Tarleton Magazine - Spring & Summer 2019

tarleton state

An influential and enthusiastic leader

F. Dominic Dottavio, 15th President of Tarleton State University, is stepping down

11 years.

A LETTER

FROM TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM CHANCELLOR JOHN SHARP

Every now and then someone comes along to ride the river with. Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio is such a person.

Dominic is one of the best presidents of any university in Texas, giving more than a decade of exceptional service and leadership to Tarleton. He has inspired, encouraged and engaged others to do more and be more.

He steps down as Tarleton’s 15th president at the end of August to serve as a full-time faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he has had an appointment as a tenured professor since coming to the university. He also will assist the Division of Institutional Advancement.

Tarleton’s transformation over the past decade is evidence of Dominic’s passion for higher education and his commitment to helping students realize their academic dreams.

Working with dedicated faculty and staff, and with support from The Texas A&M University System, Dominic has accomplished much: 35 new academic programs, including Tarleton’s first Ph.D., a new college and several new schools; transformation of the physical campus infrastructure with new buildings, pedestrian malls and green spaces; and impressive progress in efforts to foster student success.

Read more about the man behind these accomplishments in this issue of the Tarleton State University Magazine. You will discover how Dominic and team have worked hard to continue the vision of the university’s founder, John Tarleton, to create an institution where students have access to an education that improves lives — theirs and those around them. It is a dream propelled by the core values that Dominic has fused into everything Tarleton: A commitment for Tarleton to be the premier student-focused university in Texas and beyond.

Enrollment has nearly doubled under Dominic’s watch, and high-demand academic programs are now offered in Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and Bryan. Later this summer, we’ll celebrate Tarleton’s opening of a stunning new campus in Fort Worth, a $54 million Engineering Building in Stephenville, and an expanded and renovated Memorial Stadium.

Tarleton has the best graduation rates in the A&M System among regionals and the lowest cost per student. Donations have increased 78 percent under Dominic’s leadership, and the university’s endowment is up 81 percent.

Because of Dominic and dedicated faculty and staff, Tarleton is stronger than ever. If the past is prologue, Tarleton’s future is bright.

A profound thank you, Dominic, for all you’ve done. Best wishes for your continued future with the A&M System. There is much to anticipate in the years to come.

Because of Dominic and dedicated faculty and staff, Tarleton is stronger than ever. If the past is prologue, Tarleton’s future is bright.

JOHN SHARP

PAVING THE

PURPLE WAY

TARLETON INVESTS IN TCC PARTNERSHIP, SHARED SPACE

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in January gave Tarleton the go-ahead to invest $2 million toward space upgrades at Tarrant County College’s Trinity River Campus.

Tarleton will use a portion of the renovated space on the fifth floor of TCC’s Trinity River West Fork Building to provide upper-level classes, continuing a long-standing pact with TCC that includes dual admission, transfer agreements, a financial aid consortium and use of space at Tarleton’s locations in Fort Worth.

TARLETON RECEIVES BCBSTX GRANT TO RESEARCH FRAUD IN HEALTHCARE CLAIMS

Tarleton and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas announced a collaboration in March for an advanced research project aimed at fraud detection in healthcare claims.

With a $1 million grant from BCBSTX, researchers in Tarleton’s Data Analytics Institute will study healthcare claims and develop methods to identify fraud using specialized systems and software.

In addition to the partnership with Tarleton, BCBSTX is working with 10 other research institutions across Texas to study a range of challenges, from behavioral health to improving vaccine adherence to expanding access to education for medical professionals.

NEW TARLETON CENTER TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTHCARE SHORTAGE

A new center offering psychological consultations and behavioral health resources for children and their families is taking shape at Tarleton, after the federal government designated Stephenville as having a provider shortage for mental health services.

When it opens in the fall, the Tarleton Center for Child Well-Being hopes to provide prevention, psychological and consultation services at a reasonable cost by utilizing supervised trainees in service delivery. The center will be a training site for a variety of graduate and undergraduate endeavors, providing internship opportunities and a research environment for faculty and students.

Spearheaded by Dr. Stephanie Robertson, a licensed psychologist and licensed specialist in school psychology, the Center for Child Well-Being is a collaboration between Tarleton’s departments of Psychological Sciences, Social Work, Educational Diagnostics and Counseling. It has been in the works for two years and is patterned after a similar program at Florida State University.

TARLETON APPROVED FOR UNIVERSITY’S FIRST PH.D. PROGRAM

Tarleton has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for its first Ph.D. program. The doctor of philosophy in criminal justice begins this fall.

The Ph.D. will increase Tarleton’s degree offerings to 100. One of those is a doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D.). The new Ph.D. will combine criminology, criminal justice and strategic studies in a single, unique degree offered by Tarleton’s School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Strategic Studies within its College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

To be taught weekends at Tarleton’s Fort Worth campus, the Ph.D. entails 66 credit hours and offers specializations in predictive and analytical policing.

TARLETON DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS RECEIVES LAMAR MEDAL

Longtime Texas businessman and Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus Mike A. Myers has received the prestigious Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal.

Created in 1977 and named for the second president of the Republic of Texas, the medal goes annually to individuals, foundations and organizations for extraordinary contributions and service to higher education in Texas.

Myers, chairman and owner of Myers Financial Corp. in Dallas for more than 50 years, was nominated by Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio, UT Austin President Gregory Fenves and Chancellor Joe May with the Dallas County Community College District. Members of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, and the Texas Association of Community Colleges bestowed the honor.

Myers is a founder of the Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc., and a lifetime member of the Tarleton Alumni Association. In 2016 he donated $2.4 million to help renovate and expand Tarleton’s Memorial Stadium.

Tarleton honored Myers as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1978 and Ring of Honor recipient in 2004. He received the President’s All-Purple Award and was inducted into the Tarleton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. He was presented the President’s Legacy Award for Excellence through Leadership in 2016, and will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters at summer 2019 commencement ceremonies for his philanthropic support.

TARLETON GIVING DAY DONATIONS TOP $500,000

Donors answered the challenge to “Be the Reason” as collections topped a half-million dollars in Tarleton’s fourth annual Giving Day.

The 24-hour online fundraising challenge April 16 raised $503,282 to beat last year’s total by more than $100,000. Since the event started three years ago, university alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends have given more than $1.25 million to Tarleton colleges, programs, scholarships or activities of their choosing.

In all, donors this year contributed 810 gifts to benefit 194 university and student programs.

Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus Mike A. Myers

Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio accepts a Giving Day 2019 donation from TexasBank representatives L.V. Coffee and Kelli Raymond on behalf of the James and Dorothy Doss Foundation.

CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH SERVICE

by Sarah Bahari

Tarleton State University believes service can transform lives. Service is one of the university’s six core values. It helps shape the lives of students and the ways in which they view themselves and the world.

‘WHAT YOU SCATTER’

Pamela Barnes Class of 2019

Pamela Barnes saw firsthand the hardships some children in Texas face.

A Tarleton criminal justice graduate, Barnes has worked and volunteered in law enforcement for more than two decades.

She now serves on the Freestone County Child Protective Services board, which provides children in the foster system things they need, from school clothing and supplies to car seats and Christmas toys.

