2004 Summer Spirit.Pdf

News from the Texas A&M Foundation Summer 2004 ONE SPIRIT In this issue of Spirit, 'rofessor Sam Mannan says, "Engineers must be educat- e, , , ..-,afety culture." Willie Blackmon '73 says, "The track team A&M in 1970, after setting several world records, became a model for the future recruit- ONE VISION ment of African-American athletes." And Professor Carl Pearcy '55 says, "You THE TEXAS A&M CAMPAIGN learn how to do something by doing it, not by watching somebody else do it." 50 Years of Whoop! $200 went pretty far in 1953. For an Aggie back then, it covered room and board for one semester. For 21 A&M alumni and leaders, it was the seed gift that created the Texas A&M Foundation. From that first $200 gift in 1953, Texas A&M Foundation assets have risen to approximately $900 million today. We thank you all for your generosity. Our success cannot be credited to any one person. It is the cumulative efforts of all that have put us where we are today. And it is the cumulative efforts of all that will carry us forward. In celebration of the foundation's 50th birthday, this issue of Spirit highlights Aggies who are embracing 50 in various ways: • A&M in the 1950s thrived on public funding; today's success is fed by private gifts. — page 2 • Jim Keblinger '53 and J.C. Ryan '03 bridge 50 years. — page 6 • Turning 50 takes John Tyler '75 from the courtroom to the classroom. — page 10 • Three former students recount how the "big five-o" changed their Aggie experience. — page 12 • Carl Pearcy '55 honors math mentors of the 1950s. — page 16 Rose Ann McFadden '90, Editor On the cover: A&M Professor Sam Marmon directs the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center. Supported by Houston businessman Mike O'Connor, the center has made .A&M a national leader in process safety engineering. Photo by Allen Pearson. Foundatiun Calendar Summer 2004 1953-2003 I THANK YOU FOR 50 YEARS 2 GOING TO THE SOURCE A Wellspring of Support Produces Torrents 27 ARLM Academic of Success Convocation SEETEMBE.: 6 BRIDGING THE GENERATIONS Carol 8c Jim Keblinger '53 and Their Class 9-10 Architecture Dean's Ext. Advisory Board of '03 Scholar 11 Corps of Cadets 10 PHILOSOPHY: tot President's Brd. of Visitors John Tyler Jr. '75 Takes His Professor to Court 16-17 Mays-Business Alumni 12 TURNING 50 Awards and Dev. Council It's a Whole New (Aggie) Experience 17 Veterinary Medicine Dev. Council 81. Mark 6 THE STUDENT BECOMES THE TEACHER Francis Fellows Event Math Professor Carl Pearcy '55 Honors His Mentors 17 Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Ctr. 8 FOUNDATION NEWS Open House A&M Ranks "Top so" for Alumni 18 Sterling Monument and Corporate Giving Dedication Keeping Pace with Peer Campaigns OCTOBER Foundation Continues Strong in 5oth Year 1 Science Dev. Council New Web Site Opens Window on Gift Planning 1 Look-Engineering Dev. Council 20 GREAT AGGIES 1 Geosciences Scholarship Five Great Aggies. Four Great Ways to Give. Banquet 2 President's Endowed Scholarship Reception 22 Education Dev. Council, Scholarship Luncheon and Awards Night 23 Forsyth Heritage Society Tailgate Party 28 VOLUME VI NO. I Foundation Excellence Award Reception EDITOR PRINTER OFFICERS Spirit is published by the Texas A&M 28 Planned Giving Council Rose Ann McFadden '90 Grover Printing Eddie J. Davis '67 ASM Foundation, the nonprofit corporation 29 ASSISTANT EDITOR Architecture Outstanding President '' " that directs major gift fund raising and Veronica Evans '98 Alumni Banquet BOARD OF TRUSTEES James J. Palincsar manages assets in support of educational excellence at ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Roderick D. Stepp '59 Sr. Vice President Texas A&M. Please direct inquiries to Communications Geer Design Inc. Chairman for Development Office, Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., PHOTOGRAPHY James A. Mayo, Jr. '70 John R. Stropp '66 College Station TX 77840-2811, 979-845-8161 or 800- 4 Agriculture Development Allen Pearson, p. 2-4 Chairman-elect Sr. Vice President 392-3310, [email protected] . Tax and legal infor- Council Scott Kohn, p. 6, 8,10 Jerry S. Cox '72 for Administration mation in this newsletter is for educational purposes 17 One Spirit One Vision Aggieland Yearbook, James A. Creel '69 & Operations only and should be examined by independent legal p.22-15 Albuquerque Kickoff Jesse W Curlee '67 Liska E Lusk counsel due to possible differences in local laws and Mark Beal, p. 16 Robert W Harvey '77 Vice President individual needs. APRII 2.