Vol. 83, No. 11
October 4, 1984
VISTA
Thursday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Former students honored Four businessmen, two doctors, a forensic chemist, NASA flight director, newspaper editor and state administrator are this year's Distinguished Former Students being honored by Central State University. Honorees are nominated for their achievements in their profession, leadership in their community and humanitarian services. This award is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association. This year recipients who will be honored during Homecoming activities Oct. 6 are Ray Coyner, Edmond; Janice M. Davis, Oklahoma City; Bob Farquhar, Oklahoma City; Richard Hartman, Wyoming; J. Milton Heflin, Houston; Charles Overgard, Claremore; Dr. Forrest Shed, Norman; Hal Smith, Dallas; Lowell Thompson, Edmond and Dr. Jack Tolbert, Mountain View, Okla. Ray Coyner, Edmond real estate agent, has the distinction of first attending CSU at the age of four. He is a graduate of both the kindergarten class of 1908 and the college class of 1929. A 35-year veteran of the postal service, Coyner served for 10 years on the alumni board and is a member of the American Legion and the Masonic Lodge. Janice M. Davis, senior forensic chemist for the Oklahoma City Police Department, has been recognized for her contributions to criminal investigation in the state. After graduating from CSU in 1975, she served as forensic chemist for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation where she was awarded the director's Outstanding Service Award. In 1983, Davis was awarded a second Certificate of Achievement Award by the Oklahoma City Police Department. She is active in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Southwestern Association of Forensic Scientists and the Oklahoma Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. Bob Farquhar, assistant managing editor and director of new systems at the Daily Oklahoman and the Oklahoma City Times, is nationally recognized as a lecturer on new technology and information retrieval. He serves as national president of the Newspaper Computer Users Group and is active in the Associated Press Managing Editors and the Oklahoma City Gridiron Club. A 1964 CSU graduate, Farquhar has been in the newspaper business for 25 years. Richard Hartman, State planning coordinator for the governor of Wyoming, was recognized as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America in 1981. Since his 1970 graduation from CSU, Hartman served as a research associate for the Colorado Division of Planning and as Natural Resource Policy Analyst for the Wyoming State Planning Coor-
dinator's Office before assuming his present position. J. Milton Heflin, Jr., flight director, NASA Johnson/Space Center, has made significant contributions to the space travel field. A 1966 graduate of CSU, Heflin began his NASA involvement working on the Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz space missions. He was instrumental in developing various space craft water recovery systems and served as lead recovery engineer for Skylab and Apollo Missions. Heflin also has operated as senior spacecraft system flight controller in the space shuttle program before his selection as flight director. His current duties include planning and directing the activities of the ground support team in the conduct of mission operations. Charles "Chuck" Overgard is the owner of two retail clothing stores, Chuck's Varsity Square and Young World Shoppe, in Claremore. A 1967 CSU graduate, Overgard worked for three years in the oil industry before starting his retail stores in partnership with his wife, Sharon. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, Masonic Lodge and the Elks Lodge, where he held state offices. Dr. Forrest Shed, optometrist, has gained recognition as one of the leading authorities in his field. After attending Central State and the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Shed established his first practice in Beaver, Okla. In 1970, he moved his practice to Norman. Shed is involved in the National Eye Research Foundation and is a member of the Oklahoma Optometric Association. Lowell E. Thompson, president of Thompson Book and Supply Company, is being recognized for his contributions to the University and the Edmond community. A 1950 graduate of CSU, Thompson is the former chairnam of the CSU Foundation, Inc., an alumni support group. He also has served as president of the National School Suppliers and Equipment Association and as a member of the National Office Products Association and is a member of the National Office Products Association, the National AudioVisual Association and the National Office Machine Distributors of America. Dr. Jack B. Tolbert is being recognized for his civic contributions to Mountain View, Okla., the small town where he has practiced family medicine for 37 years. A 1940 graudate of CSU, Tolbert served two years in the Army Medical Corps before starting his medical practice. He also has served as the mayor of Mountain View and as a member of the school board.
Regents adopt operating budget The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education at their meeting Monday adopted the 1985-86 operating budget recommendation to the Legislature. The proposed budget of $568,130,147 will be submitted to the 1985 Oklahoma Legislature
when it convenes in January. The Regents' budget recommendation calls for $469,544,012 in state-appropriated funds with the balance to be funded by $98.5 million in revolving funds. Revolving fund income consists of student fees, tuition and other
In this issue... Homecoming schedule... page 3 New karate club formed...page 4 "Soldier Story" review...page 6 Bronchos to meet East Texas State...page 7 Former Broncho goes pro...page 8
educational funds collected at the campus level. The State Regents' proposal represents an increase of $108.8 million in state-appropriated funds over the $360,683,865 allocated for the current year. The Regents' recommendation takes into consideration the increased costs and backlog of needs built up over the past three years of essentially steady state or reduced state appropriations. Of the total budget of $568.1 million, $375,235,504 is designated for the support of instructional programs in State System colleges and universities. Chancellor J.A. Leone pointed out to the Regents that the educational programs cost budgeting approach used to determine State System needs is a zero based process.
Vista photo by Daniel Smith
CSU's latest literary success, Gladys S. Lewis, displays previous novel, On Earth As It Is, and her most recent biography, Two Dreams and a Promise.
Published novelist joins CSU faculty By Curtis Killman Gladys S. Lewis — writer, teacher and student. It may sound like a wide variety of titles, but to her they all compliment each other. Lewis, a new graduate assitant in the English department, teaches freshman composition and is currently working on her newest novel as required for a master's in creative writing, while enjoying the success of two earlier novels. Her latest book, Two Dreams and a Promise, is a biography describing the life of Dr. William and Frances Skinner, medical missionaries to Paraguay, was released in July and is doing well, according to Lewis. She said her first book, On Earth As It Is, has been recently selected as a feature selection in the February, 1985, Round Table Book Club. Two Dreams and a Promise was initially targeted for the 16-18 year-old group. But, she said that from judging from the responses received so far, the general reader has also expressed an interest in the biography. She said that the cinematic outline of the book was "very hard to do" as compared to the chronological one usually employed. Lewis is presently at work on a fictional novel with the
working title Hill Stones. It's a rough draft now, but she says it is due to be finished this spring. As a published novelist, Lewis has enjoyed one aspect of the writing process that most writers never realize so early in their careers — that of selecting the titles for their novels. "I use the theme of the book when selecting a title," Lewis said. She says she has so far pleased her publisher. Lewis says the public will have to wait until Hill Stones is released before learning the theme. Teaching this fall in the English department has been a different experience for her, she says, but the art of teaching is nothing new. She was a nursing instructer for 8 years and has written many curriculums. This June she prepared a manuscript for a Bible study in Isaiah and Ephisians that she presented to a church in Blanchard, Oklahoma. "I like to teach, even though it is very time consuming," Lewis said. "But I also enjoy writing." As to the future, Lewis said she has not made any definite teaching decisions yet, but does intend to continue writing.