“Helping people is addictive,” she says. “It changes you. You want to keep going and do more for people.”

Barnes began her law enforcement career as a correctional officer for the state before becoming a jailer and reserve deputy for the Freestone County Sheriff’s Office. After that, she worked for the District Attorney’s Office as courthouse chief of security.

She now serves as a county constable, an elected position, and says serving is not always easy.

“There are times kids and families slip through the cracks. It tears you up. You feel like you can’t go on. But other times it

is so fulfilling, and you know what you are doing matters.”

In 2017 Barnes formed her own nonprofit, Broken Crayons Restoration Life Center, which aims to engage, enrich and empower families. Eventually, she hopes to open a residential center for children in the foster system.

“Life isn’t about what you gather, but what you scatter. That is my motto,” she says. “You’ll be remembered by what you do for others.”

SURPRISE BENEFIT

Kimberly Eickholt Class of 2011

Kimberly Eickholt wanted to be a counselor so she could help people.

But as a graduate student in the counseling program at Tarleton, she wondered if she had chosen the right field. Then she started her graduate field placement at The Art Station, a Fort Worth nonprofit that provides art therapy.

“Having the opportunity to apply the skills I have learned and help real people completely changed my perspective,” she says. “Now I know counseling is a field I could pursue.”

At The Art Station, Eickholt teaches art lessons to people from age 5 to 65 and trains interns. Therapeutic lessons include drawing, painting, making pottery and creating three-dimensional projects like fidget spinners.

Many of her clients are children who struggle with anxiety and depression. Art, she says, can help them identify and express feelings, enhance social and problem-solving skills, increase self-esteem and develop coping strategies.

And volunteering at The Art Station even provided a surprise benefit. “It changed me, too. It has made me calmer and more peaceful.”

Eickholt is president of Theta Sigma Upsilon, Tarleton’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society for counseling students, counselor educators and professional counselors. She’s working to increase membership in the young honor society and expand its role in the community.

“My field placement gave me a sense of ownership in the community,” she says. “I’m making a difference and working on something that will still be there even after I have moved on.”

LEGACY OF SERVICE

Megan Heard Class of 2019

Megan Heard wants to inspire others to serve. For the past three years, Heard was student director of Tarleton Round Up, a student-led day of service in Stephenville. Every year about 1,500 volunteers wash windows, rake leaves, paint structures and otherwise clean up the town.

“We want to make sure that Stephenville knows how grateful we are,” she says. “This is our way to give back and say thank you.”

Heard, a senior studying animal science, is an intern in Tarleton’s Leadership and Service Office. She says she was drawn to the role as a way to give back to her university.

“Tarleton has given me so much. I want to help build this legacy of service for future generations. Learning to serve with our peers and pour out everything we have is life changing.”

In March, Heard took service a step further, traveling to Panama City, Fla., to provide hurricane disaster relief as part of Tarleton’s Alternative Spring Break program. She and 37 other Tarleton students volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian aid organization.

The student volunteers repaired fences, hauled debris and picked up tree limbs from seven sites in Hurricane Michael’s path.

“Being able to help people who had lost so much was incredible,” Heard says. “I have all of these blessings, so why not give them away?”

Heard encourages all students to volunteer.

“There are a million ways to serve and get involved on campus. You don’t need a mile-long résumé to help. You just have to show up.”

CONSER VATION

drives Tarleton professor

by Sarah Bahari

Dr. T. Wayne Schwertner grew up hunting, fishing and exploring the great outdoors in his native Texas.

His love of nature would eventually become his professional passion.

As a wildlife ecologist and conservationist, Schwertner works to ensure that future generations can fall in love with the natural world the same way he did.

“I care about nature not only because it is something we have inherited as stewards, but also because plants and animals make this planet livable,” says Schwertner, who heads the Department of Wildlife, Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences at Tarleton. “If we lose those, our planet becomes unlivable for all of us.”

Schwertner has studied wildlife around the world. In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, he helped implement the first statewide survey of the white-tipped dove. He has studied guinea fowl and snakes in Swaziland, researched the movement of fruit bats in Africa, and analyzed reptiles in Nevada.

Developing effective methods to conserve the species is always the goal.

“My children’s generation could be the last to live on a planet with rhinos and tigers. I want generations of kids to have everything I grew up loving,” he says. “That commitment to conservation keeps me going.”

Schwertner works closely with Tarleton graduate students, who travel to Africa with him every summer for research. Students are almost always the lead authors on his research papers.

“My job is guidance and mentorship,” he says. “Students drive the research and publication.”

Schwertner worked with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department before coming to Tarleton in 2008, and he recently received Tarleton’s Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award. He says teaching has enabled him to expand his body of work.

“However good a wildlife biologist I could be, there is only one of me. But if I can train just one good wildlife biologist a year, there will eventually be 20 of me. That is incredibly rewarding.”

President F. Dominic Dottavio delivers opening remarks at Tarleton’s convocation ceremony.

Hail to the chief

Dottavio prepares to step down as president after 11 years.

by Phil Riddle

Dottavio leaves a legacy of growth.

arleton State University President F. Dominic Dottavio remembers his first day on the job. It was 11 years ago.

“There were many activities scheduled on my first day as president,” he recalls. “It was an opportunity to meet with people from across the campus to say hello and to let them know I hoped to be an engaged, involved president.”

More than a decade later and with a litany of high-profile achievements, Dottavio is stepping down at the end of August.

“Lisette and I have talked for a number of months about when the right time might be for me to step down as president so that it works best for the university and our future plans. While I am not retiring, we think the time to step away is now.”

Dottavio came to Tarleton from the presidency of Heidelberg University, a 169-year-old private college in Tiffin, Ohio. Prior to that, he led the Marion campus of The Ohio State University.

He began working much earlier, however, delivering the TV Guide and newspapers in his hometown of Massillon, Ohio, with an athletic future in mind.

“At a young age, many boys think they will be a policeman, a fireman or a coach,” he says. “I always thought baseball would be great fun. I quickly outlived that idea. Eventually, I viewed myself as having a life associated with the outdoors.”

To that end, he worked at a golf driving range and a miniature golf course for two summers and at a tree farm for several years as a high school and college student.

Dreams of a career outdoors led him to his first “professional job” with the U.S. Forest Service. His assignment: collect leaf samples from some of the tallest oak trees in Connecticut decimated by gypsy moths.

“My job was to randomly get to the last leaf on 60- to 80-foottall oak trees and collect it for analysis. I had a partner on the ground who would roll a die as I climbed, and if it was an odd number we followed the left fork of the tree; if even, we took the right fork. Regardless, you had to work your way to the last leaf and collect it. I learned a lot about overcoming fear of heights, climbing trees and agility that summer.”

Dottavio’s passion for the environment and natural resources led to a 13-year career with the National Park Service, where he acquired lessons he used as an educator.

“Certainly, my time with the National Park Service served me well over the years. I learned valuable lessons on the need for informed, civil debate on a wide variety of controversial natural resource and environmental issues. These lessons transferred to my time as a college president.”

Known for his positive demeanor, Dottavio credits the campus environment for his optimism and upbeat attitude.