•n 05 Jim LaCombe,p. 2 0 Ray A. Rothrock '77 & General Counsel Bob J. Surovik '58 Doyle Thompson 1-2 Architecture "Second Trustee-elect Vice President Century Celebration" 8c Controller COPYRIGHT 0 2004 TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION the Source by Molly Glentzer A&M in the 1950s thrived on public funding; today's success is fed by private gifts. Dr. Robert Reid, distinguished professor emeritus of oceanograpig (above), and chemical engineering professor Dr. Sam Mannan (right) Texas A&M Foundation 2 "A river starts somewhere," chemical engineering professor Both Reid and Mannan have built programs from Dr. Sam Mannan often tells his students."You may see it at the ground up. Both know the satisfaction of helping their some point in its journey where it's powerful, but where it students launch illustrious careers. But their rivers of work started is a critical issue." Dr. Robert Reid, distinguished began almost 5o years apart, and the "wellsprings" that professor emeritus of oceanography, would certainly agree. support their projects today flow at quite different rates. Both men are leaders in their fields, and their research Reid was one of Texas A&M's first oceanographers, directly benefits society. Reid's storm surge forecasting and recruited in 1950 from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography coastal engineering work have enabled coastal communi- after consulting on an A&M Research Foundation project ties to better prepare for hurricanes. Mannan created the sponsored by United Gas Pipeline. The Department of nation's first centralized safety database for the propane indus- Oceanography was barely a year old then. Over the years, try, a database designed to help prevent chemical disasters. Reid not only helped build a strong academic program, he 3 Spirit • Summer 2 004 JULY I - DECEMBER 31, 2003 ONE SPIRIT A&M ONEVISION founded and edited the Journal of Physical Oceanography and served as department head. The honor roll lists donors He "sort of retired" from full-time teach- who have made gifts or com- ing in 1987 but continues to serve on doc- mitments of $25,000 or toral and masters' committees. (He's overseen more through the Texas A&M Foundation. This issue recog- nearly ioo advanced degree theses.) Reid's nizes gifts made from July 1- former students include many leading pro- December 31, 2002. Donors fessionals. Among them are former directors are grouped into two, alpha- of the Naval Meteorology & Oceanography betical lists: "Individuals" and Command and the Institute of Geophysics "Corporations & Organi- at the University of Tokyo, and A&M Distin- zations." guished Professor Worth Nowlin '58, '6o and '66. Ethel & Peter R. Arguindegui, Jr. '53 In the first 30 years of his career, Reid's research in storm Ethel Ec Pete Arguindegui, Jr. '53 surg(: tofecasting, coastai engincei mg, tidal theory and ocean circulation President's Endowed Scholarship was often supported by public entities such as the National Science Barbara Ann & Dionel E. Aviles '53 Foundation. Today, private gifts play the lead role in advancing A&M. Barbara Sc Dionel E. Aviles '53 General Rudder Corps Scholarship Barbara Ec Dionel E. Aviles '53 President's Endowed Scholarship Claudia A. Baird Claudia Baird Endowed Fund - College of Veterinag Medicine Mary W. Barnhill '76 Mag Barnhill Endowed Scholarship—College of Agriculture Sc Life Sciences/College of Education Sc Human Development Deborah F. '76 & John E. Bethancourt '74 Deborah F. '76 SC J o hn E. Bethancourt '74 President's Endowed Scholarship Joyce & John R. Birdwell '53 Gift Annuity—College of Engineering/Texas A&M Foundation Texas AcM Foundation 4 Rosalie & Clifton J. Bolner '49 Beverly Bolner '82 Endowed Opportuniy Award Scholarship Mayi Beth Bolner '88 Endowed Opportuniy Award Scholarship Michael Bolner '73 Endowed Opportuniy Award Scholarship Cindy Bolner Meeh '78 Endowed Opportuniy Award Scholarship In the first 30 years of his career, Reid's "Process safety is part of the core chemical Betty & William H. Bowie '43 George Bush School Fund research in storm surge forecasting, coastal engineering curriculum [for undergraduates]. Texas A&M Foundation engineering, tidal theory and ocean circula- That has important ramifications because Kay H. & James A. Broaddus tion was often supported by public entities we graduate a significant number of engi- Horn C. Holmes '41 Memorial Sul such as the U.S. Office of Naval Research neers nationally," Mannan says. "On a soci- Ross Scholarship and the National Science Foundation. etal basis, engineers must be educated in Corey C. Brown '92 Today, support from those sources has safety—not just in process design, but in Glasscock Graduate Scholars Fund slowed to a trickle. "We still get National building a good safety culture." LTC Travis V. Buchanan '39 Science Foundation funds, but the competi- The specter of international terrorism Texas A&M Universiy tion is very intense," Reid says. "It used to be a has made the Center's work even more Virginia & Cuthbert C. Burton '42 shoo-in, but you really have to scramble now." immediate. "In some ways, safety is synony- Gift Annuiy In contrast, Mannan's work is attract- mous with security. The more inherently James J.

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