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“Your bait has to be in the water to catch a fish.” Words to live by if you are a member of the Tarleton Bass Club. I learned a lot from Cason Kelly, Club President, and other student anglers on a recent Saturday morning outing on Lake Granbury. Bass fishing is one of the fastest-growing college club sports in the country. Tarleton has an outstanding reputation in the sport, this fall ranking 13th of 210 college teams.
As a youngster, I had no patience for sitting in a boat for hours waiting for a fish to bite. In competitive bass fishing, there is no sitting and no waiting for a random fish to swim by. Club members are students of bass behavior and spend hours studying a lake to identify likely “hot spots.” Most fished competitively in high school, and some aspire to be professional anglers. All will have a lifetime avocation to enjoy and lasting friendships with teammates.
Tarleton has 14 NCAA varsity and 13 club sports teams. We have more than 120 registered student organizations. These activities provide opportunities for personal development, enrich the student experience and promote student success. To be an excellent angler requires perseverance and practice. Success in competitive fishing requires integrity and leadership, bringing our core values to life. You can read more about our Bass Club in this magazine.
Out on the lake, the students introduced me to the finer points of the cast and rewind. For this rookie, it got complicated quickly. They did tell me I had a natural casting motion which I attribute to having played third base and shortstop.
That day, I learned that time is wasted choosing the wrong lure or untangling a line after a fumbled cast. Team members reminded me: “We aren’t going to catch anything with the bait in the boat.” Good leadership advice in any situation.
DOMINIC DOTTAVIO,unveils bronze of James Earl Rudder
Briefs on the first phase of the Fort Worth campus, assessment of Hurricane Harvey’s environmental impact, a new memorial scholarship to honor a nursing student and the university hosting a research symposium.
In middle of three generations of scientists
art to inspire
Giving to bring home the Rudder legacy
A story of a cheerleader who still has the spirit of Tarleton
Texans Take Stock Alumni play key roles at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
The Reel Life Bass Club brings national exposure to university
Accounting degree puts Fowler in charge of Transit Authority finances
Alumnus gives back to help students realize dreams at Tarleton
Coach balances baseball and family, raising son with CFC Syndrome
Just 38 U.S. Army ROTC cadets in the nation earned the coveted Recondo badge this year. Tarleton’s Joshua Bitzkie is one.
A geosciences major from Pipe Creek, Bitzkie claimed the honor at ROTC Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Ky. To receive the Recondo badge, a cadet must complete the Army physical fitness test and the land navigation written exam, as well as successfully navigating five of six points in the “night into day” land navigation course.
Cadets also must receive a “go” on all confidence course events and first aid and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazard training, qualify as an expert marksman, and complete the 12-mile foot march with a 35-pound rucksack within three hours.
Jacey Smathers’ family turned its tragedy into a positive for students in the nursing program.
Smathers, a Tarleton nursing student, died from carbon monoxide poisoning early this year. An endowed scholarship in her name was created to help like-minded students.
“She loved being a nurse and having the opportunity to help people,” said her mother, Cheryl Baca. “She loved Tarleton so much. She was looking so forward to getting into a hospital setting, doing her clinicals.”
The scholarship will award $500 each year. To contribute to the Jacey Smathers Memorial Endowed Scholarship, go to tarleton.edu/giving
On Oct. 19, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved final construction plans and an almost $41 million budget for the first phase of Tarleton’s planned Fort Worth campus along the Chisholm Trail Parkway.
A formal groundbreaking has been set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27. The first phase—a three-story multipurpose education building—will open for classes in fall 2019.
Tarleton received the 2017 Outstanding Master’s Counselor Education and Supervision Program Award from the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. The award recognizes the outstanding pre- and in-service training of Tarleton’s graduate degree program in clinical mental health counseling.
The honor comes on the heels of the program’s recent endorsement by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. CACREP accreditation is among the highest commendations that an academic program can receive.
Part of Tarleton’s College of Health Sciences and Human Services, the 60-hour master’s degree program prepares students for careers as licensed professional counselors in Texas.
Students intern at organizations such as MHMR of Tarrant County, Pecan Valley MHMR, Heart of Texas MHMR, Mesa Springs Hospital and The Family Place.
Ateam from the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) at Tarleton sampled along the Gulf Coast to assess Hurricane Harvey’s impact on the environment.
“While many of Harvey’s environmental impacts will take decades to mitigate, Texans along the coast can be assured that we’re doing what we do best—monitoring the quality of waters and habitats—to help ensure public safety and health,” said Dr. Quenton Dokken, TIAER’s executive director.
The TIAER team will measure hydrocarbon and bacterial contamination levels to assess overall water quality in flooded south Texas communities and stands ready to assist all state agencies responsible for protecting the health of Texans and the natural environment.
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The percentage of Tarleton transfer students who graduate within four years, topping the state average by 10 points and placing Tarleton among the top Texas public universities.
Tarleton played host for The Texas A&M University System’s 14th Annual Pathways Research Symposium.
Sited at a different A&M System university annually, the symposium is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research findings—across various academic disciplines—in a poster or oral format.
“This is a wonderful opportunity,” said Dr. Credence Baker, associate dean of the College of Graduate Studies and planning committee chair. “In addition to showcasing their own research work, participants have the opportunity to network with other schools, faculty members and students in the A&M System.”
For more information on the 14th Annual TAMUS Pathways Research Symposium, go to tarleton.edu/pathways.
Years since the opening of the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas as a Tarleton research facility, combining a museum and special collections library in the ghost town of Thurber.
Members of the Army ROTC team that brought home first place in the North Texas Regional ROTC Ranger Challenge at Fort Hood, advancing to the 5th Brigade Head-to-Head Competition.
Dr. Javier Garza has been promoted to vice president for a new Division of Enrollment Management.
For the past three years he has guided enrollment programs as assistant vice president of Enrollment Management. The new division adds student success and multicultural initiatives and offsite programs in Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and the Global Campus.
Garza joined Tarleton in 1994 and served as head of the Department of Mathematics for seven years and director of the Division of General Studies and Testing, precursor to the Office of Student Success and Multicultural Initiatives, for three years.
Dr. Rudy Tarpley, professor of agricultural and consumer sciences, gave the fourth annual talk in Tarleton’s Last Lecture Series , focusing on “Making a Positive Difference.”
The Last Lecture Series invites professors to share what they would say if it were their last opportunity to address colleagues and students, a tradition that began at UCLA in 1955.
A former high school agriculture teacher, Tarpley joined Tarleton in 2010 following stints at Texas Tech, Eastern New Mexico and Utah State universities.
For more information about the Last Lecture Series at Tarleton, visit tarleton.edu/ facultyfellows/lastlecture.html
Piano Professor Dr. Leslie Spotz received the Texas Music Teachers Association 2017 Award for Outstanding Collegiate Teaching Achievement. The honor is given for success in music performance, composition, theory, history or any combination.
Spotz also received this year’s College of Liberal and Fine Arts Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award. Her international performing career spans four decades and four continents, including solo performances at Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow University, South Bank Center of London and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Daughter of a renowned biology professor and mother of a medical lab sciences professor, Dr. Linda Schultz is the natural bond connecting three generations of scientists in her family. Growing up an only child, Schultz accompanied her father on field trips with his students at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
“He was an avid researcher whose enthusiasm for science was contagious, and his students were part of our family,” Schultz said of her father, Dr. Walter Dalquest, a mammologist and paleontologist who inspired her to become a professor. “Now I feel the way my father often said he felt: ‘I feel guilty to be getting paid to do what I would be doing if I could choose my career.’”
