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The Pride January 2001 Vol. 53, No. 1Alumni AssociationAlumni CalendarA&M Commerce FoundationContact Info.

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Continued from, page 18

as a journalism professor. He taught there for 24 years. He began his career in 1951 at the Vicksburg Post-Herald in Mississippi, where he was one of five reporters who won a Pulitzer for coverage of a devastating tornado on December 5, 1953.

Robert “Bobby” Swann (BS ’70) passed away on September 27, 2000 in Dallas. He was retired from the US Marine Corps.

Vernice Helen Thompson (BS ’71) passed away on September 10, 2000 in Whitehouse. She was a retired teacher, having taught bilingual kindergarten for 14 years.

Charles Kendrick Cash (EDD ’73) passed away on October 26, 2000 in Dallas. He taught at Frank Phillips College in Borger and at Henderson County Junior College in Athens. He was manager/owner of Continental Personnel Service of Dallas, retiring in 1999.

Linda Jean Kinser Crawford (BA ’74) died on September 1, 2000 in Odessa. She had been an English teacher in the Andrews Middle School for 18 years.

Patsy Ball Delaney (MED ’77) passed away November 3, 2000. She taught in the Beaumont, Garland and Dallas school districts.

Troy LaRue (BS ’93) passed away on October 31, 2000 following complications from surgery. He was the junior high athletic director at Mount Pleasant. He coached both football and track and assisted with the basketball program.

Margie P. Fenton-Dunn (EDD ’98) passed away on November 2, 2000. She was principal at Dallas Baptist University Laboratory School, and was awarded the Meadows Fellowship for educational leadership at Texas A&M University-Commerce in 1988.

Jeffrey H. Barnes (Student) passed away on September 17, 2000. He was employed in the engineering department of C&P Engineering and was in his final semester at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Nora Wood Braswell (Former Student) passed away on August 1, 2000 in Longview. She was the teacher in a one-room school house at the Veasy School and was formerly the dietician for DeKalb School System.

Maxine Cronin (Former Student) died on October 27, 2000 in Terrell. An LVN, she was employed several years at Terrell State Hospital, until her retirement.

William Andrew Ellis (Former Student) passed away on October 26, 2000 in Dallas.

Barbara Lynn Rich Leggett (Former Student) passed away September 8, 2000. She was a reading lab instructor for the Cedar Hill ISD.

Clyde Weldon Mayes (Former Student) passed away September 22, 2000 following an extended illness. He began work as a salesman at Federal Match Company in 1933, earning many awards before retiring from the company in 1976.

Gerry Lou McClanahan (Former Student) passed away on October 13, 2000 in Pine Bluff, AR.

Joyce Mearl Mills (Former Student) died on September 16, 2000. She was a lifetime resident of Henderson County and was owner and operator of Wallace Floor Covering in Athens.

Darlene Elaine Veasley Peters (Former Student) passed away on September 11, 2000. She was a licensed medical aide.

Jimmy Kennith “Kenny” Rae (Former Student) passed away August 21, 2000 in a Houston hospital following a lengthy illness. He was a member and officer of the Taylor Jaycees and received the 1999 award for Jaycee of the Year. he was also director of the Taylor Chamber of Commerce.

Nancy Campbell Forgy Rose (Former Student) pased away unexpectedly on September 6, 2000 at the age of 49. In addition to being a student, she worked for several years in the University Library in the early 1970s. At the time of her death, she and her husband owned Rose Plumbing in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

Bill Slayton (Former Student) of Wills Point, passed away on November 11, 2000 in Terrell, TX. He owned and operated Traylor Furniture since 1980, and was very active in many civic activities.

Charles J. Strickland (Former Student) passed away on August 22, 2000 in Sulphur Springs. He was a well-known businessman and civic leader, and was the former owner of A-1 Auto Supply, as well as the former co-owner of Sulphur Springs Parts Company.

Albert Curtis (A.C.) Williams (Former Student) passed away on November 12, 2000. He taught or coached in the Greenville, Dallas, and Commerce ISDs, and became principal of the Commerce Middle School in 1971, retiring in 1980. He was a veteran of the US Army.

Williams, Former Librarian, Dies At 97

Opal Williams, 97, of Sulphur Springs and formerly of Commerce, died Dec. 4 at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital in Sulphur Springs. A graveside service was conducted at Little Elm Cemetery with Rev. Natalie Chamberlain officiating.

The daughter of J.T. Williams, Sr. and Cassandra “Cassie” White Williams, she was born Oct. 16, 1903, in Frisco. She graduated from Frisco Public School June 3, 1921. Miss Williams received a bachelor of arts degree from Texas College of Industrial Arts (now Texas Woman’s University) in 1938, her bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois in 1931 and a master’s degree in library science from Columbia University School of Library Science in 1948.
Opal Williams
Opal Williams
Miss Williams worked as a librarian at Randolph College in Cisco from 1925 to 1928 and moved to East Texas State Teachers College in 1928, where she was named head librarian in 1931.
During her tenure the Department of Library Science was organized. She stepped down as head librarian in 1969 and retired in 1973. She was the first librarian at East Texas State University to be granted emeritus rank.
Miss Williams was a longtime member of First Christian Church in Commerce. She was a member of American Association of University Women and a charter member of Friends of Commerce Public Library (1954), serving as their executive vice president until 1979. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Beta Lambda Chapter; a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, Captain Charles Croxall Chapter of Commerce, and served as regent from 1974 to 1978.
She was a life member of Texas Library Association and was active in the local, district and state levels. Miss Williams was a member of East Texas State University Dames.
She is survived by a brother, Dr. J.T. Williams of Sulphur Springs; a nephew, Tim Williams and wife, Sherry, of Sulphur Springs and a niece, Mickey Richey of Tyler. A sister, Mrs. Jimmie Ramage, preceded her in death.