“Tarleton students enthusiastically embrace our traditions and core values. The faculty and staff heartily endorse our vision to be the premier student-focused university in Texas and beyond and work diligently to influence the success of our students.

“Those traits are contagious. It’s pretty easy to maintain my enthusiasm when I see the pride our faculty, staff, students and alumni have for this university.”

As would be expected, many of Dottavio’s best memories of Tarleton revolve around annual happenings.

“Every commencement — we do up to 15 a year — is special because of the enthusiasm and excitement you see in the graduates, their families, parents and friends. That is really why we are here — to see our students succeed and cross the stage with diploma in hand, with the education they earned. “I have participated in dozens of commencement ceremonies, and every one is special because it reflects what any university should be about, the success of our students.”

The myriad university traditions have earned a place in his heart.

“Homecoming Week is always special. I have not seen any place celebrate homecoming with the enthusiasm we have at Tarleton and with the unique traditions that accompany it — launching the ducks, Silver Bugle Hunt, purple pancakes and bonfire. Although the candle lighting ceremony at convocation and Silver Taps are not during Homecoming Week, they are the most meaningful and impactful traditions of the university. They define the beginning and end of a person’s time as a Tarleton Texan.”

As he counts down the final few weeks of his presidency,

Dottavio during a friendly feud with leadership team member, Nicki Turner, at Duck Camp. Insider scoop: Payback after Turner accidently spilled baby oil on Dottavio’s pants. You know that’s not coming out.

Dottavio with Angelique Romike-Duran during ROTC oath.

Dottavio reflects on his favorite memories, many from the early days of his campus leadership, including moving Tarleton Central Texas to status as a freestanding university — Texas A&M-Central Texas.

“There are not many times you have the opportunity in a career or the history of a university to create a new university,” he said. “I think that is something the entire Tarleton family should be very proud of, knowing they had a hand in that historic event.”

He also remembers fondly the 2017 year long Centennial Celebration as a founding member of The Texas A&M University System, highlighted by hosting the Board of Regents and dedicating Rudder Way and the statue of its namesake, Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder.

“Rudder Way and Texan Trace are special not only for the physical transformation they bring to the campus, but also because they memorialize the core values of the university while highlighting the contributions of a Tarleton alumnus, World War II hero and former chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.”

As he prepares to pack boxes and transition to the next chapter in his life, has the president made any plans for his first days away from the office? Indeed, he has.

There’s that bucket-list vacation to the only state he has not visited.

“Instead of going off on a fancy cruise or across the world to some exotic place, Lisette and I are going to check off North Dakota as a place we’ve been. We look forward to visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park and whatever other great features that state has to offer.”

After August, Dottavio will be a faculty member in Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he has had an appointment as a tenured professor since coming to the university. He also will assist the Division of Institutional Advancement in friendship and fundraising activities.

“Tarleton is well positioned for a very bright future,” he says. “The next president will find a place that can continue to grow, expand programs and focus on student success.”

Dottavio leaves a legacy of growth.

During his tenure, Tarleton’s enrollment has nearly doubled, and high-demand academic programs are now offered in Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, Bryan and online.

A recent report lists Tarleton seventh among American universities in application growth. The A&M System recognizes it as a model for increasing retention and graduation rates.

Dottavio with Tarleton football team members after the Texans claim the program’s first outright Lone Star Conference Championship.

Drs. F. Dominic and Lisette Dottavio

Under Dottavio, Tarleton has added more than 35 academic programs, a College of Health Sciences and Human Services, a School of Nursing, a School of Engineering, a School of Kinesiology, and a School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Strategic Studies.

The university’s first Ph.D. — a doctor of philosophy in criminal justice — begins this fall, and the university opens the first building of its planned Fort Worth campus in August.

Besides Tarleton’s new home in Fort Worth, Dottavio has worked with elected and A&M system officials on more than $400 million in construction and expansion projects, including a $54 million Engineering Building set to open this summer, a $26.4 million renovation of Memorial Stadium, seven new residence halls, and infrastructure improvements that create more green space and provide pedestrian-friendly paths across the Stephenville campus.

He even recognized one of Tarleton’s unique traditions when he reinstated the Texan Corps of Cadets in 2015.

“Dominic Dottavio is one of the best presidents of any university in the state,” says Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “He has given us more than a decade of exceptional service and leadership, inspiring, encouraging and engaging others to do more and become more. Dominic is an influential and enthusiastic leader.”

While many point to across-the-board growth, Dottavio will be remembered for caring about students and his role in naming Tarleton’s core values — tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service. Through careful study, research, conversation and consultation, he penned names for the virtues embraced by the university since its founding in 1899. They are more than words. They are the heart of Tarleton.

“My hope is that people truly believe that we were and will remain a student-focused university,” he explains. “That the success of our students, both while at the university and in life, is why we are here.”

And as much as his administration has accomplished, he sees plenty of challenges and rewards awaiting the next president. “By no means will you ever check all the boxes at a university,” he says, reciting a list of goals, including expansion of graduate programs, increasing the university’s research profile, and building the Fort Worth campus and an aquatic center in Stephenville. “The new president will always have plenty to do.”

And they won’t have to climb the tallest tree in the forest to do it.

DOTTAVIO’S TENURE

The Fort Worth campus debuts, and the Engineering Building on the Stephenville campus opens. Renovation and expansion of Memorial Stadium is completed. The university’s first doctoral program, a Ph.D. in criminal justice, begins in the fall. The university endowment eclipses $43 million.

Tarleton Foundation Inc.’s investment portfolio reaches $20 million. The College of Health Sciences and Human Services is established. Tarleton celebrates 100 years as founding member of The Texas A&M University System. A life-size statue of Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder is unveiled at the dedication of Rudder Way.

Construction begins on Animal & Plant Sciences Center. An online master’s in nursing is offered for the first time, as are the Texas Affordable Baccalaureate program and the 12-month MBA. Texan Trace is dedicated.

Construction begins on Agricultural Field Machinery & Fabrication Lab. A 10-foot statue of John Tarleton is unveiled at Alumni Island, and Tarleton’s Corps of Cadets is re-established.

Record enrollment seen for the fifth straight year, 13,062. Tarleton becomes one of 44 participating universities in a project by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities to improve and sustain achievements by historically underserved populations in “Reimagining the First Year of College.”

The Southwest Dairy Center receives a $1 million grant from the Chancellor’s Research Initiative to study bioenergy recovery from animal waste. Traditions South, Traditions North and Honors — the last of seven residential halls — open.

Construction begins on the $1.7 million Learning Commons at the Dick Smith Library. A student-focused vision, outlining goals of academic excellence, student transformation, distinctive engagement and exemplary service, is implemented.

The $13.6 million expansion of the O.A. Grant Humanities Building is completed, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center is renovated. The School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Strategic Studies is formed. Walton Development donates 80 acres along the Chisholm Trail Parkway for a new campus in Fort Worth.

The $11.2 million Southwest Regional Dairy Center is opened, as is the $23.4 million Nursing Building.