Approaching her 40th year as a chemistry professor at Tarleton, Schultz has motivated many to pursue careers as chemists, including her own daughter, Dr. Michelle McAfee, and her former student, Dr. Kayla Green, a professor at Texas Christian University.
“Dr. Shultz is a strong mentor and I appreciate her continued active role in my career,” Green said. “Her classes were special—more like a conversation than a class. She clearly loved the subject, but made it accessible to students on every level. That art is extremely rare in the field of science.”
During her career, Schultz has developed a couple of “bugs” about teaching. The first is that her classes are very structured because of the nature of the subject matter.
“All students are different and they don’t all learn the same way,” Schultz said. “I try to be flexible and respond to their needs within the class structure.”
Schultz’s daily quizzes encourage students to keep up with material, and supplemental instruction provides another three hours each week of learning through tutoring sessions
led by peers who have completed the course.
“Sometimes my students come to me apologetically and tell me they learned more in supplemental instruction than in my class,” Schultz said. “When they leave, I think, ‘Yes! They fell into my trap!’ Students need more depth on the topics than the class alone provides.”
Schultz’s second “bug” is teaching her students how to conduct scientific research and report their findings.
“New discoveries enable the body of knowledge in chemistry to grow,” Schultz said. “The lab is where the fun in chemistry happens and success there is essential to professional development as chemists.”
Schultz and her students are active in the campus chemistry club and regional branch of the American Chemical Society. With her encouragement, students present their research at local and national conferences.
Jennifer Garcia, a senior chemistry and biomedical science major, said Schultz taught her to conduct effective research, and they co-authored two published articles on their studies of potentiometric titration.
“After a few months with Dr. Schultz, my laboratory techniques, accuracy and precision greatly improved,” Garcia said. “She reinforced that I was meant for chemistry through her time and dedication not only to our research, but to me, as well. She took me under her wing and now I not only fly, I soar.”
In 2013, Schultz received a statewide Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award, honoring her outstanding academic, scientific and scholarly achievements and her dedication to the teaching profession. She received a Texas A&M University System Award for Teaching Excellence in 2012 and, in 2014, was named a Regents Professor for the A&M System.
Karl Mueller, a candidate for both medical and doctoral degrees at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said Schultz was instrumental in his education.
“Her method of instruction helped the difficult discipline of science make sense to students,” Mueller said. “She was a fantastic mentor who taught me critical skills that have helped me in graduate school and will help me in my future career.”
During Schultz’s tenure, which included serving as chemistry department head for 10 years, she has seen student enrollment at Tarleton more than quadruple from 3,000 to 13,000 students. Some of her current teaching colleagues were once her pupils.
“New students now come in my office bearing greetings from their parents, who I taught,” Schultz said, laughing. “I think when students start bringing me regards from their grandparents who were my former pupils, I may chuck it in and retire.”
Melanie Johnson joins Tarleton as director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, part of the Division of Student Affairs. The office fosters a campus community that values the dignity and contributions of all students, faculty and staff.
Johnson comes from Tulane University, where she served as associate director of intercultural life and instructed a class on facilitating difficult conversations on social justice in 160 different settings. She previously served as coordinator of multicultural affairs at Southern Methodist University.
A Texas native, Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in education from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Dr. Teresa Davidian was named executive director of the Academic Advising Center, following an 11-year stint as head of the Department of Fine Arts.
Davidian joined Tarleton in 1994 as assistant professor of music theory and history. She received the Student Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence in 2010 and 2011, and the O.A. Grant Excellence in Teaching Award in 2005. She was named Outstanding Faculty Adviser of the Year (Mu Phi Epsilon) in 2002.
She earned her Ph.D. in theory and musicology from the University of Chicago, her master’s in music theory from Columbia University and her bachelor’s from Barnard College.
Dr. Denae Dorris has been named director for the Center for Transformative Learning.
In her new role, she is responsible for Tarleton’s applied and experiential learning initiatives, while continuing to lead community engagement efforts.
Dorris came to Tarleton in 2010 as a project manager for the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities. Since 2014, she has served as director of Academic Outreach and Engagement.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in history, her master’s in educational administration and her doctorate in educational leadership from Tarleton.
BY CECILIA JACOBS
James Earl Rudder came home twice as one of America’s most decorated military heroes.
Once to his beloved family in Brady after leading a group of Army Rangers up the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy.
Once to his beloved Tarleton in Stephenville when the university unveiled a life-size bronze of the major general. Neither will ever be forgotten.
Members of the Tarleton Corps of Cadets with Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio, Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder’s daughter, Linda Williams, son, Bud Rudder, and daughter, Anne Erdman, with the unveiled statue of the Rudder, a military hero and Tarleton alumnus.
Nor will Rudder’s post-Normandy participation in the Battle of the Bulge, which contributed to the Allied victory in World War II.
Or the dedication of a pedestrian walkway in his honor, the culmination of Tarleton’s yearlong centennial celebration as a founding member of The Texas A&M University System.
The public unveiling of the statue and dedication of Rudder Way followed this fall’s meeting of the A&M System Board of Regents on the Stephenville campus.
It was the grandest of finales.
Tarleton’s marching band, The Sound & The Fury, the trumpet ensemble and the university choir provided music. The Texan Corps of Cadets posted colors.
There were remarks and recognitions, and thunderous applause with the debut of Rudder’s bronze between the Nursing Building and Wisdom Gym.
Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp called Rudder the greatest Tarleton Texan and Aggie ever produced.
In 1927, Rudder started at Tarleton (then a two-year college), where he captained the championship football team, became an ROTC lieutenant and majored in civil
engineering before moving on to complete his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M. He returned to Tarleton in 1938, serving as teacher, head football coach and athletic director until entering active military duty in 1941.
Remembered as Texas A&M’s most innovative president, Rudder transformed a regional all-male military school into the renowned university of today. The school became coed and integrated, and he championed its research.
When Rudder died in 1970 he was chancellor of the A&M System, having spent his final day on the Tarleton campus.
Charles Schwartz, chairman of the A&M System Board of Regents, told the crowd that Rudder pushed A&M from its image as a “stodgy small school focused on agriculture, and not much more, to a pioneering research center.”
Yet no place was more important to the major general than Tarleton.
“It’s where he discovered who he was and what he wanted to be,” said Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio. “He arrived with less than $100 and everything he owned in a cardboard suitcase. He and Tarleton were changed forever.” Continued on next page.
Continued from previous page.
It wasn’t easy.
Working with limited photos of Rudder, Tabor asked his own son, Ben, to pose in a World War II Eisenhower jacket to capture the stance of a stoic but serene U.S. Army general.
“My goal was to honor a fellow Tarleton alumnus with something meaningful for others to look at,” Tabor said, “and to inspire them to live the Rudder way.” Based on the cheers of the crowd, Tabor outdid himself.
