Cameron Magazine Fall 2021

Fall 2021

MAGAZINE

Message from the President Dear Alumni and Friends: Welcome to the Fall 2021 edition of Cameron Magazine. The challenges we’ve faced during the last year and a half have allowed us the opportunity to expand our understanding of how we can best approach our primary mission – to provide meaningful educational opportunities for our community members.

Cameron’s staff and faculty have worked tirelessly to learn and adjust how we present learning opportunities for our students in a safe and supportive environment. I am very pleased to report that our efforts have allowed CU to not only continue its mission but also to set a positive example for our community.

The lessons we’ve learned allow us to continue doing the vital work of serving southwest Oklahoma’s higher education needs, even under unusual and challenging circumstances.

In this issue, we explore the life and times of Dr. Valree Fletcher Wynn, Cameron’s first African-American faculty member. We also examine the accomplishments of several CU graduates, including John D. Veal Jr., Oklahoma’s newest District Director for the U.S. Small Business Bureau, and Monte Brown, best known for anchoring the evening news at KSWO Channel 7 and who now serves as an Associate Vice President with Liberty National Bank. We also consider the impact Cameron has made on the world by highlighting CU alumni who took their talents to national and global stages in fields as varied as entertainment, military service, science, community service, education and the media. From California to Bosnia, Cameron’s influence continues to drive opportunity and learning for our national and global communities. CU can even claim some influence on the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Join us in these pages as we also celebrate the story of a most unusual inaugural baseball season, CU’s 1958 “Team of Legend.”

Whether via a traditional classroom setting, hybrid learning models, or exclusively online offerings, Cameron University continues to deliver exceptional student learning opportunities with highly qualified faculty and staff at an outstanding value. We look forward to reinforcing our connections with our students and with you during the Fall 2021 semester. In the interim, please stay safe, stay healthy, and keep learning.

Sincerely,

John McArthur President

Inside This

ISSUE FEATURES 2 Campus Update Learn about the latest happenings at Cameron University.

6 Remembering Dr. Valree Fletcher Wynn The ground-breaking life and career of Cameron’s first African-American faculty member.

8 Partnerships Provide Additional Opportunities for CU Students Thanks to the McMahon Foundation, the Arvest Foundation, and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, CU students have more opportunities as they pursue degree completion.

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Standards! No Compromise!

BG (Ret.) William Bilo proves he’s a cut above the rest.

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From Anchor to Banker Monte Brown’s experiences as a CU student have served him well.

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A Global reach for Generations How Ed Huffine creates opportunities for entire populations.

CAMERON MAGAZINE

Fall 2021 Volume 18 Issue 3

President: John McArthur Director of Alumni Relations: Jonna Turner Senior Director of Public Affairs: Keith Mitchell Managing Editor: Janet E. Williams Graphic Designers: John Kindred Alex Zakharchenko Editorial Assistant: Rhonda Young Photographers: John Kindred Keith Mitchell Janet E. Williams Alex Zakharchenko

17 John Veal Helps State’s Small Businesses During the Pandemic This CU alumnus steers the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Oklahoma operation.

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Dr. Lynn Cherry’s Path to a Career in Higher Education A member of the 1981 National Championship Speech and Debate team found her career at Cameron University

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1958 Aggies Were Unlikely Diamond Kings An amazing feat earned the Hall of Famers the title of “team of legend.”

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Tailor Made for a Career in Costuming Alumna Jana Acevedo is the talented stitcher who creates costumes for some of the entertainment industry’s most popular movies and TV shows.

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Cameron’s Forgotten Superstar Tiny Whitt enjoyed a brief Hollywood career after appearing on the famed Major Bowes Amateur Hour.

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Behind the Desk, in Front of the Camera Whether anchoring or reporting, Zayna Haliburton shares stories of courage, commitment.

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Alma Matters/In Memoriam

Cameron Magazine is published

by Cameron University’s offices of Public Affairs and Alumni Relations.

For more information, call (580) 5812211 or (580) 581-2988, or email publicaffairs@cameron.edu.

All contents © 2021 Cameron University.

This publication, printed by Paragon Press, is issued by Cameron University.

2,500 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $1.31 each to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

This institution, in compliance with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and educational services.

Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting the Office of Student Development at (580) 581-2209 or by e-mail at student_development@cameron.edu.