Col. Will Tate Military Park is dedicated. Tarleton celebrates an enrollment of 10,000, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry visits the Stephenville campus. Both men’s and women’s basketball teams advance to the NCAA Division II South Central regional tournament. Tarleton adopts the core values of tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service. Renovations at Tarleton Alumni Association headquarters are completed.

Renovations begin on the historic Trogdon House in Stephenville. Dottavio’s inauguration and investiture ceremony takes place. The last class of graduates from Tarleton-Central Texas accept their diplomas.

Drs. F. Dominic and Lisette Dottavio establish The President’s First Generation Student Success Scholarship.

Dottavio is selected Tarleton State University’s 15th president.

Hero IN Service

COL. BEA MARIN STATUE Memorializes a Life of Giving

Heroes are often memorialized in bronze. Statesmen, warriors and other historically important leaders stand immortalized to remind us not only of what they accomplished, but what those accomplishments mean to us.

And let there be no misunderstandings, Bea Marin is a hero. Her likeness, created by sculptor Ginny Knight Blevins and funded by Minerva and Dr. Robert C. Terrill (Marin’s sister and brother-in-law), stands in front of the Nursing Building on Tarleton’s Stephenville campus, honoring Marin, a key figure in the School of Nursing from 2000 to her death in 2008.

The almost life-sized bronze, dedicated April 26, portrays Marin as a compassionate nurse and captures the history of the profession with a trademark white hat, dress and stockings. Dora Garcia, Marin’s cousin, noticed another detail on the statue.

trltn.info/beamarin

“One feature that is brilliantly captured in the rendering is the blood pressure cuff,” she said in her remarks at the dedication ceremony. “It is an endearing symbol of the initial and critical tasks performed by a nurse on a patient.”

Marin enlisted as a registered nurse in the Air Force in 1967 and retired in 1993 as the first Hispanic female to earn the rank of full colonel. During the Vietnam War she served at the 12th Air Force Hospital at Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam, Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, and Yokota, Japan.

She returned to Vietnam to bring wounded soldiers home, and in 1973 made three trips to Hanoi to pick up returning American prisoners of war. Other duty stations followed — the United Kingdom, Arizona, the Philippines, New Mexico, Ohio, California and a return to Carswell.

After her military career, she served Harris Methodist Erath Hospital as a nurse executive from 1994 until she joined the faculty at Tarleton.

Always active in the community, Marin served on the Stephenville City Council from 1997 to 2003. When she opened The Bakery on Lingleville Road, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a business that served the Hispanic community.

Her service touched nearly all aspects of life in Stephenville. She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Cross Timbers Business and Professional Women’s Club, Habitat for Humanity, Hispanic Business Council, Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council, Humane Society, Stephenville Lions Club, Stephenville 20th Century Club, Stephenville Music Club, Stephenville Economic Development Foundation and the Texas Nurses Association.

She was recognized as the 1985 Federal Employee of the Year, 1988 Erath County Woman of the Year, and a DFW Great 100 Nurses for 1998 and 1999.

Shortly after her death, members of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 234 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9181 established the Bea Marin Memorial Nursing Scholarship in her honor.

Dr. Sally Lewis, interim dean of Tarleton’s College of Health Sciences and Human Services, suggested the statue should serve as a reminder of Marin’s example.

“As we pass the statue daily,” Lewis said at the dedication, “I believe she would encourage us to contribute passionately to better our world and live the Tarleton core values of tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service, just as she lived her incredible life.”

In her closing remarks at the statue dedication, Garcia called her cousin “a petite giant.”

“Nursing was her first stepping stone of many achievements,” Garcia said, “and serving others was always her true love.”

GAME ON!

Couple donates $200,000 to Tarleton’s new Fort Worth campus

by Phil Riddle

Educational opportunities are important to Bill and Marsha Rickett.

So important that the Fort Worth couple gave $200,000 for use on the new Tarleton campus in their city.

In gratitude, The Texas A&M University System approved naming the first building’s library and the student commons after them.

“I like to see anybody be able to get an education and better their lives,” Marsha says. “It seems like the right thing to do.

“Our granddaughter graduated from A&M, our daughter from TCU and a grandson from Oklahoma. I thought this would be a way to kind of close the circle. We felt good about doing it.”

The Ricketts have been married 55 years. They met in high school and were wed soon after. Bill’s family was already in Irving when Marsha moved there with her family.

The pair met while they built floats for a parade. Marsha started dating Bill because his car got her attention.

“He had a black ’57 Chevy,” she says. “I thought, ‘Wow, I wonder who belongs to that.’”

Bill says Marsha dated the best-looking guys on campus. “Whenever she started paying attention to me I was pretty excited about it.”

When they first married, they planned on taking turns going to college and working. However, their family began growing and Bill needed a full-time job. He started with a company in Dallas called Summers Electric.

“The idea was a work-study program where I could work six months and go to school six months. I was worn out from working and going to school. I also wanted to spend some time with my family.

“When it came time to go back to school, they said, ‘We can’t do without you.’ They made me one of those offers I couldn’t refuse.”

College had to wait.

While working, Bill regularly dealt with people who had their own business, something he wanted for himself and his family. Watching what others had done, he started and sold several enterprises before landing on the one that made him his fortune.

“Foosball,” he said with a smile. “I started manufacturing foosball tables.”

The arcade staple was exploding in popularity and Bill knew he could build a better product, so he went to work on designs in his garage.

His company, Dynamo Corp., eventually recognized the same need for other game-room machines, and it improved on tables for pool, air hockey and shuffleboard. Next came building cabinets for Japanese-made video games and gaming equipment for use in casinos.

Bill retired 15 years ago and sold his business to Brunswick. The Ricketts’ son-in-law and daughter, Kelye and Cindy Stites, recently bought Dynamo Corp. back, returning the business to the family. It has been the dominant manufacturer of coin-operated recreational game and billiards tables for more than six decades.

The couple were taking a drive on Chisholm Trail Parkway in Fort Worth recently and saw the signage announcing Tarleton’s new presence there.

That was the impetus of their donation.

“It’s important for college to prepare students for their careers,” Marsha says. “Education geared toward a career is important.”

Tarleton broke ground February 27, 2018, for the first building of its planned Fort Worth campus on 80 acres along the Chisholm Trail Parkway donated by Walton Development.

The 76,000-square-foot, three-story multipurpose academic building opens for classes this fall.

In addition to classrooms, offices, a library and student commons, the building will house innovative learning areas, a large event space and a community counseling center.

I hope the Fort Worth campus is successful. For the future of our country, we’re going to have to have a way to help kids. We need to help them get an education that allows them opportunities. We decided we needed to give back some and help that happen.

Bill Rickett

Starting small, thinking big

Off-Broadway producer learned his craft in Tarleton theater department

by Phil Riddle

It began as a small off-off-Broadway show. It was only supposed to last five performances.

Then “Puffs,” a parody of events from “Harry Potter” stories, soon moved to an off-Broadway theater and began collecting enough fans to run more than three years.

It is the brainchild of Tarleton State University graduate Matt Cox, now a New York-based writer and producer.

“It’s hard to get people to the theater when they can watch a movie or a TV show at home. We have to offer a fun time, and we do,” says Cox, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2011.

