman ever to hold the office. Rep. Martin Frost of Arlington, the state’s senior elected Democrat, praised Molly Beth’s tenure in office. “I just hope the party will find someone who has the time and the energy to devote to the job. Molly Beth worked it fulltime,” he told reporters.

Helen Grace Goule (BA ’26)—1-14-02. She was an English major.

Hazel Minter Ward (BA ’34)—8-10-03. She was a former Austin resident who was a member of the United Methodist Church, The Waverly Club and the Woman’s Forum.

Roxie Elaine Whistler Day (BA ’36)—10-1-03. After retiring from teaching in Seattle in 1982, she did volunteer work.

Dr. Alfred Timothy Little (BS ’37, MS ‘46)—9-1-03. He was a retired director of the Texas Education Agency and was listed in Who’s Who in American Education.

Virgil Green (BA ’38, MA ‘51)—11-10 - 03. She was a longtime English teacher in Corpus Christi, TX.

Aerlyn Augusta Hatter Harris (BA ‘41)—10-5-03. She was a volunteer and a member of the Baptist Church and the Coterie Club in Commerce.

Hubert Leon Shields (BS ’41)—8-19-01. He was an agricultural sciences major.

Ethylleen Morrison (BS ’42, MS ‘50)—9-11-03. She was a home economics teacher at Marshall High School and a community volunteer.

Marion “Press” Presswood (BS ’42)—9-21-03. He was among eight celebrated Presswood children who graduated from the University. Marion served in WWII and was a prisoner of war. In 1980 he retired from the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana. He is the third of the Presswood family to pass away: His older sister, Louise Presswood Finley (BS ’43) died in 1994, and an older brother, Clarence Presswood (BA ’48, MS ’49), died in 2000.

Mary Beth Mason Wortham (BA ’42)—8-8-03. “Books are the best means that man has found to stay the sweeping scythe of time…” she wrote as editor-in-chief of the 1942 University yearbook, the Locust. After graduating, she worked at several college campuses before moving to Fort Worth with her husband. There she helped organize the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Tarrant County and was its first president.

Hershel Wayne Shelton (BA ’48, MED ‘65)—9-8-03. He was a math major who got his master’s in secondary education.

Jimmie Claud Bass (BS ’49)—9-19-03. He was retired from LTV Aerospace and Defense.

David F. Ibbotson (BS ’49)—9-6-03. He was valedictorian at ET and had retired as a civilian personnel officer from Dyess Air Force Base.

Robert Henry Bradford (BS ’53, MS ‘55)—10-12-02. He majored in industry & technology and secondary education.

James C. Willis (BS ’50, MED ‘53)—8-21-03. He served as principal and superintendent at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and at Lajes Field in the Azores. He then became an education specialist in Washington, D.C. and Pensacola, FL, before being promoted to chief of logistics in London. After retiring from education, he served as a municipal judge of Atlanta, serving 1988-’95.

Dr. Marvin William Kirkman (BS ’53,MED ’58)—9-24-03. He had a 35 year career in education, including 13 years as superintendent of Calhoun County (TX) ISD. He helped develop the NOVA doctoral program that allowed educators to work toward doctorate degrees without taking leave from their jobs. He also was active in civic affairs, including the chamber of commerce, Boy Scouts, and Lions Club.

Marion Manoah Pruitt (MED ’54)—8-25-03. He was an Air Corps veteran who had earned several medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a dairy and cattle farmer in northern Hunt County, where he was active in the Lions and on the school board. He also served as the mayor of Celeste, TX, in the 1980s.

Ernest Hill (MED ‘57)—10-1-03. He was principal of Rowlett Elementary School for nearly 25 years, then was director of instructional services for Dallas County schools until he retired in 1980.

David Curtis Spivey (BS ‘57)—10-29-03. He was a veteran and an accountant who owned his own company.

Raymond O. Bennington (BS ‘59)—5-03. He was a lieutenant colonel living in Littleton, CO.

Orrin Smith Kiker Jr. (BS ’59, MED ‘60)—10-1-03. He was a longtime faculty member at the University of North Texas, first as a News Service photographer and then as publications photography adviser. He ultimately focused on teaching photojournalism, which he did with a skill that won him a number of honors.

Gailya “Gay” Farell Blanton (BS ‘60)—11-9-03. After teaching third grade in Richardson, TX, she was a realtor for more than 25 years.

Lenore Bland Brown Nichol (BA ‘60)—9-16-03. She retired in 1986 after teaching for 26 years and being named Outstanding American History Teacher of Texas by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1985. She went on to supervise student teachers at Texas Christian University.

John E. McAlister (BS ’61)—8-1-03. He was a veteran and a lead resource conservationist with the National Resource Conservation Service.