“This monument to honor Rudder as a distinguished alumnus, heroic soldier and forward-thinking leader is truly fitting as we come to the end of our centennial celebration,” Dottavio said. “He will long be remembered for the Rudder way of doing things and as a true example of Tarleton’s core values.”
And what was the Rudder way? In his own words:
• Tradition – “Resolve to keep our heritage.”
• Integrity – “Do the right thing regardless of what is happening.”
• Civility – “We don’t always agree, but we do try to find the best solutions.”
• Leadership – “If you will lead, you must learn to follow.”
• Excellence – “Your watchword and goals should always be excellence.”
Shortly after the unveiling of the Rudder statue, students have begun leaving pennies on the statue’s boots and platform. The Student Government Association passed new legislation ruling that “Rudder’s Two Cents” will become a new tradition at Tarleton to represent luck and respect.
In addition to Chancellor Sharp and A&M regents, 30 members of the Rudder family attended the unveiling of the statue created by Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus Mike Tabor and funded by regent Anthony “Tony” Buzbee.
Buzbee had passed a statue of Rudder at Texas A&M hundreds of times and thought it made perfect sense for Tarleton to have one, too. When Chancellor Sharp asked if he’d pay for the statue’s casting and delivery, Buzbee jumped at the chance to bring Rudder home.
Like Rudder, Buzbee is a Texas Aggie. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from A&M and a law degree summa cum laude from the University of Houston Law School.
“Bringing Rudder home to Tarleton was the right thing to do,” Buzbee said. “I think it’s what he’d want.”
Tabor graduated from Tarleton in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in art. One of America’s most respected Western Expressionist painters and an accomplished sculptor, he started to work on the Rudder bronze at year’s end 2015, taking eight months to create a statue that portrays the military hero as a true American solider and leader.
• Service – “Leave everything better than you find it.”
These quotes and Tarleton’s six core values will line the new pedestrian walkway leading to the Rudder statue, and Vanderbilt Street on campus now is Rudder Way.
Before the greatest Texan and Aggie ever produced left John Tarleton Agricultural College to serve in World War II, he told those closest to him that he looked forward to his return.
Well, Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder, welcome home. Again.
Watch the unveiling of the Rudder statue at tarleton.edu/rudderdedication
Mike Tabor’s reputation as one of America’s most respected Western Expressionist painters and accomplished sculptors didn’t happen overnight.
First, he earned a bachelor’s degree in art at Tarleton with the hope of using his gifts to inspire others.
Then came cowboying and rodeoing, marriage to Suzy and the joint venture of the Calico Cattle Company in Hood and Somervell counties, and children. The desire for full-time involvement in art led to a teaching position at Granbury High School—a position now enjoyed for almost three decades.
When Tabor sold his first two drawings for $300, he had no idea if anyone would like his postmodern approach to Western themes.
They do.
So much that Tabor’s reputation permeates the United States and Europe. People are fascinated with his use of light, color and ability to create more with less. He credits his vision to the pop artists of the ’60s and French Impressionism.
Tabor’s first thought when asked to do a life-size bronze of Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder was to create an action piece—a statue to showcase the strength and confidence of a true American military hero.
“I’m honored to death that the university asked me to create a bronze of Earl Rudder,” he said. “Not even in my wildest imagination did I see myself doing a life-size piece of one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. history, and fellow Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus.
“Not to take away from his leadership role as president of Texas A&M and later chancellor of the A&M System, I wanted him to look as regal as an Army general should. I could have done a dress uniform, but it just seemed more fitting to put him in an Eisenhower jacket, helmet and
boots, hands behind his back, looking stoic and at peace.”
He started the bronze after reading about Rudder’s historic assault on D-Day, the parade that followed in France and anything else he could find. Thanks to a family friend who attended Texas A&M during Rudder’s administration, he was able to craft a true-to-life statue.
The bronze is realistic down to the tiniest detail. The folds in the general’s jacket, his medals and the serial number on his weapon—JMS081814—the birthday of Tabor’s grandson, Jace Michael Smith.
Rudder is Tabor’s second large bronze, and a third is in the works.
“I never intended to do life-size statues,” he explained. But that changed after the death of his best friend, sculptor Dan Coates.
John Hancock Financial asked Tabor to carry on Coates’ work of sculpting annual employee awards, and he said yes before he thought.
The company liked Tabor’s work so much that it commissioned him to create a life-size bronze of Team Hoyt, the father-son duo best known for their 32-year participation in the Boston Marathon. Dick, the father, pushed his quadriplegic son, Rick, in a wheelchair along the 26.2-mile route. Located at the starting line of the marathon in Hopkinton, Mass., the statue celebrates selfsacrifice, heroism and the bond between a father and son.
“To be asked to sculpt a memorial to the Hoyts and to Maj. Gen. Earl Rudder is surreal,” Tabor said, “and to have a statue on the campus of my alma mater is a dream come true. The Hoyt and Rudder stories inspire others to believe that anything is possible.”
Like Tabor’s art. Hear more from Mike Tabor and his work on the Rudder statue at tarleton.edu/miketabor
Tony Buzbee believed Tarleton should have its own life-size bronze of U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder.
A member of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, Buzbee believed it so strongly that he agreed to pay for the statue.
“Rudder is a truly great American hero with a great connection to Tarleton,” he said. “Not only is he a Distinguished Alumnus but a past teacher, head football coach and athletic director.
“Having a statue of James Earl Rudder on Tarleton’s Stephenville campus makes perfect sense.”
Like Rudder, Buzbee is a military leader.
He served as battalion commander in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf and Somali conflicts, earning the rank of captain and receiving numerous awards, including the prestigious Navy Commendation Medal. The Buzbee Leadership Learning Center at A&M is named in his honor.
“I’ve read a lot about the major general and his heroic service,” Buzbee told those at the October unveiling of the Rudder statue. “He was called the greatest man who ever lived by one of his troops. As a former captain and lieutenant, I can tell you that having one of your own make that kind of statement about you is a big deal.”
Buzbee recounted Rudder’s valor and tenacity on D-Day, reminding the audience that he was injured twice during the assault up the perpendicular cliffs of Pointe du Hoc but never gave up.
“Just knowing that Rudder was the man selected to lead the effort to scale the cliffs at Normandy says a lot about his character,” the regent said. “He had an uncompromising dedication to his country and to making the world a better place.”
Just like Buzbee.
In addition to his work as a private attorney and founder of the Buzbee Law Firm in Houston, the regent is involved with the Boy Scouts of America and with The Jesse Tree, a nonprofit that assists the homeless and those in need.
“Rudder had the ability to inspire and lead others to exceptional achievement. This life-size bronze and Rudder Way are testament to that legacy,” Buzbee said. “Tarleton Texans who walk down Rudder Way, lined with the school’s core values, will look deep within themselves to see if they measure up.
“James Earl Rudder will be remembered for many, many years.”
Hear more from Regent Buzbee during the dedication ceremony at tarleton.edu/buzbee
Jeremiah Fontenot, who graduated this December with a marketing/accounting degree from the College of Business Administration, has never been happier.
Tarleton has been a home, a family, a cause. While his family’s evacuation from New Orleans to Houston was a major life adjustment, Jeremiah found the transition to college easier.
At Tarleton, he participated in MENtal Freedom—a peer support program for minority males that provides tutoring and encouragement.