That same summer, he moved to New York to audition with the Stella Adler Studio for Acting and the Upright Citizens Brigade.

“It was pretty tough the first few years in New York. I was trying to perform and work a job 40 hours a week, doing a lot of things on the side. I was doing a lot of things for free just to meet people along the way.”

He admits that sometimes it is who you know.

“Some of the relationships you make can truly lead to something exciting,” he says. “One of our producers, who took the show from off-off-Broadway, was someone a few of us had met years ago on a different project. Anyone you meet can be important and lead to a new opportunity.

“This show would never have existed without this circle of friends that I made in my early years in New York. They’re all very talented people. Not only do they know how to act, but how to act and direct and design costumes.”

Cox was bitten by the show biz bug as a senior at Sachse High School where he earned roles in school productions of “You Can’t Take It with You” and “Cain: A Mystery.” But it was the

all-around theater curriculum at Tarleton that gave him the confidence to make such a splash with one of his first efforts.

“Tarleton’s theater department teaches you everything, so you have skills learning how to build and paint sets, act and direct. There were opportunities to write things, which is how I got started, writing for the improv team.

“A lot of university theater programs are much more focused, but what I’ve learned, and I’m here making my own shows, is you really need to know all the different elements, and I learned some of those elements at Tarleton.”

His play tells the story of Wayne, a boy who is sent to a wizard school, and although Wayne dreams of becoming a hero, he is placed into Puffs, what he considers the least heroic house on campus.

Along with friends Oliver and Megan, Wayne fights for his own personal significance as he becomes ensnared in physical battles.

“We produced an earlier show, a 4½- hour show, and sometimes there would be just five to 10 people in the audience,” Cox says. “So when we started putting ‘Puffs’ together, we decided it had to have a wide appeal.

“We were very lucky that when we first started doing the show, it came together. We had a really wonderful group of friends and castmates. Everyone really brought a lot to the table. It was only supposed to run for five performances at this little improv theater. Now 3½ years later, it’s still running, which is insane.”

With “Puffs” a bona fide success, Cox is looking for new projects. “We’re having developmental readings for this other show, ‘The Magnificent Revenger.’ It’s a western, and the audience uses their cellphones to make choices throughout the show. Those choices change the path the story takes. It’s exciting and fun.”

Kind of like Cox’s career.

TARLETON

Water, water, always a care

Hydrology program a natural progression for Jason Johnson

by Phil Riddle

Living on a ranch in Central Texas, water concerns never went away.

There was often too little.

Sometimes, though, there was too much.

It was only natural that Jason Johnson came to Tarleton for a hydrology degree.

“I actually was thinking about becoming a pharmacist,” says Johnson, now the Southern Region Hydrologic Services branch chief for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. “Growing up in Brady, right on the edge of West Texas, water was always an issue. We went from drought to floods, so it was something that was interesting to me.”

On a Tarleton campus tour his high school senior year he learned about the hydrology program. He was hooked, even if he later sometimes questioned the decision because of the science and math-heavy course load.

Calculus test burden can do that to you.

After getting his degree in hydrology and water resources science in 1991, however, he was glad he toughed it out.

“There are so many opportunities under several hydrology disciplines,” he explains. “You can go from environmental to engineering. I didn’t realize it at the time, but once I was exposed to the careers I felt lucky I got into the field.

“It gave me the background and the confidence when I got into the workforce that this was something where I could contribute and make a difference.”

He credits the Tarleton faculty for preparing him for his career.

“I remember in one of my early calculus classes I was beginning to struggle as the semester progressed and the professor called me into his office. I hadn’t had to study much in high school, and he nailed my background and study habits. That one-on-one attention really paid off when he told me that to make it through I had to develop better study habits. That stood out to me.”

Before graduation, Johnson, like everyone in the program, had to serve an internship. His was at a civil engineering firm in Austin, where he gained valuable real-world experience.

“That set me up and opened the door for a career,” he says. “I actually worked there for seven years. It was great experience. It really helped build a strong foundation and make that transition from college to a profession.”

Now, working for the National Weather Service, he keeps an eye on hydrologic weather incidents that can affect so many aspects of Americans’ lives.

“We carry out our mission, which is the protection of life and property and the responsibility of forecasts for the enhancement of the national economy. That’s weather and hydrology. Where I roll is anywhere from drought to flooding.”

Touring the NWS Southern Region, he has occasion to drive past the Stephenville campus.

“It’s amazing how much it has grown,” he says. “There’s much more of a college campus feel than when I was there.”

Must be something in the water.

You are the sons and daughters of Tarleton.

SilverTaps Ceremony

The Silver Taps Ceremony is a tribute to honor our faculty, staff, students, alumni and supportive friends deceased during the previous year.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Jason Victor Adams Tavie Udell Akin John Alexander Judy Ann Alexander Lavonne Alexander Chester Todd Allen Eugene Allison

Nelva Wilfong Ambriz David Earl Andrews Jack Edd Arledge John Lee Arrott Malcolm Price Atwood Truman Earl Bacon Billy James Baggett Donald Reid Baldwin, Jr. Almalu Barber Larry Boyd Barnes Audrey Elizabeth Barnhilll Dane Monroe Beasley** Emil Becker Barry Don Bell Loucindy Benton Joe Lawrence Bertino Jacob Darren Biar* Linda Ann Black Thomas Jefferson Black Carolyn Bolinger Jeremy Bowen Mikel Fain Bowling Donald Bowne Leeland Boyd Harry Al Bradberry Janice Bramblett Doris Elizabeth Bratton

Marjorie Brentlinger

Mitchell Dale Brown*

Bernard Bruns

Julia Margaret Burton David Gerald Butler Sonia Butler Katie Cain

Shelly Renee Caldwell Omer Roland Campbell Jack Lee Cannon Gary James Carpenter Nina George Carr Harold Scott Cartwright Janet Lee Casselberry Jennifer Casstevens Betty Jane Chandler Michael Ray Chandler Terris Lee Chapman Billy Gene Chesser James Choate Betty Clark Michael Wayne Clark William Travis Clark Robert Michael Coleman Susan Delaine Coleman Larry Marvin Coley

Tamara Ann Colston Mitchell Lee Cone

Marily Heather Considine Joyce Elaine Cook

Bernice Louise Cooksey Cody Glenn Cornell Glenn Crain III

Roy Henry Crenwelge Brad Michael Crochet

James Reginald Crumrine Joe Frank Cummings Wilfred Pence Dacus Nellie Faye Davies

Alfred Clayton Davis Clinton Howard Davis Margaret Ann Davis William Thomas Davis Homer Dear Bobby Dale Decker Daniel Reed Delgado, Jr. Sherron Lea Dickie John Michael Dillingham Robert A. Dobbs II

Nancy Virginia Dorris Kenneth Dorris, Sr. Della Marie Dowell Sarah Jo Dudik Jo Ellen Dunlap JoAnn Fanning Durham William Edwin Echols

Addie Zell Edwards Terry Lee Edwards Justin Floyd Ellison Archie Frank Elmore Barbara June Everett Dawn Sharon Felts