Helen Maddoux Rodgers (BS ’61, MED ‘70)—8-1-03. She was active in the Southern Gospel Music Association and was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Honor in 1998 in recognition of more than 50 years of teaching, playing and singing southern gospel music. In 1987 she retired as a counselor at Paris (TX) High School.

John Franklin Webb (BBA ‘61)—10-29-03. He worked for life insurance companies and specialized in financial planning issues. He also was a volunteer at Scottish Rite Hospital.

Lois Glenn Maberry Willingham (MED ‘63)—11-1-03. She taught in Mesquite (TX) ISD for 27 years and held a life membership in the PTA.

Jerry D. Grainger (BS ’64, MS ‘67)—8-15-03. He was a longtime educator, civic leader, and the former mayor of Daingerfield, TX. He was named the Region VIII Educator of the Year in 1990 and ’91.

Lee Roberts (BS ’64, MED ‘68)—9-22-03. He retired from teaching in Dallas, then from his work as a medical technician at Baylor University Medical Center.

Ruth Vanell Peevy Bacon (BS ‘67)—10-11-03. She taught for 32 years and was a master quilter.

Michael G. Davis (MS ’67)—11-19-78. He was an agricultural sciences major who lived in New Boston, TX.

Virgie Marie Craig (MS ’70)—9-27-03. She was a longtime teacher in both public schools and in Sunday school.

Ginny L. Weaver White (MED ‘72)—10-7-03. She was a teacher in the Dallas ISD for more than 34 years.

Charlene E. Willis Wisdom (BS ’72, MED ‘78)—8-29-03. She majored in
elementary education.

Bradley Mills Jr. (MS ’73)—8-9-03. He had been a coach at ET and finished his coaching career at Lewisville, TX.

Derek Neitzel (BS ‘82)—4-20-03. A Fort Worth resident, he had majored in agricultural science.

Emily A. Rousseau Moore (MS ‘85)—7-19-03. She earned her degree here in educational administration.

Billy F. Tyler (MBA ‘94)—8-23-03. He retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy and was a Vietnam veteran.

Brian Scott Howard (student)—10-25-03. He was 19 years old and a 2002 graduate of Greenville (TX) High School.

Zachary Wayne Yancy (student)—11-4-03. He was a 2003 graduate of Greenville High School and a computer science major at A&M Commerce.

Earnie Daniel—9-2-03. He taught social science and anthropology here in the ‘70s and, according to friends loved ET and spoke often of his tenure here. In 1999 he retired from Mack Trucks Parts Division and was an advocate for several social causes, especially the preservation of endangered species.

Ford Winston Hall

One of only five people with the prestigious title of Privileged Director of the A&M-Commerce Foundation Board died in November in Dallas. Ford W. Hall (BA ’40) was an active member of the board from 1985 until 1999, culminating a lifetime of involvement in the University from which he graduated as valedictorian in 1940. Ford was born Feb. 14, 1920. He was selected as a student in the University’s Training School, which was a laboratory for future teachers. As a Training School senior, he played quarterback and was captain on the school’s football team, the Cubs.

He then began his higher education at the University—known at the time as East Texas State Teachers College—pursuing his major in political science.

In his senior year, Ford was elected president of the senior class. As such, he determined to organize a project that would benefit the student union building on campus. Ford settled on commissioning a portrait of Sam Rayburn, the famed Alumnus who served as Speaker of the U.S. House longer than anyone and for whom today’s Memorial Student Center is named. The large portrait of Mr. Sam that today hangs inside the second-floor east entrance to the MSC is the result of Ford’s campaign.

After graduating from ET, Ford went on to Tulane Law School, but his education there was interrupted by WWII and his service in the U.S. Navy. Afterward Ford returned to Tulane, where he edited the law review and graduated cum laude in 1946.

After a stint as a law professor and a year at Harvard earning his master of laws, he launched a long and successful career as a corporate attorney with Southwestern Bell. He began as assistant general attorney in the Dallas office and later served as general attorney for the entire state. Ultimately he was promoted to General Solicitor for Texas.

In 1962 Ford was elected president of the A&M-Commerce Alumni Association and in 1978 was chosen as the University’s Distinguished Alumnus.

He retired from Southwestern Bell in 1985 after a 33-year legal career with the company.

In 1991, he and is wife of 59 years, Margaret, were inducted into the Founder’s Circle, an honor reserved for those who have provided extraordinary financial support to the University.

Illness prevented his attendance at this year’s Homecoming, possibly the first he had missed since getting out of the Navy, friends say.

He died three days after Homecoming, on Nov. 4, and is interred at Rosemound Cemetery in Commerce. Longtime friend Raymond Cameron (BS ’40) said that although Ford’s education and career had taken him nationwide, he had stipulated that he wanted to be buried in Commerce where his roots were.

Memorials may be made to the A&M-Commerce Foundation.

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