It’s a program that benefits from donor-funded President’s Circle, Academic Circle and Student Life Circle—a testament to its importance and the range of its impact.
Established in 2010, the President’s Circle provides funds for programs and activities that make a difference in students’ lives and experiences. The President allocates the funds each year, and has supported a variety of programs for scholarships, travel abroad, the Corps of Cadets, fine arts performances at Carnegie Hall and many others.
Academic Circle provides unrestricted funds that allow the University Provost to invest in academic needs when no other funding exists, such as Honors and Washington D.C. internship scholarships.
Student Life Circle is an initiative to expand student experiences and encourage student persistence and success.
Any time is an excellent time to join one of the Circles. An unrestricted gift of $1,000 or more brings you into the President’s Circle, and gifts of any amount to the Academic and Student Life circles make you a member.
As we approach the new year, consider helping Tarleton students like Jeremiah achieve their goals, enrich their student experience and graduate prepared to make a difference in their professions and their lives.
Jeremiah plans to give back. Already engaged in student philanthropy, he values the benefits that a gift can bring.
“Tarleton has been such a blessing for me, and I want to contribute to making it a life-changing experience for those who come behind me. I hope you’ll join me.”
The Purple and White cheer squad this year celebrates seven decades of spirited support for the Texans and TexAnns and all things Tarleton!
Since 1947—the past 70 years—Tarleton cheerleaders have driven enthusiasm at athletic and other campus activities.
Woody Schober, 81, a cheerleader from the Class of 1956, came to Tarleton, then a junior college, from Waco. A hometown friend talked him into trying out for the squad.
He was hooked.
“I just loved being a part of the spirit of Tarleton,” he said last month from his home in Irving. “The spirit of the school changed my life.”
Still a regular at Homecoming events, Schober wears the same jacket he did when he led yells for the then “Plowboys” 60 years ago.
“Being a cheerleader gave me the opportunity to work with and meet a lot of new friends and to cheer the team and the spirit of the school, which remains important to me after all these years,” he said.
Before a 30-year career as fine arts director for the Irving Independent School District, the music major played trumpet in the Tarleton band, often in the same games where he led cheers.
“Sometimes I would do the cheering in the first half, then go change into a band uniform and march at halftime, then get back into my cheerleading outfit for the second half of the game.”
In Schober’s day, six students led the cheers. Today, 34 cheerleaders charge up Texan fans.
Tarleton alumna Blaine Hamilton is in her fourth season guiding the squad, one of the most recognized student groups on campus.
“The Tarleton cheerleaders have always been an integral part of the spirit and tradition of Tarleton State University,” she said. “From Howdy Week rallies to Family Weekend to the Homecoming parade, the cheerleaders are fixtures at the majority of university events.”
Hamilton, a 2005 business management graduate, returned to Tarleton after coaching cheerleading at the high school level.
“The cheer job at Tarleton came open, and I jumped on the opportunity to get back to my alma mater and a chance to support the Texans and TexAnns from the sidelines,” she said.
With megaphones raised and pom-poms swirling for a variety of games and campus happenings, Hamilton and the cheerleaders also are involved in competitions themselves.
Among the high points in the history of the program is the 2015 second place at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona, Fla., for Division II national competition in 2015 by Taleton’s coed squads.
“This was a point where we kind of established ourselves as a force to be reckoned with,” said Hamilton. “We had established ourselves as perennial contenders.”
The new-found success came as a result of hard work and generations of student leaders like Schober.
“Seventy years is a landmark for any program,” Hamilton said. “The cheerleaders have been campus leaders and part of Tarleton’s unique set of traditions for all that time.” Hear more from Woody Schober on his Tarleton spirit at tarleton.edu/woodyschober
Six Tarleton alumni work year-round to drive 30,000 head of livestock and round up more than a million visitors to the Fort Worth cultural district each winter during the annual Stock Show and Rodeo, creating an economic impact of more than $177 million on the community.
These Tarleton graduates make up nearly one-third of the stock show and rodeo’s 20 full-time staff and have cultivated a combined 69 years of service. No other university has educated as many professionals within the non-profit agricultural organization, but the show’s Texan employees don’t hold that over their colleagues who graduated elsewhere.
“As Texans, we’re grass roots and modest—we don’t toot our own horns,” said Livestock Show Manager Stefan Marchman, ’86. “Besides, no one wants to talk to us about which school won the most college rodeo championships,” he added, referring to Tarleton’s seven national titles.
Four Tarleton alumni worked at the stock show and rodeo as students or interns or showed livestock as competitors, including Show Assistant Laura Standley, ’93, who grew up on a ranch and farm and exhibited her steers and hogs.
“This is the toughest stock show,” said Standley, who once placed the Reserve Champion Shorthorn Steer. “I’ve been part of it as a competitor, breed representative or junior livestock association representative for more than 28 years.”
Assistant Operations Manager Jessica Birge, ’98, exhibited hogs, steers and chickens at the stock show in her youth, caught a calf in the show’s scramble and completed Tarleton’s first internship there while earning her bachelor’s degree in agricultural services and development. Now, she works closely with agriculture professionals who attended Tarleton with her.
“So many people we all went to school with are in the industry,” Jessica said. “Our classmates call us because they know us.”
All six alumni said their fellow Tarleton graduates work throughout the agricultural industry as teachers, county agents or professionals who own livestock companies, and they reconnect through the stock show and rodeo.
“They work with us and try to help us do a better job at producing their event during the stock show,” Marchman said. “We do it well, but it’s a good give-andtake with our former classmates that helps us keep our show the best. When we work with our fellow Texans as they successfully place their students’ entries in the junior livestock show, we’re all one heck of a recruitment tool for Tarleton.”
Communications Manager Matt Brockman, ’85, said Tarleton has nurtured the best agricultural programs in the country. Upon completing his junior year in the agricultural education curriculum, professors put Brockman through a rigorous agenda that developed him professionally and taught him to think on his own, speak clearly and handle himself in professional situations.
“Past President Barry Thompson created an environment of enthusiasm, excitement and passion for students,” Brockman said. “He made us feel like we could go out of Tarleton and do anything.”
From internships to traveling abroad to participating in the university’s livestock judging team, all of Tarleton’s graduates at the stock show agree that their Tarleton experiences taught them to represent their organization professionally.
Social Media Manager Jordan D. Simons, ’14, is the only Tarleton graduate at the stock show who did not major in agriculture. But she grew up on a small farm in a family that competed in the show and rodeo for years. While studying communication, Simons spent a semester in Ireland and served a three-year internship at the stock show and rodeo.
“I learned so much about effective communication,” Simons said. “I learned it’s not about me, but about the public we serve. Tarleton allowed me to gain real-world experiences, and that groomed me to be the qualified employee I am today.”
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Tarleton share a rich heritage that began at the end of the 19th century when agriculture drove the local economy. The first show was held in 1896 in the Fort Worth Stockyards as a trade development tool. The year before, philanthropist and rancher John Tarleton passed away, leaving an endowment to create a college in North Central Texas that opened its doors to students in Stephenville in 1899. In 1918, the world’s first indoor roundup competition was held at Northside Coliseum during the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and organizers coined the name “rodeo.”