Jack Weldon Ferrill

Arthur Justin Fidler

Shelly Elizabeth Fidler David Roger Fields Gerald Dwayne Finch Charles David Fite Rita Littlefield Foster Ladonna Pembleton Freedman John Robert Fuller Leslie Janette Gaddy Patti Stark Gallagher Charles Gallaway Anita Garcia

John Garner

Bob Gautier Don Gautier

Jerry Allen Gazaway Claudia Denise Gentry

Thomas Paschal Gentry Sylvia Ford Geron Byron O’Neil Glover

Benny Gonce Tom Gosdin

Robert Ayers Gould Charles Graves

Sherry Elizabeth Gray

Leta Joy Green David Guitar

Jerry Miller Gunn Allen Guthrie III

Yolanda Salinas Gutierrez

Dorothy Haines

Douglas Dean Hamilton

James Carroll Hardin

Milford Bryant Harris

Ronald Lee Helberg Jay Weldon Helmer Bennie May Hendrix David Kamau Hernandez Gloria Hewlett

Annie Marie Hicks Richard Hightower David Ronald Hill Lois Hite Thomas Howard Hold Melinda Holder

Beulah Merline Holland Louise Minnie Horton Linda Howell Scott Lee Howell Roger Hudgins Christina Mary Hull Betty Jane Hunt

Wayne Marvin Huntley Thomas Stokely Hutchinson Gordon Ray Hyatt

Charley Wright Isom Robert Alexander Jackson Diane Jacobs

Marilyn James Billy Johnson Winona Winslett Johnson

Jerry Louise Joines Cindy Jordan Michael Wayne Kaker

Klaus Kent Karcher

Earl Jackson Kennon

Robert John Ketter

Karen Kidd

Bobby Ray Kielman

Danna Michele King

William Henry Koch Lester Ernest Koerlin Diana Kunce-Collins Judy Ellen Lackey

Linda Sue Land Keith Lane Richard Lane Jane Dianne Lanman

Eva Lucele Latham

Lee O’Daniel Lemons

Donald Leonard Carolyn Faye Lesley

Athol Levisay Mark Lee Lewis Brad Lindley Robert Lindner Susan Lipscombe Gabriel Litman, Jr.

Patricia Price Lorance

John William Love Bobby Joe Lusk Johnny Magin

Theodora Woodrow Matthews Jerry May Marita Jean McCelvey Johnny Marvin McGee W. A. McKeever Jana Gimi McMullen Mark Medlin Angela Meeks Coby Lynn Meinzer Donald Ray Miller E. C. Ming Billy Gene Montgomery Ashley Nicole Morrison Edward Louis Nagy Carroll Eugene Nix Curtis Nix Ellen Nutt John Dorr Ochsner John Jordan Otte Jerry Joe Pace Gwendolyn Ann Pack George Arthur Page Dale Bryce Pape Carlton Parker Glenn Fields Parker Nona Mae Perrin Vinson Clay Pierce Gary Allen Porter Mary Pressel Marguerite Price Robin Danell Proctor Ruth Ann Prosser Marion Janice Quade Melba Rankin Kyle Ray Kennith Read Ralph Emmit Reeves** William Henry Reinert A.C. Richardson Margaret Sue Richardson LaRae Riddick Michael Gwynn Riggs Mary Riley Betty Lou Roberts Grant Derwood Robinson Richard Lee Rogers Al Stewart Rosin Iris Ann Rudeseal Paul Phillip Ryerson Emil Albert Schaefer William Scherfel III Lesli Jo Scott Paul Alan Seago Bradley Seawright David Stewart Seeley Dorothy Mae Sharp Calvin Arthur Shook Alan Douglas Shores James Allen Sikes

Evelyn Carleton Singer David Thomas Sites, Jr. Daniel Slattery Clinton Asa Smith Nelda Ruth Smith Sue Smith Joel Dorsey Smith III Robert Smith, Jr. Temekia Sneed Ricky Dale Snow Joe Jimmy Spiller Melva Jo Staley Don Stegall William Neal Stennett Terry Alan Stephens Robert Ellis Stevens Gary Michael Stringer Valton Shane Sudderth Keith Logan Sugg Norman Suggs Mitchell Andis Sullivan Terry Lee Sullivan James Surber, Jr. Clint Louis Swinford, Jr. James Donald Tate Darel Wayne Terry Ona Joy Terry Carolyn Sue Thetford James Samuel Thompson Henry Tompson Judith Eileen Tyson Chauncy Claibourne Ulbrich James Veal Scott Voges

Harold Dean Walker John Walker Cave Meek Wann Tona Elbertine Ware Franklin Ney Watson Rhonda Lynn Watts James Vaughn Weaver Erwin James Welch Jerry Welch

Bradley Glenn Westfall Jerry Lahn Whatley, Jr. Bernice Elaine Wiley Tommy Chester Wiley Gene Lavelle Williams Lauren Kay Woerndel Robert Lee Womack, Sr. Jacob Paul Woolridge Johnny Lee Wooten Garbert Velo Wright Kenneth Earl Yancey, Jr. James William Yancy Steven Ross Youngblood, Sr.

*Enrolled students

**Current Faculty/Staff

CLASS NOTES BY DECADE

Each of us can play an important role in the continued success of Tarleton State University. Remember, big accomplishments begin with small acts. The Tarleton Alumni Association encourages all former students and friends of the university to join in this tradition of promoting excellence.

’55, ARLEN P. EDGAR, associate degree in engineering, was named a Petroleum Hall of Fame inductee for 2019. Edgar, a Stephenville native, worked with Pan American Petroleum Corporation in Odessa, Leibrock, Landreth, Campbell and Callaway; Kanata Exploration Company; Tipperary Land and Exploration; and Western States Producing Company. He became an independent consultant and investor in 1973. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers and the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists.

’91, AMY SALAZAR, BS in elementary education, was named principal at Houston Elementary School in Mineral Wells. She spent the last eight years as principal of Perrin Elementary, where she also taught first, second, seventh and eighth grades, and served as assistant principal.

’93, BRYAN STEWART, BA in mathematics, has been named president of Miami-Dade College Medical Campus. He was previously vice president of academic affairs at Tarrant County College, where he implemented programs in nursing and allied health.

‘78, IVAN WEBB, BBA, has been named chief executive officer of Northern Minerals and Exploration. He has served as vice president of the company since August 2014. He has more than 40 years in all aspects of the petroleum industry, ranging from leasing large concessions in Australia to drilling and operating producing wells in Texas. He also has been the project leader on international exploration projects for oil and gas, gold and bauxite.

’94, DANIEL NIX, BS in plant and soil science, joins Americot as a sales representative in the company’s South Plains Region. Originally from Tolar, he will be based in Gail, Texas.

‘96, BLAYNE REED, BS in agriculture services and development, was recognized as the top Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Integrated Pest Management agent in the state during the annual Texas Pest Management Association meeting in San Angelo. He specializes in applied row crop entomology for cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat and alfalfa, herbicide-resistant weed control, cotton irrigation scheduling and Plant Growth Regulator management.