(10/2021)

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Campus Update CU earns 2021 Excellence in Assessment designation Cameron has been awarded the 2021 Excellence in Assessment designation by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and VSA Analytics, a joint initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities.

One of only seven institutions to receive the designation for 2021, CU is also one of five institutions continuing the designation of Sustained Excellence and is the only institution of higher education in Oklahoma to receive the designation since it was launched in 2016.

“Assessing Cameron University’s learning outcomes is key to fulfilling

our mission,” says Dr. John McArthur, President. “Regularly scheduled assessment provides us with the data needed to keep our curriculum and degree programs relevant and robust. We are committed to maintaining our assessment practices to ensure that our students continue to receive a high quality education.”

Evaluation for the designation included a rigorous and systematic self-study led by Dr. Stacie Garrett, followed by a peer review panel of higher education assessment experts from throughout the country.

“Dr. Garrett worked alongside members of our Institutional Assessment Committee – Dr. Kyle Moore, Dr. Karla Oty, and Dr. William Stern – as well as Faculty

Emeritus Dr. Howard Kuchta to deliver a comprehensive and well-documented self-study that thoroughly captured Cameron’s assessment practices,” says McArthur.

“Without their expertise, this designation would not have been possible.”

Cameron University is designated as Sustained Excellence in assessment through the commitment to continuing to improve on an already solid and mature system of assessment.

Best for Vets: Colleges recognizes CU

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The 2021 Military Times “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings list has been published, with Cameron University achieving a number of distinctions. Cameron was named third in Oklahoma, 13th in the Southwest region, 99th among public institutions, 117th among four year schools and 125th in the nation overall. In addition, Cameron scored an 87% rating for military-friendly institutions.

educational benefits and provides access to academic counseling.

This year’s ranking report noted that Cameron was the first VetSuccess Campus in Oklahoma. The program helps members of the military, veterans and their dependents with

Cameron’s ranking in “Best for Vets: Colleges” aligns with the many services and opportunities offered to veterans, service members and their families.

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

In addition, CU was recognized for its yearly Veterans Resource Fair that connects military members and their family members with organizations that offer services to assist them, the Veterans Day observance that honors the Armed Forces, and maintaining a focus group to improve VA educational offerings.

One of the most important benefits is CU certification as a Yellow Ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for waiving the remaining tuition not covered by the Post-9/11 GI bill for eligible students.

Other military-friendly opportunities at CU include a VA work-study program, a tragedy assistance program for survivors, free or reduced admission for active duty members, their families and veterans to all sporting events, an active Student Veterans of America chapter, university-provided veterans cords for commencement and more.

Engineering students to benefit from partnership with the University of Oklahoma Graduates of CU’s Associate in Applied Science in Engineering degree program will now benefit from the university’s new partnership with the University of Oklahoma, which will increase the number of mechanical engineering courses offered at Cameron.

During the Summer 2021 semester, this collaboration allowed Cameron to offer one OU mechanical

engineering course at the Lawton campus to five students who have completed the A.A.S. engineering degree program.

This joint venture allows the current five-student cohort to complete their third-year mechanical engineering requirements while remaining in Lawton during the current academic year by taking two CU courses and two OU courses

offered via Zoom or other remote learning method.

The ultimate goal is for the cohort to graduate in Spring 2023 with a degree in mechanical engineering from OU without ever leaving Lawton. This would be accomplished by offering the required fourth-year classes during the 2022-23 academic year utilizing the same methods as the third-year classes.

City National Bank receives Business Partnership Excellence Award from Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education City National Bank & Trust and Cameron University have received the 2021 Business Partnership Excellence Award by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

The award is designed to highlight successful partnerships and to further cultivate the higher learning environment through State Regents’ economic development grants.

Throughout the first year of the pandemic, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer

Jason Hensley of City National Bank assisted CU in the delivery of more than 20 online SBA disaster assistance webinars. The partnership was supported by and in collaboration with CU’s Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CETES), the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OKSBDC), the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, and other private media channels.

Dr. Samantha Lankford, Director, CETES and Southwest Regional Director, OKSBDC, reports that more than 500 small businesses participate in the webinars. Small businesses across the state secured

tens of millions of dollars in federal and state grants and loans, saving thousands of jobs.