“Tarleton and the stock show grew up together,” said Special Events Manager Pamela Wright, ’87, who has worked at the stock show and rodeo for 20 years. “They’re about the same age and have lived parallel lives. Pioneers of both organizations shared the belief that education was key. The stock show’s mission is education and improving our community and Tarleton betters the community by building better people. Those values are where we all come from—they’re why we went to Tarleton and have our jobs today.”
Connections between Tarleton and the stock show remain strong, with Tarleton professors helping Marchman develop an agricultural mechanics show, which is in its fifth year. The Tarleton alumni see strong bonds between their employer and their alma mater continuing in the future.
“Tarleton and the stock show aren’t stuck in the 1920s,” Simons said. “We’re both still evolving during the 21st century through effective education
Brockman believes that Tarleton graduates are successful in their careers at the premier livestock organization in North Texas because of the university’s commitment to its agricultural college, and his fellow alumni agree.
Tarleton is dedicated to agricultural education excellence, agrees Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Murray, and has exciting plans for the college.
“Tarleton is committed to providing additional resources to maintain the high quality and outstanding role of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in supporting Texas agriculture,” Dr. Murray said. “The Agricultural Center, the college’s teaching laboratory, is being transformed with three new buildings, several building renovations and major farming and laboratory equipment additions.
“The college is steadfast in its root philosophy of learning while doing,” she added. “With its outstanding faculty, including several recent additions, I am very excited about the college and expect even greater things from it in the future.”
“Tarleton being a strong agricultural college is important to the industry,” Wright said. “The university’s continuing commitment to educate students about production of food is crucial. Fifty years in the future we need educated farmers and ranchers.”
Tarleton alumni working at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, from left, are Stefan Marchman, Laura Standley, Pamela Wright, Jessica Birge, Jordan Simons and Matt Brockman.
This 2008 Tarleton graduate has Fort Worth moving. Monica Fowler, chief financial officer of the Fort Worth Transit Authority, keeps public transportation humming in the North Texas city of 800,000. The FWTA annually provides nearly 10 million passenger trips on buses, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express.
Fowler credits accounting faculty members at Tarleton’s Killeen campus — now Texas A&M University-Central Texas — with readying her for a career in a demanding environment.
“All the business classes really helped prepare me in terms of how other business units fit into an organization as a whole,” she said.
Writing is one of the most important skills she learned at Tarleton.
“How many documents do you put together that seem cumbersome and redundant? Then you get into the business world and you have to communicate either verbally or in writing. Tarleton prepared me for that in terms of how I present myself and my staff on behalf of the organization.”
Fowler grew up in Dallas and graduated from Skyline High School in 1993. She had moved to Burnet and was considering options for a college education after spending several years raising a family.
“I just got to the point where I was thinking, ‘What am I going to tell my kids?’ That has always been something that has driven me—how my kids see me.”
Wary of a daily drive from Burnet to Austin, Fowler’s research led her to Killeen. She wound up enrolling at Tarleton based partially on the short commute and smaller class sizes.
One visit and she was hooked.
“One reason I ended up registering was the time counselors and office staff spent helping me through the process,” she said. “It was completely different than some of the other colleges.”
Fowler had pursued a degree at a two-year school before, but moving into a university curriculum was daunting.
“Having somebody who was willing to take the time pushed me over and made me decide I was going to Tarleton in Killeen,” she said.
Results prove she made the right choice.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2007, graduating cum laude while earning a spot on the Dean’s List.
“I take what I learned at Tarleton and apply it to my activities every day at work. It is non-stop for me, whether it is communicating with staff, in terms of management, or translating something financial to someone in the company. These are things Tarleton taught me.”
As an alumna, Fowler is a vocal supporter of the university, even at the office.
FWTA’s vice president of government relations, Rebecca Montgomery, was mulling returning to school a couple of years ago and sought Fowler’s advice.
It was quick and succinct.
“I told her to pick Tarleton, and I told her why,” Fowler said. “I told her if you want to get the attention you need to get you through this—where people aren’t just shoving you through, you’re not just another number—and you really want to take away what you’re supposed to from a degree, this is where you want to go.”
In their conversations, Fowler shared her experiences and explained that Tarleton had a Fort Worth center. Montgomery was eager to visit.
“The experience was so pleasant and so easy,” she said. “They looked at the classes I had accumulated and came up with a plan for me. They walked me through it. I enrolled and never looked back.”
Now she’s on track to graduate in May. Thanks to a nudge by her co-worker.
“She is awesome,” Montgomery said of Fowler. “She’s such a bright lady. I love working with her.
“She makes our organization look good. You want to be associated with people like Monica.”
Terry Price may not know that it was General Colin Powell who said, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work,” but he knows the inherent truth in the statement.
Price, who graduated from Tarleton with a degree in music education in 1972, worked three jobs to cobble together enough money to pay for college. Since then he has become one of the nation’s foremost choral directors, earning international acclaim, a Grammy award and membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
“ We simply hope that we can help some students the way I was helped. To get their educations with less financial burden than some of us experienced going through school. ”
Terry PriceThe Director of Music at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas since 1988, Price recently retired from the position.
He and his wife, Alyce, also decided to create a scholarship for Tarleton choral students. The gift is to ease the financial burden while working toward a college degree.
“When we were growing up, we were really poor,” he said. “We didn’t know how poor because we were happy. But we never had two nickels at the same time, it seemed. My dad only had a sixth-grade education, so, when it came time for college, I was on my own. I had to pay every penny, so I worked one full-time job and two part-time jobs all five years I was in school.”
Price began his work days at Stephenville’s KSTV Radio, where he worked from 6 a.m. until heading to classes at 9. He returned to the station each evening at 6 p.m. and worked until closing at 11. He also put in hours at the PigglyWiggly store and at Western Auto downtown. Additionally, he was the choir director at Comanche’s First United Methodist Church.
“I was driving back there a couple of times a week,” he said. “It was a busy schedule, but it kept me from getting into trouble.”
Beginning his collegiate career as an instrumental music major, Price switched to choral music at Tarleton and became a fixture around the department.
“I had a good background in both instrumental and choral music,” he said. “In fact, I was in every music group on campus except the ROTC band. I had such a great, wide, background of experience here.”
As a junior, Price received the Col. Edwin Dyess Memorial Scholarship, named for the World War II hero and Tarleton graduate.
“It wasn’t a huge amount of money,” Price said, “but it took an incredible amount of stress off me. It was such a blessing and it’s still meaningful to me today.”
His career has taken Price across the globe. He has directed Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem, conducted at the Vatican and recorded in Dallas, Nashville and London.
It all started with a dream, the willingness to work and a financial boost in the form of a scholarship—a boost he hopes to repay.
“We simply hope that we can help some students the way I was helped,” he said. “To get their educations with less financial burden than some of us experienced going through school. We’re hoping it will entice some students to come to Tarleton, who may be looking at several schools.”
Where the Prices are aiding students in achieving their dreams.
Terry Price Sweet Music Alumnus gives back to help students realize dreams at Tarleton
VICKI BLACK, B.S. , social work, was named administrator of Trail Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation in Fort Worth. Black’s responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day facility operations, working directly with employees, residents and the Fort Worth community. She worked as an activity director for 10 years before becoming a social worker. She has served in administrative capacities for the last decade.
