cowboys
Remembering our T
he Oklahoma State University family and Stillwater community were shocked and deeply saddened by the Homecoming parade tragedy Oct. 24, 2015. Our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones. Two of those killed were near and dear to the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. This issue of the Cowboy Journal is dedicated to a special couple: Marvin and Bonnie Stone. Natives of eastern Colorado, the Stones came to Stillwater in 1982 when Marvin joined the faculty as an assistant professor in what then was known as the agricultural engineering department. He enjoyed a truly distinguished career in research and teaching. He retired from OSU in 2006 as a Regents professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering. Bonnie served more than 33 years as a dedicated staff member at OSU. She made significant contributions in a variety of areas. She most
recently coordinated student information systems operations and training for the OSU Department of Institutional Research and Information Management. Marvin and Bonnie were true difference-makers, and their positive impacts were felt across the university and beyond. Marvin was known as an outstanding teacher on campus. He cared greatly for his students and was able to increase their knowledge and build their confidence. Marvin had a special gift for explaining difficult concepts in ways students could understand. He routinely helped students outside the classroom and made himself a partner in their learning. In terms of research, Marvin was knowledgeable and accomplished in many technical areas. He was a key member of the faculty team that developed the widely acclaimed GreenSeeker technology for variable-rate fertilizer application. He had an international reputation and led the U.S. delegation that met with representatives of many other countries to develop standards for electronic communications on agricultural and off-road equipment.
Marvin was a Fellow in and received several major awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He received the OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award and Regents Distinguished Research Award. In 2005, he received the Eminent Faculty Award, OSU’s highest faculty recognition. Bonnie embodied “service” through helping countless students, faculty, academic advisers and administrators navigate various computer information systems. For many years, she was the guru and go-to person for assistance with “SIS,” the student information system used by every OSU student, adviser and professor. Bonnie went out of her way to assist others, including going to faculty members’ offices to answer questions or taking after-hours telephone calls when the grade submission deadline was near. Marvin and Bonnie Stone were a close team for more than 45 years and were usually seen together around Stillwater. They were upbeat and positive people who always had smiles on their faces. They loved their work, and they loved OSU. The Stones were humble and unassuming, and they consistently displayed concern and compassion for others. Although they had no children of their own, they touched the lives of hundreds of OSU students in significant and lasting ways. Marvin and Bonnie Stone will be greatly missed, but their incredible legacy will be remembered and treasured. The Stone family has directed memorial contributions to the Dr. Marvin Stone Endowed Scholarship at the OSU Foundation at www.osugiving.com. — an editorial by Ron Elliott, former BAE department head, at the request of CJ staff
By wearing kneeling cowboy stickers, the Cowboys honor those affected by the Homecoming parade tragedy. Photo by Bruce Waterfield.
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