50th Reunion Brings New Friends, Golden Memories
| Winter 2009/2010
Bobby Pangle visits with a member of the Cowboy Band.
16 Range Rider Magazine
Edgar Dennis came to HSU in the 1950s on a football scholarship. Oddly enough, Dennis never played a single game of football. Instead, he played a trumpet in the Cowboy Band. Dennis says it just seemed like that would be a lot of fun, so he gave up the football scholarship. Pete Hart arrived on campus as a longshot football team walk-on. He made the team and became a star player for legendary coach Sammy Baugh. Even though Edgar and Pete were both on campus at the same time as students, it would be 50 years before they would actually meet. They were among the 100 or so 1959 HSU graduates and spouses who returned to campus in April 2009 for their Golden 50th Class Reunion and a celebration of the annual Founders Day Observance. Reunion events kicked off on Monday with registration and a reception followed by a trolley tour of campus. Many of the class come back annually for Homecoming, but those who haven’t seen the campus for a while were astonished at the growth, and planned growth, of university facilities. The afternoon concluded with an informal mini-concert by the Cowboy Band. The class gathered for dinner that evening led by emcees and classmates Bill Ballinger and Johnny Jones, who were the 1959 Student Council president and vice president, respectively. Alumni had the spectacular challenge of summarizing the last 50 years of their lives in one minute. During the evening, Britt (Yates) Jones (B84), director of alumni relations, inducted the class members into the HSU Golden Lariat Society.
Tuesday included a special 1959 Class Reunion program in Behrens Auditorium. Classmate, pastor, college teacher, and former army chaplain, Jerry Poteet, spoke to the golden grads and assembled students. Following his address, HSU students presented the 71st annual Founders Day tribute to some of the early day leaders and benefactors of the university. At the Golden Reunion Luncheon each class member received a Golden Reunion plaque and University Seal medallion from HSU Alumni Association president and Abilene attorney Chris Carnohan (B75) and HSU Provost Bill Ellis (B75). Unique for this reunion was the opportunity to obtain a specially commissioned, limited edition class coin featuring the old Cowhand statue which stood in front of Abilene Hall for many years. Proceeds from the sale of this coin were merged with donations made by class members to the 1959 Legacy Scholarship Fund which totaled $3,391. Edgar Dennis, who is now a rancher in Dimmitt, was clearly pleased when the former football star he remembered, Pete Hart, arrived for the tour of the White Horse facilities. Pete and Edgar reminisced on how students from the campus got around Abilene in the 1950s. Pete recalls, “We used to wait on a bench in front of HSU on Hickory. People would stop and give us a ride downtown. Then to get back, we would wait on a bench just outside of Mac Eplen’s Restaurant across from First Baptist Church. Again, people would stop and bring us back to the campus.” Pete still lives in Abilene and teaches at both the Middleton and the Robertson prison units.