MEREDITH CHARBULA, B.S. , criminal justice, has been appointed to the Duval County Court by Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Charbula, of Jacksonville, is director of the Legal Division for the Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit. She previously worked in private practice and as an assistant attorney general for the Department of Legal Affairs in Tallahassee.
’79JOHANNA HICKS, B.S. , home economics, earned the national Mary W. Wells Diversity Award for her work as a Texas AgriLife Extension Agent in Hopkins County. The award, recognizing outstanding work by an individual agent, was presented at the organization’s state conference in Round Rock. Hicks won a total of five state and national awards at the conference.
KATHRYN CARNES, B.S. , home economics, retired in August from her position as an AgriLife extension agent for family and consumer sciences in Archer County. She served for 35 years.
JEFF TRUE, B.S. , horse production, has been named president and general manager of All American Ruidoso Downs Racing. True is a 30-year veteran in the horse racing industry. After graduating from Tarleton, he spent four years in the Thoroughbred business in California and worked in group sales at Santa Anita before serving as executive director of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association and then the Texas Quarter Horse Association.
BRADLEY KINNEY, B.S. , exercise and sports studies, joined the administration at Bandera High School as its new assistant principal. A 25-year school veteran, Kinney has been at Comfort High School since 2005 as a science teacher, coach and assistant principal.
JOHN MCDONALD, B.A. , history, has been appointed director of community development for the city of Pearland. In his new role, McDonald will oversee the city’s planning department, which includes zoning, land use planning, permitting and inspections as well as coordinating the Pearland Economic Development Corporation. McDonald previously served as a senior planner in San Antonio and director of community development in Dickinson. Most recently, he served as the director of development services for the city of Bellaire.
CATHLEEN PETROFF, B.S. , exercise and sports studies, has been named assistant principal for Royse City Middle School. Her educational experience includes instructional technologist, testing and intervention coordinator and, most recently, middle school assistant principal in neighboring Rockwall Independent School District.
SARA HILLIN, M.S. , English, has been selected the 2017 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer at Lamar University. Her lecture, “Flashpoints of Flight: The Enduring Rhetorical Legacy of 20th Century Women Aviators” is the result of a decade of research to shed light on the rhetorical legacy of early female aviators. Hillin is the 31st recipient of the honor—one of the highest accorded a Lamar faculty member.
JAMES BROWNLEE, B.A. , theater arts, has been named head of the theater department at Weatherford College. Having worked as an actor in theater, film and voice while completing his undergraduate degree, he went on to study Shakespeare overseas in London and Stratford. His time in England was spent with actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company and with scholars from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He also spent two weeks studying at The Globe Theater.
KELLY MADDEN, M.ED. , education administration and leadership, was chosen principal at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School in Temple. Madden has been an assistant principal at Kennedy-Powell since 2012. Before that, she was a principal in Midlothian Independent School District.
RACHEL BURLESON, B.S. , kinesiology and exercise science, was selected athletic director at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H. Burleson coached softball and volleyball before transitioning to athletic administration positions, having worked as an assistant or associate athletic director for three schools before FPU.
PACER BOURLAND, B.A. , biology, was inducted into the Weatherford High School Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Bourland, a decorated pitcher for the Texans, earned All-Lone Star Conference honors three times and still holds three Tarleton career records as well as several single game marks. Currently a coach
and teacher at Poolville, he was a three-sport competitor at Weatherford High School, lettering in baseball, football and soccer, earning all-district and all-district academic honors all four years in baseball.
basketball coach. In his first year, Center went 14-0 in district play before losing to the eventual state runnerup Mexia in the second round. After four years at Center, Cloudy returned to Tarleton as an assistant coach in 2013.
ADRIAN SMITH, B.S ., exercise and sports studies, was named head volleyball coach at Gregory-Portland High School. Smith, who played volleyball at Tarleton, previously worked at Henderson Independent School District, where she served as the girls’ athletic coordinator, head soccer coach and first-assistant volleyball coach. She also coached at New Caney High School, where she was the head volleyball coach, head tennis coach and first-assistant track coach, as well as in Cleburne and Bangs.
RICHARD STRICKLER, M.S. , human resource management, has been added to the East Central University faculty as a business administration instructor. He has taught for more than 15 years. His most recent experience was at Lindenwood University and Washington University in St. Louis. Previously, he was a full-time visiting professor at Baylor University and a fulltime business instructor at McLennan Community College.
JOSH ASHLEY, B.S. , exercise and sports sciences, joined the women’s basketball coaching staff at the University of North Alabama as an assistant. Ashley, a Kilgore native, worked for two seasons in a similar position at West Texas A&M, where the Buffs advanced to the Division II Elite Eight last season. He coached for three seasons at Eastern Oklahoma, and previously was a graduate assistant in the men’s basketball program at Tarleton.
’08
KEITH OWEN, M.ED. , has been hired as principal at Linden-Kildare High School. Owen has served in education for more than 20 years and moves into his new position from Dublin Independent School District, where he filled many positions, including principal and athletic director.
’09
TABITHA RICHARDSON, M.S. , educational administration, was promoted to assistant principal at Frisco Independent School District’s Spears Elementary School. Previously, Richardson was a teacher at Mooneyham Elementary in Frisco.
LORRAINE CRUTCHER, B.B.A. , marketing, has been named marketing and events manager for Weatherford’s James and Dorothy Doss Heritage and Culture Center. Crutcher brings 10 years of experience in marketing, event coordination, community activity planning and fundraising to the local Texas history museum and event center.
MARLIN CLOUDY, B.S. , kinesiology and exercise science, and ’15, M.Ed., kinesiology and exercise science, has accepted the position of head boys’ basketball coach at Oak Ridge High School. After graduating from Tarleton, Cloudy returned to his high school alma mater, Center, as an assistant varsity
RACHEL PECHACEK, M.B.A. , business administration, has been named senior vice president of the Woodway-Hewitt banking center of the First National Bank of Central Texas. She has 13 years of experience in commercial and real estate lending. In addition, she has served on the board of the Waco Family Abuse Center, was a member of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce’s 25th Leadership Waco class and took part in the chamber’s Total Resource Campaign.
CLAUDE G. SAWNEY, M.S. , management and leadership, co-authored “Improving the Chromatographic Method for Quantitative DTP (Determination of thiamine diphosphate)” published in the July-August issue of Medical Lab Management. Sawney is the quality manager at Sonic Reference Laboratory based in Austin and has been involved in several continuous improvement projects throughout his career.
DR. BILLY ADAMS, ED.D. , higher education leadership, has been named vice president of Instruction at Panola College. Adams’ duties include promoting excellence by providing innovative and dynamic leadership to support faculty in academic, scholarship and service activities. The position works closely with the president, deans and directors to establish institutional priorities, formulate policies, develop strategic plans and strengthen partnerships with business and industry, government and other institutions.
JAMES BOYLE, M.S. , athletic administration, has been named assistant coach for football and basketball at Lingleville High School, as well as the Cardinal’s head powerlifting coach. Boyle was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and a champion discus thrower.
Send your alumni and class updates to Tarleton State University Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402 media@tarleton.edu | (254) 968-9460
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Tales of passion and glory, disappointment and determination. You think banner athletic teams like football and basketball, right?
