Howard Payne University will recognize six outstanding alumni and friends of the university during Homecoming weekend, October 23 and 24, 2009.
The awards will be presented during the 2009 Alumni Awards Banquet on Friday, Oct. 23 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Beadel Dining Area of the Mabee University Center.
Honorees include Dr. Richard Jolly, distinguished alumnus; Wes McGaugh, outstanding young graduate; Joy Ivy and the late Dan Owen, medal of service; Bernice Porter, coming home queen; and Dr. McDonald Held, grand marshal.
Biographies of the honorees follow:
Distinguished Alumnus – Dr. Richard Jolly ’69
Howard Payne College’s “Friendliest Freshman” in 1966, Dr. Richard Jolly, has brought much distinction and honor to his alma mater. Dr. Jolly is the Executive Vice President for Midland College, where he has served faithfully for 26 years of his career.
While at HPC, Dr. Jolly was a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a yell leader, chairman of Western Days his senior year, and a class officer his freshman and sophomore years.
Following his graduation from Howard Payne in 1969, Dr. Jolly was a biology and chemistry teacher at Memorial High School in San Antonio. He then went on to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees from Texas Tech University. In 1977, he was hired as Director of Job Placement at Midland College, where he eventually became an instructor of management and then Division Chair of Occupational-Technical Studies. For six years, he worked for Tarrant County College as Associate Dean of Instruction and Student Development Services. Dr.
Jolly then returned to Midland College in 1990, where he has consistently served in academic and administrative positions for the past 19 years.
The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Jolly was named to the National Register’s Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals in 2004 and was the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award from Texas Community College Instructional Administrators in 1997.
He and his wife, Linda, have one daughter, Ashley. They are members of the First Baptist Church of Midland, where he has served faithfully as a deacon and Sunday school teacher for many years.
Outstanding Young Graduate– Wes McGaugh ’02
Wes McGaugh began working as student athletic trainer his freshman year at Henderson High School and continued his training at HPU. Working on the sidelines of hundreds of football, basketball, track and baseball games was excellent preparation for his future career.
During his time at HPU, Wes received an Award for Academic Excellence in Athletic Training and the Yellow Jacket Award for Student Athletic Trainer of the Year. In addition to being an athletic trainer, he was also vice president of the Exercise and Sports Science Club. In the summers, Wes was an umpire in Brown County for softball and baseball games.
Since his graduation from HPU in 2002, he has trained with the Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. While working for the 49ers as Assistant Athletic Trainer, Wes helped current HPU senior Sam Sorrell obtain a summer internship with the professional football team.
He is now the Associate Athletic Trainer and Head Football Trainer for the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, he is training Cal’s Heisman Trophy Candidate, Jahvid Best.
He earned a master’s degree in sports health care from the Arizona School of Health Sciences, a branch of A.T. Still University. During that time he was a graduate assistant for the Arizona State University football team. Wes is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association.
He and his wife, Patty, reside in Santa Clara, California.
Medal of Service- Joy (Meek) Ivy ’67
A 1967 graduate of Howard Payne, Joy Ivy is a retired teacher and active volunteer. She and her husband, Richard, met while they were students at Howard Payne College. During that time, she was a member of the choir, Baptist Student Union, and a class officer.
Joy worked as an elementary public school teacher for 30 years across the state of Texas, serving in Huntington, Lufkin, Goose Creek, Humble and Early Independent School Districts.
Now, she is a faithful volunteer in the Brownwood community and at HPU. She has clocked more than 3,500 hours at Brownwood Regional Medical Center where she is a past president of volunteers. Joy is also always willing to lend a helping hand in the HPU Alumni and Advancement Offices, answering phones, arranging flowers or assisting in registration at Homecoming. Each week, she assists her husband in leading a worship service at the Oak Ridge Manor, fulfilling the role of pastor’s wife that she has held for more than 40 years.
