BUILDING THE VISION SECTION

A Ringing Desire To Give

The sound of the Bearkat Fight Song resonates through campus at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily from the 65 foot bell tower that now stands in the center of campus.

That tune, among the many the tower can play with its chimes, will hopefully serve as a reminder for alumni of their times at Sam Houston State University and inspire both students and alumni to give back to the university, said Ron Blatchley, an alumnus whose donation led to the building of the tower.

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A Lifelong Dedication To Education Honored

Anyone who has ever loved or been loved by a grandparent knows how precious and strong the bond can be in a grandparent-grandchild relationship.

To honor the memory of his grandparents, David Haralson and his wife Dolores of Hobe Sound, Fla. have established the Olive and Edgar May Education Endowment Fund to provide financial assistance to an undergraduate student majoring in any program within the College of Education. Preference is given to students from Trinity.

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McNeil (Mac) Moore donned his number 38 jersey and stepped onto the grass of Pritchett Field in 1951. He walked off the field in 1954 as a Sam Houston graduate and record-setting champion athlete. Over fifty years later, he still holds the single game rushing record and a career record for most points. Mac continued his studies at Sam, receiving his Master’s degree in 1957.

He went on to play professional football with the Chicago Bears, coach and teach, and launch a successful financial services business. When asked about his greatest achievement, Mac doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge his family – wife, Bonnie and daughters, Kathy and Karen.

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Saying Goodbye To Ferol Robinson

Ferol Robinson, 88, retired Sam Houston State University vice president and mentor to hundreds of communication professionals throughout Texas and the nation, died Feb. 4 in Huntsville.

"Dr. R" retired in 1981 as vice president for university affairs. At that time his administrative responsibilities included student life, athletics, intramurals, development and fund raising, alumni relations, scholarships and endowments, special programs, student recruitment, the Lowman Student Center, information and publication services, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, student housing, the health center, university police, financial aid, and vending.

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It’s A Grand Slam!

A $1 million gift to SHSU from Houston entrepreneur and renowned philanthropist Don Sanders--- a member of the university’s Class of 1958---was officially recognized on this spring with the dedication of the Don Sanders Baseball Stadium.

Friends and family of Sanders were on hand to help celebrate the occasion, including baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, former Texas governor Mark White, and former Astros player Terry Puhl.

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Memorializing The Spirit Of Giving

Tom Thweatt III had an overriding passion to help others and lived a life that held no regrets.

“He appreciated each day and didn’t worry too much about the next, but for every day his prayer was always that God provide him an opportunity to help someone,” said his father W.T. “Tom” Thweatt Jr. “That’s the way he lived.”

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Sharing A Vision

When Mike Lytle attended Sam Houston State University in the early 70s, the College of Criminal Justice was a young program. At that time, the college, called the Institute of Contemporary Corrections and the Behavioral Sciences, was led by such faculty members as George John Beto, George Killinger, Hazel Kerper and Charles Friel, names that became well-known in the CJ field.

“Today’s College of Criminal Justice was only a vision back in the early 70’s,” Lytle said.

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