At Tarleton, add fishing to the list.
For a decade, the Tarleton Bass Club has been rising on the collegiate bass fishing circuit. Tarleton joins dozens of universities that are making competitive angling among the fastest-growing club sports in the country.
Boasting 55 members, the roster has doubled from last year, and the TBC routinely sends nearly a dozen two-person teams to fishing tournaments held across the state and throughout the southern U.S.
The national exposure—broadcast, television, webcast—is what attracted several TBC members to Tarleton, some from as far away as Arizona. That state’s high school champion angler and eventual national champion recently toured the campus after a day of fishing with club members at Lake Granbury.
The positive press reeled in club president Cason Kelly, a sophomore honors student from Lucas, Texas, who competed on his high school team.
“My personal goal is to win the national championship. Although the prize money is nice, it’s the exposure that we’re after,” said Kelly, who, with partner Stetson Overton, finished 27th of 192 teams at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship last May at Lake Pickwick near Florence, Ala.
Among the four Tarleton teams qualifying for the twoday meet, two finished in the top 10: Dakota Ebare and Justin Seeton, fourth with 39.49 pounds—a mere 4.8 pounds off the winning mark set by the
University of North Alabama—and Wyatt Young and Tucker Sargent with 34.92 pounds.
The top 10 finishes mark the best placings to date for Tarleton on college fishing’s biggest stage. Tarleton anglers routinely enjoy success in tournaments sanctioned by the Association of Collegiate Anglers, FLW and College Bass.
In December, Tarleton was ranked 13th in Cabela’s School of the Year standings after earning points in 10 sanctioned events dating to last spring. Only two Texas schools rank higher—East Texas Baptist and Dallas Baptist.
An average spring schedule consists of about 10 tournaments, with qualifiers advancing to championship events. Each weekend trip averages $1,200 for fuel, accommodations, food and entry fees, putting the sport beyond the reach of many college students. Members apply much of their prize winnings to future tournament costs.
Too, the students have honed their skills at hosting club tournaments to raise funds and securing sponsorships with fishing gear manufacturers—all welcome when the sport requires dozens of rod and reel combos, baits for every scenario imaginable, depth finders and the latest technology to outfit a bass boat.
“A lot of these guys fishing for Tarleton want to fish full time or join the professional ranks, and to do that you have to represent yourself well, represent the companies that believe in you,” Kelly explained.
“Traveling around to tournaments is a great way to start building relationships with industry folks as well as a reputation for yourself.”
Getting to the big show is not easy, considering the approximately 9,000 college fishermen associated with more than 240 clubs on campuses nationwide. Being competitive requires having a bass boat and trailer, something TBC members must consider when pairing up to form a team.
The anglers also have to find time to practice and gain experience on the water. And don’t overlook the homework before venturing to a new lake, studying the depths, below-surface structures and fish feeding habits, and monitoring water clarity.
“When we have downtime, we’re usually fishing or preparing for a tournament. We spend a lot of time on the water, and that’s the only way you get better at fishing,” Kelly said. Several nearby lakes, such as Lake Leon and Squaw Creek, afford quality practice sessions.
“We definitely do our homework before we get to the lake, but once you’re on the water it’s a mental game. You have to believe in yourself and your ability to find fish and catch them consistently in order to win tournaments. There’s an acronym we live by: PMA, or positive mental attitude. It really is the biggest part of what we do.”
Justin Faterkowski, a freshman from Montgomery, Texas, agrees that the brain game can make or break a tournament. “I’ve gained valuable people skills and learned to deal with failure, because you fail a lot before you succeed in this sport.”
Boat engines die in the middle of a tournament. Lines snap while landing a lunker largemouth. Or, as in last May’s collegiate championships, an unannounced dam release drops the lake 2.5 feet overnight, forcing the teams to completely revamp their strategy.
The spot-on angler adapts and perseveres.
“There have been more tourneys than not, going through practice
Club members Cason Kelly (left) and Stetson Overton at the BoatUS championship on Lake Pickwick near Florence, Ala., finished 27th among 192 teams, where two Tarleton teams placed in the top 10.
rounds with sunny skies and calm winds, then a cold front moves in overnight, the temps drop and the fish move,” Kelly said. “But on tournament day, your heart’s going a million miles an hour with the adrenaline rush, with the sun rising after going 70 mph across a lake in your boat, then the noise goes away when you stop for the first cast.
“It’s so exciting because you never know when the first bite’s going to come, and if it’s going to change your entire day with a big bass.”
On Christmas Day 2008, life threw Bryan Conger the biggest curve he’s ever experienced—son Jacoby.
As Tarleton head baseball coach, Bryan knows a thing or two about curveballs, but Jacoby’s arrival surprised him and wife Melanie, even after deciding to have one more child after 10 years because of “how much we loved being parents.”
Jacoby’s premature birth, inability to gain weight, sleeplessness and developmental issues affected not only Bryan and Melanie but siblings Maddux and Kaleigh as well.
“We definitely weren’t expecting a Christmas baby,” Melanie says. “He was about six weeks early, so we weren’t really prepared. We had our traditional cinnamon rolls ready for the next morning, and we were prepared to have our final Christmas with just Kaleigh and Maddux.”
At 5 a.m., that changed. The family headed to the hospital.
Initially Jacoby failed to gain weight, never adding more than two ounces a week until an 11-ounce breakthrough in February.
“He was labeled a failure to thrive for the first three months of his life,” Melanie recalls. “We tried everything to get him to eat. He would have milk pouring down his face, and we couldn’t understand why. They sent us to specialists for swallow studies.”
“We were told there’s only one drug in America to stop IS,” Melanie says. “Bryan and I agreed to stop the seizures.”
Melanie also picked up on Jacoby’s slow development.
“While visiting some friends with children when Jacoby was 3 months old, I noticed that one of the babies kept reaching out to grab her mom’s water bottle. I remember wondering why Jacoby didn’t try to grab mine. I wondered if there was something wrong with his vision, or if something more was going on.”
At 7 months, Jacoby began having seizures. Even with medication, they became more frequent.
Next stop was Cook Children’s Medical Center and a diagnosis of infantile spasms (IS).
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) required daily injections for eight weeks.
“I remember the first shot,” Melanie recalls. “It wasn’t easy—from the numbing to the injection to the screaming.”
By day two, the seizures had stopped, but the injections continued as a daily ritual, turning Melanie into more of a nurse than mom.
“ACTH affects immunity,” she explains. “That required us to take extra precautions against germs. We’d come home and take showers before even touching Jacoby.”
Although Jacoby’s seizures stopped, the Congers realized that things would never be the same and, for seven years, they didn’t know what afflicted their son.
“Most head coaches are Type A personalities, and my family will tell you that I have a difficult time with the unknown,” Bryan notes. “I don’t care what an answer is because I can always figure out what to do, but how do you take action on what you don’t know? It taught me a lot. I started to change as a coach.
“Being the parent of a special needs child is the greatest thing ever,” he continues. “You don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you figure it out.”
While the family struggled with the unknown, so did doctors. Countdowns became a frequent terror for the family as birthdays brought more fear than celebration.