Additionally, she is a member of the Brownwood Woman’s Club, Brownwood Quilter Guild and a former member of the HPU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
All four of the Ivy’s children, Kathryn, Elisabeth, Mary Alice and Rick, attended Howard Payne, with three graduating from the university. Richard and Joy also have 13 grandchildren, ages four to 16. They make their home in Early.
Medal of Service – Dan Owen ’54
Born and raised in Burkburnett, Dan Owen graduated from high school in 1950 and entered as a freshman at Howard Payne College. A standout athlete, Dan led the Yellow Jackets to the Texas Conference basketball championship in 1954. As a senior, he led the conference in scoring and earned most valuable player honors. He also ran the record-breaking two mile and distance relay teams. He was the conference 880-yard dash champion in 1953 and 1954.
Graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1954, Dan went on to earn his master’s degree in education from HPC in 1955.
A gifted coach, he led Jacksboro High School to a state football championship in 1962 with a 15-0 record. He had a successful coaching career throughout the 1960s, and then he moved to Holliday Independent School District to become an elementary principal. In 1982, Dan became Superintendent for Holliday, where he served until his retirement in 1993.
He was a lifelong supporter of Howard Payne University, particularly the athletic program. He served as a member of the President’s Development Council for four years. Additionally, Dan and his brother, Stan, established a scholarship at HPU for students from the Wichita Falls area. In 1992, he was inducted as a member of the HPU Sports Hall of Fame.
Dan passed away on August 6, 2009, in Wichita Falls. Survivors include his wife, Shirley; daughter Cindy Singleton and husband Kyle; two sons, Shayne and wife Stacie and Shannon and wife Lana. He also had eight grandchildren.
Coming Home Queen – Bernice (McCuistion) Porter ’46
Bernice Porter was born in Ennis, Texas in 1922. Entering as a freshman at Howard Payne College in 1940, she attended school for three years before taking time off during World War II to work as a clerk at the Cotton Belt Railroad in Tyler. She later returned to HPC, where she graduated in December of 1946.
Bernice married her late husband, Gene, in 1945 and they had three sons: Robert, Richard and Charles. She stayed at home to raise the children, but remained very involved as a civic leader in her community.
Volunteering to work elections has been her pastime from President Eisenhower’s administration up to the present. She has served as President of the Garden Culture Club of Brownwood, the Junior 20th Century Club, and the Brownwood Hospital Auxillary, of which she has completed 40 years of service. In 2004, the Girl Scouts named Bernice the “First Lady of Brown County.” She has also completed 27 years of service as a trustee of the Baptist Memorial Center in San Angelo.
Bernice has also faithfully supported her alma mater throughout the years. She has served as member of the President’s Development Council and was awarded the Medal of Service in 2004. Her family also generously sponsors HPU’s annual Outstanding Staff Member award program each year.
Grand Marshal – Dr. McDonald Held
Professor, United States Air Force Intelligence worker, college president, Baptist minister and author are a few of the positions that Dr. McDonald Held has held over the course of his 100-year lifetime.
He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Northwestern University.
Dedicating nine years of service to Howard Payne from 1955-1964, Dr. Held served as Chair of the Speech and Theatre department and later as Academic Dean. During his tenure, his contributions included building the control room and studio for the first FM radio station, KHPC; assisting in developing the academic curriculum for the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom; and coordinating the logistics for the HPU Theatre department’s British Tour of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the group is celebrating their 50th anniversary at Homecoming this year, see schedule for more details).
Dr. Held worked at Wayland Baptist University for seven years before taking a position at Montana State University-Billings, where he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1977. He went on to serve as vice-president and then president of Yellowstone Baptist Bible Institute, now Yellowstone Baptist College. Ordained for the ministry at the age of 74, Dr. Held has served as a minster at three Baptist churches in the Northwest.
Dr. Held and his wife, Beverly, make their home in Billings, Montana. They have five children, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
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Tickets for the Alumni Awards banquet are $12 for members of the Alumni Association and $14 for the general public. All tickets can be purchased by contacting the Alumni Office at (800) 950-8465 or 649-8006 or by visiting http://alumni.hputx.edu/homecoming2009