’87, RANDALL CHILDERS, BAAS in industrial education, was selected by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to serve on the state’s Industrialized Building Council. Childers, a building official for the City of Waco, is a board member for the International Code Council Region X Coalition and the International Association of Building Officials. Additionally, he is a member of the International Code Council Bluebonnet Chapter and the Building Officials Association of Texas.

‘88, JIMMY TERRY, BBA in marketing, has been promoted to senior director of PGA golf properties and will oversee the recently announced Frisco development. A Texas native and former director of golf and general manager at TPC San Antonio, he was general manager of PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., since 2013. He was a Southern Texas PGA officer and had extensive experience at several Texas courses before being hired by the PGA.

’99, J.D. BERNA, BAAS in business administration, has been promoted to athletic director at the Magnolia Independent School District. The move for Berna comes on the heels of a 9-3 season in which Magnolia West reached the area round of the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Following his graduation from Tarleton, he jumped into coaching at Stephenville High School under former Houston and Baylor coach Art Briles. He coached at Linden-Kildare, East Bernard and Springtown high schools before accepting the position of strength and conditioning coordinator at the University of Houston under Briles in 2003.

‘02, MICAYLA BROOKS, BS in communications, has been named director of business development for the San Antonio branch office of McClelland & Hine Managing General Agency, a division of Worldwide Facilities. Brooks has more than 10 years of marketing and sales experience within the insurance advertising industry, with seven of those years focused toward serving insurance companies, law firms, major corporations and small businesses.

’02 AND ‘03, DR. BARRETT POLLARD, BBA and MBA, has been named superintendent of the Gatesville Independent School District. He has been with the GISD since 2016, serving as assistant superintendent of academics.

‘03, AND ‘08, DONNA WARD, BS in interdisciplinary studies and master’s in educational leadership and administration, was hired as director of employee relations for Temple Independent School District. She came to the district from Stephenville, where she was the principal at Henderson Junior High. She began her career as a second grade teacher in Japan.

‘04, LOREN SELL, BA in agriculture services and development, has been hired as principal at Perrin Secondary School. He spent nine years as an agriculture teacher in Perrin before working in a similar position in Jacksboro for the last five years.

’05, KRISTEN HAYNES, BS in interdisciplinary studies, has been chosen assistant principal at Hilltop Elementary School in the Argyle Independent School District. She has been teaching in Argyle for 12 years, first as a third grade teacher then moving to English as a second language. She has been the district ESL coordinator for the past two years.

‘06, AND ‘17, JOSHUA SHELMAN, BS in industrial technology and MS in quality and engineering management, has been named business development manager for Harmony Technology Services. Over the past 10 years, Shelman has advanced in key leadership roles in Weir Oil and Gas, redefining strategies, implementing new systems and metrics to achieve goals, and increasing revenue and margin.

’10, DUSTIN WASHBURN, BA in physical education, has been chosen offensive line coach at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He joins UMHB after spending the past four seasons as offensive line coach at Colorado School of Mines. He also has coaching stops at Northeastern State University and Tarleton State University on his resume. Washburn played center for the Texans where he was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection and helped lead the team to two conference championships and three conference title game appearances.

‘11, JENNIFER CONNER, MS in educational administration, was named principal at Charter Oak Elementary School in the Belton Independent School District. She has 25 years of experience in education, including 13 years in Belton ISD. Before becoming a principal, Conner was a second-grade dual language teacher, instructional coach and elementary assistant principal. She was president for the Erath County Center of Ranger College, eventually becoming the senior vice president of instruction for the entire district.

‘13, JAKE ADAIR, MS in agribusiness, was promoted to senior credit analyst for Community Bank and Trust of Corsicana. He has been with the bank for five years and is an assistant vice president. He is a Certified Community Bank Credit Analyst.

‘14, MASON CARTER, BA in animal science, is the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agriculture and natural resources agent for Briscoe County.

‘16, KAILEY MILLER, BS in agricultural services and development, was named Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service family and health agent for San Saba County. She completed an AgriLife Extension internship in Eastland County prior to her new position.

’18, CINTHIA GREEN, MA in accounting, has been promoted to senior accountant for Cleburne Independent School District. A five-year veteran of the CISD accounting department, Green began her career in banking in 2010 and in 2012 was employed by Cleburne ISD as the registrar and Public Education Information Management System clerk, overseeing the district’s student information system.

’10, TRACY FARAHMAND, BS in psychology, has been promoted to manager of contract and product services at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota. The Riesel, Texas, native joined BCBSND in February of 2013 as a customer service representative and was quickly promoted to a member advocate role. In 2015 she was promoted to member advocate specialist. She became team leader of the Call Center in 2017 before moving into her current position.

’10, AND ‘15, JUSTIN MONK, BS in kinesiology and exercise science and BS in nursing, was named to the Stephenville High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Monk was a linebacker on the Yellow Jackets’ back-to-back state football titles in 1998 and 1999. As a senior, Monk became Stephenville’s first-ever state champion in powerlifting. Following a stint with the U.S. Marines, he now works as director of rehab for Rehab Synergies in Stephenville.

10‘18, KARLY WEST, BS in agriculture and consumer science, has been hired as the AgriLife Extension assistant family and community health agent in Wise County. A native of Jacksboro, she is currently working on her master’s degree in agricultural leadership. She also worked as a graduate assistant at Tarleton in the Office of Communication Studies.

CONTACT US

Send your alumni and class updates to Tarleton State University Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402 media@tarleton.edu | 254-968-9460

TARLETON

TEAMS RECORD IMPRESSIVE WINS, TITLES IN

by Phil Riddle pick your adjective. best ever. That applies. historic. Appropriate. nationally relevant. True.

Athletic Director Lonn Reisman, newly inducted into Tarleton’s Athletic Hall of Fame, said there is enough credit to go around between players, coaches and AD staffers. “I think it goes to everyone,” he says. “Coaches have done a tremendous job. The assistant coaches on all the staffs have worked very hard. My assistant athletic directors, my administrative staff with associate directors and assistant directors, and directors of each area have put in many, many, many hours, sacrificed a lot of time and worked

diligently in developing this athletic department into one of the best in the NCAA.”

• The Texans football team roared to a best-ever 12 wins, an undefeated regular season, a Lone Star Conference title and a No. 5 season-ending national ranking.

• The volleyball squad finished the season ranked No. 9 nationally, with championship trophies from the conference and the region and an appearance in the national quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

• Women’s basketball coach Misty Wilson posted a milestone 300th win on the way to a career-best 22-6 mark, tops for the program since 2014. Along the way, she led the TexAnns to their 900th victory as a program.

• Third-year softball coach Mark Cumpian snared his 100th victory as Tarleton rolled to a top 15 ranking and a program-best 50 wins.

• First-year head coach Chris Reisman’s first win in charge of the men’s basketball team came in the opening game of the 2018-19 season.

• And don’t forget that women’s basketball student-athletes pushed to change the mascot for women’s teams from the antiquated “TexAnns” to “Texans.”

historic. You can’t say it too many times.

You get the idea. Tarleton athletics enjoyed unparalleled success in 2018-19.

FOOTBALL TEAM WINS FIRST LSC CROWN

Coach Todd Whitten had an inkling the Texans were good, but even he was surprised at their success as they finished 12-1 and won their first Lone Star Conference crown.