“Doctors kept telling us Jacoby wouldn’t live to be 1, then 2,” Kaleigh recalls. “They would tell me it was time to say goodbye to Jacoby. But, it was so awesome to see him fight through and prove them wrong.”
“We told the doctors to quit giving us a deadline,” Bryan says. “After Jacoby turned 3, for me, it was like he was a competitor. He competes in a different game than everyone else in the household, but he has the same drive and determination as his sister and brother.
“When the doctors refer to the ‘Jacoby Conger Disease,’ it’s not exactly how you want your child to be known,” Bryan says.
Following intensive genetic testing of Bryan and Melanie, doctors finally identified Jacoby’s condition—Cardio-FacioCutaneous Syndrome—just before he turned 8. CFC Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that typically affects the heart (cardio), facial features (facio) and skin (cutaneous).
Children with CFC may have relatively large heads, down-slanting eyes, sparse eyebrows, curly hair, areas of thickened or scaly skin and short stature. The condition affects fewer than 300 people worldwide.
“It was nice to have an answer, but it prompted a whole lot of research on our part,” Melanie says.
“The diagnosis made us realize how rare and special Jacoby is,” Bryan adds. “There are thousands of baseball coaches, but there are not thousands of Jacoby. He’s as special as you think he is.”
Because CFC Syndrome doesn’t impact life expectancy, the nightmarish countdowns are over.
“Now we have a path, so how do we fight back?” Bryan asks. “We push him more, especially since we know we’re going to have him longer.”
Bryan tells Jacoby, “The doctors say you can’t do this—‘Go compete, Dude.’ That’s his challenge every day.”
Jacoby is legally blind. He can’t communicate verbally or eat solid food, but he continues to improve.
“He understands when he’s at the baseball field though,” Bryan says. “He hears the bat hit the ball. He loves being out there. I’ve had complaints for playing the music too loud but, when Jacoby feels music, he dances and gets happy.
“He knows that when he’s at the baseball field, Dad’s there. Fences mean nothing to him. If there’s a game going on, he feels like he should be with Dad. Something as simple as seeing him put together a correlation—baseball field, Dad, go get Dad—is really neat. It’s simplistic, but it’s beautiful.
“I’m beyond blessed because of my entire family,” Bryan notes. “My wife does a tremendous job keeping everything together at home. Honestly, if she didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to coach. Coaching baseball is like a chess match. You have to be prepared for things and always several steps ahead. Continued on next page.
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“Caring for Jacoby has taught me that I can’t do everything on my own,” he continues. “I ask for opinions more now than ever. I realize I need to lean on my assistants a little more. When you get players that can handle it, you lean on them more.
“The ability to learn from Jacoby and my family makes me a better coach. They’ve never given up or taken no for an answer,” Bryan says. “I hope the guys in my program never take no for an answer and never settle for less than what they’re fully capable of doing. Everyone is capable of being more.”
Thanks to Jacoby, Bryan is learning to take life one day at a time.
“Let’s give today everything we’ve got and, when that’s over, let’s wake up tomorrow and do it again,” he says. “It sounds cliché, but we never know if we have tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Melanie continues to be a working mother, beginning a new position at Jacoby’s school this fall.
Kaleigh enters her second season of volleyball at North Central Texas College, where she’s studying for a medical career in hopes of helping others avoid the struggles her family has endured.
In 2015, a late-night conversation changed Maddux’s future forever. Just finishing his senior season at Stephenville High School, he was being courted by multiple major league baseball teams. Scouts had him graded as a third-to-fifth round draft choice, with some trying to talk him out of college to improve that positioning.
“He wanted to have a father-son conversation,” Bryan recalls, fighting back tears. “He reasoned that the education he’d receive at Vanderbilt would enable him to get a job to help take care of Jacoby. I remember thinking that no 18-yearold should make this the premise of their decision. He said, ‘You always told me that you have to put off the now for what you want most.’ What Maddux wanted most was to take care of his brother when his mother and I can’t do it anymore.”
Maddux, set to begin his third year at Vanderbilt, will again be eligible for the major league amateur draft, putting him one step closer to his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball.
“I can never repay my parents for everything they’ve done,” Maddux says. “My parents are superheroes, and I love them.”
And Jacoby? He’s just Jacoby. “Jacoby doesn’t care if we win or lose,” Bryan says of the Tarleton Texans. “He only cares if I’m going to take him for a piggyback ride. He only cares if I’m going to keep his ’nilla wafer bowl filled up. He only cares if you do what he wants.
“As a dad and coach it teaches you an appreciation,” he says of life with Jacoby. “He just wants you to be you. At the end of the day, it’s just baseball. Now, when it is time for baseball, it’s everything you’ve got. Empty the tank. When the tank is empty, go home and empty the tank with your family. It’s not easy, but Jacoby’s taught me a lot more than I’ll ever teach him.”
When Bryan Conger arrived as Head Baseball Coach, the Texans had endured five straight losing seasons.
In his debut campaign, they overcame a 7-11 start to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
Conger led Tarleton into the national spotlight in 2011 with the team’s first national top-25 ranking. The 35-win season sent the Texans into the NCAA regional tournament for just the second time, the first since 1998 when his mentor, Coach Jack Allen, and the Texans reached the regionals. The Texans won national rankings in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017.
In 2013, Tarleton won its first-ever regular season Lone Star Conference Championship, with arguably the all-time greatest pitching staff in Texans history: all-conference pitching starters Pete Perez, Miguel Ramirez and Matt Buckmaster, with Britt Robertshaw closing games. Perez, Ramirez and Robertshaw all advanced to professional baseball. Conger was named conference Coach of the Year.
In 2014, Conger’s Texans won the LSC Tournament Championship, advancing to the NCAA regional for the third time in school history.
In his nine seasons at Tarleton, Conger has posted a won-lost record of 253-204-2, a .554 winning percentage.
After a stint as Tarleton pitching coach from 1996-99, Conger took positions at Lamar Community College, Cloud County Community College and the University of Utah, where he was pitching coach prior to returning to Tarleton.
He has had 34 players drafted by major league baseball, including current pitchers Stephen Fife and Brandon McCarthy.
A Stephenville native, Conger pitched for SHS and then Tarleton, where he was Comeback Player of the Year in 1994 and Most Valuable Pitcher in 1995. He earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communications in 1995 and, after two years pitching for Pine Bluff in the TexasLouisiana League, he returned to Tarleton to earn his master’s in education in 1999.
Want to stay connected with your fellow Tarleton Texans?
The new affinity chapter program provides an avenue for alumni of student organizations or with any common Tarleton connection to create a chapter under the Tarleton Alumni Association umbrella. These affinity chapters set their own dues and can use the funds they raise as the chapter deems necessary.
Affinity groups are a great way to connect with alumni who share your interests—and your love of Tarleton. See below for the affinity groups that are active now:
Stephen Howell, grandson of Tarleton’s 11 th President E. J. Howell, stands by the university’s iconic World War I era cannon that he used to play on as a young boy. Howell recently visited the university, touring the Trogdon House with President F. Dominic and Dr. Lisette Dottavio, and the E. J. Howell Building, which formerly was the administration building and was renamed for the former president in 1997. The building now is home to the College of Education. Howell donated a collection of personal photos of Tarleton for the university’s archives.