Coming off a .500 season in 2017 that featured some close calls, Whitten saw the beginnings of the 2018 juggernaut. “We had a football team that worked really hard, a coaching staff that worked really hard, and we were able to put it all together out on the field,” Whitten says. “It doesn’t just happen all the time. It was a lot of fun, such a great deal for our senior class.”

The Texans piled up yards, points and wins at an unprecedented rate, but much was required to have such a season.

“When our staff got here for the ’16 season we were down a bit and had to rebuild. We went 5-6, then 6-6, and while those are respectable records they are not what we aspire to.

“That was the hard part. There were off-season workouts, early-morning conditioning, the weight room, summertime workouts, and all the time coaches spent on the road recruiting. There were a lot of tough spots along this journey.”

At the end of the 2018 season Tarleton was voted No. 5 in the nation in the final American Football Coaches Association poll, the highest ranking in program history.

VOLLEYBALL TEAM FINISHES IN TOP 10 NATIONALLY

Tarleton capped its best volleyball season ranked No. 9 in the nation. The TexAnns finished 32-6 while capturing their third straight Lone Star Conference crown and their first South Central Region title. They also advanced to the national tournament for the first time in school history.

The success was a combination of timing and teamwork, according to coach Mary Schindler. “Obviously, that’s your goal,” she said of last season’s results. “That’s what you’re working for every single year. It’s not like it came out of nowhere. We’ve been building and improving. We had the right dynamics, the right team chemistry and we took advantage of it.”

Schindler and her squad took motivation from a slight in the preseason rankings.

“The last few years we have won our conference and still been ranked third in the next year’s conference poll,” she says. “From that respect, it’s been more of a motivating factor. We’ve proved that we’re meant to be there, we can do this.”

Though the TexAnns fell short of a national title, 2018 was a breakthrough season for Tarleton volleyball.

“I gauge success a lot of different ways,” Schindler explains. “One of the reasons I think it was a success was because I enjoyed it every single day. I had a team of people that I enjoyed being around and obviously, I’m a fan of winning.”

WE ARE TEXANS students athletes champions

WILSON NOTCHES 300TH COACHING WIN AND 900TH PROGRAM VICTORY

Misty Wilson was named the TexAnns’ sixth head coach following the 2014 retirement of 11-year head coach Ronnie Hearne. Wilson earned the promotion following a four-year playing and 12-year coaching career as the top assistant for TexAnn basketball.

Less than five years later, she would boast a record that includes her 300th win in an 18-year career as an assistant and head coach.

The TexAnns upset nationally ranked West Texas A&M on the road, 72-65, for the milestone victory, but Wilson says she didn’t realize what had happened.

“To tell the truth, I don’t really keep up with that sort of thing. I remember someone coming up to me after the game and telling me, but I hadn’t thought about it until that moment.”

As the Tarleton women were rolling to a 22-6 mark in the 2018-19 season, they also earned the program’s 900th victory since its inception in 1968. The TexAnns trounced Western New Mexico, 60-37, for another season highlight.

The sixth-leading scorer in Tarleton history, Wilson joined the coaching staff in August 2002 following a stellar fouryear playing career. The Burleson native played in 103 games from 1998 to 2001 and led the team in scoring three consecutive years.

“It really means a lot to me to be able to coach where I played,” she said. “That makes a milestone like this even more satisfying.”

CUMPIAN’S 50-WIN SEASON INCLUDES 100TH AS TARLETON COACH

Mark Cumpian has been the Tarleton softball coach for just three years. His 100th victory came quickly.

“It means a lot to get to 100 wins in such a short time,” he says. “But, in the end, I don’t look at it too much because it’s the players who do it.

“The players we’ve brought in the last couple of years have bought into what we’re doing. They understand we’re trying to compete on a daily basis and we’re trying to get a national championship.”

Deflecting the credit for the benchmark win, Cumpian admits he remembers when it happened.

“We were in Western New Mexico and we had an opportunity to sweep them to get my 100th win,” he said. “We lost the last game of the series and I told the players, ‘I guess you all wanted to wait until we got home.’ We came back and played a pretty good Angelo State team and beat them, 6-2.”

Since the win came midseason, the celebration was brief.

“I didn’t celebrate too much,” Cumpian says. “We were trying to win a series. In that moment, it was cool and I enjoyed it for that night, but after that it was time to get ready for the next game.”

Cumpian’s 2018 squad spent nine weeks in the NFCA National Top 25 poll, twice reaching as high as No. 15.

DEON SHEPPARD

EVERYBODY ’ S all-american

Sheppard becomes one of Tarleton’s most decorated

by Phil Riddle

At 6 feet 4 inches and 305 pounds, it’s hard not to notice standout offensive tackle Deon Sheppard.

But his leadership on the Texans’ historically prolific offense last season garnered a tall list of recognitions, including a school-best four All-America designations.

Sheppard became the first player in program history to earn four All-America honors in the same season and just the second to receive three in a career. He was named a firstteam selection by D2CCA and the Don Hansen Football Committee, a second-team selection by the Associated Press, and an honorable mention by d2football.com.

He also was named D2CCA All-Region, LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year, and All-LSC First Team in 2018.

The San Antonio native transferred to Tarleton from Navarro College and started all 25 games over the last two seasons, including all 13 of the 2018 run to the Super Region 4 finals, the program’s first outright LSC championship, and a school-record 12 wins.

At Tarleton he played left tackle, guarding quarterback Ben Holmes’ blind side, which is ironic since Sheppard can’t see out of his left eye, a disability that didn’t seem to affect his performance on the field.

“We didn’t know that until we got him here,” says Texans head coach Todd Whitten. “We had to make sure we played him on the left side where he could see the speed rusher.”

Whitten says Sheppard was highly sought by teams in the Lone Star Conference. “We were fortunate to get him. He did such a great job for us. He has great awareness and a lot of natural football instincts.”

Sheppard anchored an offensive line that helped drive an elite unit in 2018 when Tarleton boasted a Top 10 statistical year nationally in scoring offense and rushing offense.

Additionally, the Texans posted program bests in 40-point games, single-season rushing yards, rushing attempts, total yards, touchdowns and points scored.

He says experience, commitment and hard work were key to Tarleton’s championship season. “We had a group of guys who stayed in town and worked out all summer. Plus we had a lot of seniors.”

Sheppard graduated in December with a kinesiology degree and is working on teacher certification, but his immediate goal is to move from playing football on Saturdays to playing on Sundays, likely in the NFL or the Canadian Football League.

Though he was scheduled to work out at spring pro days, his recovery from pulled hamstrings sidelined him. “Right now I’m in the process of trying to get ready,” he explains, adding that he has had some contact with interested teams, including the Los Angeles Rams.

With a bright future ahead, what does he hope his legacy at Tarleton will be?

“It’s an honor to be a four-time All-American,” he says. “It comes from hard work and dedication, but I want to be legendary.

“I know they have pictures on the wall in the weight room of people who were first-team All-LSC, some All-Americans. I would like to go out with my picture in the weight room.”

Now that would be hard not to notice.