“City National, and especially Jason Hensley, brought their financial expertise to the table to enrich our efforts,” Lankford says. “They took the time to become a southwest regional expert on SBA disaster loans, educating themselves on the continual flow of updates in order to keep our trainings current. They worked tirelessly with clients, regardless of their affiliation. This is noteworthy of City National’s commitment to southwest Oklahoma and Cameron University.”

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Campus Update U.S. Department of Education awards CU five-year grant for Open Doors/Talent Search Cameron University has received a five-year grant totaling $2,088,635 from the U.S. Department of Education for CU’s Open Doors/ Talent Search program. Open Doors/Talent Search serves 775 participants throughout Lawton Public Schools’ 6th through 12th grades. The grant funding period started on September 1, 2021, allowing the university to continue its work in supporting the concept that anyone, regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstances, can complete a program of postsecondary education.

have the potential to succeed in higher education. In addition to encouraging participants to graduate from high school and to complete a college degree or earn postsecondary certification, the program also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to reenter the educational system and complete their education. The program’s goal is to increase the number of youth from underserved backgrounds who complete high school and pursue postsecondary education.

Open Doors/Talent Search identifies qualified high school and middle school students who

Services provided by Open Doors/Talent Search include career exploration and aptitude

assessment; information on postsecondary education; exposure to university campuses; information on student financial assistance; assistance in completing university admissions and financial aid applications; and assistance in preparing for university entrance exams. Additionally, participants have access to monthly workshops, on-line and one-on-one tutoring, camps, cultural experiences and more. The program also has workshops for the families of participants.

Funding for Open Doors/Talent Search, one of the federally funded TRIO programs, is made possible under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

CU launches new outdoor Fitness Court® with ribbon-cutting ceremony

CU has partnered with the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to add a sleek and modern outdoor Fitness Court® to its Lawton campus. The Fitness Court® is located adjacent to the Aggie Rec Center on the south side of campus and is only the third Fitness Court® in Oklahoma and the first located in southwest Oklahoma.

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The university received a $30,000 grant from NFC to support the program in addition and matching funds from community partners Southwestern Medical Center and its parent company, LifePoint Health, and Southwest Oklahoma Federal Credit Union. LifePoint and Southwest Medical Center each contributed $10,000, and Southwest Federal Credit Union provided $15,000 for CU’s Fitness Court®.

The Fitness Court® is an outdoor bodyweight circuit training system

designed for adults of all ages and abilities. Each Fitness Court® is integrated with shock-resistant sports flooring and supports functional fitness movements that allow for up to 28 individuals to use the Court at the same time.

The bodyweight circuit-training system features a series of full-body functional fitness exercises that can be completed in just seven minutes.

Developed by experts, each exercise takes 45 seconds with a 15-second interlude between sets and is shown to burn more calories per minute than most other forms of exercise.

Each movement area allows users to leverage their bodyweight at different angles and levels of resistance as a tool to improve their fitness over time.

Faculty and staff appointments CU welcomes Dr. Scott Schneider as Vice President for Business and Finance, taking over for Ninette Carter, who retired after 29 years.

Schneider comes to CU from Missouri State University-West Plains where he served as director of business and support services.

His duties at that institution align closely with the responsibilities he takes on at Cameron, where he oversees fiscal operations, human resources, procurement and custodial operations. He also brings experience with property acquisition, buildings and grounds maintenance, grant writing, compliance issues and campus safety. Schneider holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla and earned his master’s in business administration from Missouri State. He received his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2019.

Dr. Muhammad Javed is currently interim chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences in addition to serving as chair of the Department of Computing and Technology. Javed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Pakistan, a Master of Science degree

in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Business Administration degree from Oklahoma City University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma.

Lt. Col. Peter Salfeety is the current chair of the George D. Keathley Department of Military Science.

Salfeety has more than 17 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army, including three combat deployments. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Regional Geography from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Salfeety’s military decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals and three Army Commendation Medals.

Dr. Kyle Moore is now the chair of the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering.

Since joining the CU faculty in August 2012, he has taught a variety of classes, including Biochemistry, with emphasis on human metabolism and metabolic diseases, as well as General Chemistry and Descriptive Chemistry with associated labs.

Moore earned a Bachelor of Science

degree in Biological Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Biomolecular Chemistry from the University of WisconsinMadison.

Dr. Mary Dzindolet, a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and former chair of that department, is currently serving as the interim coordinator of the university’s new Student Enrichment Center, which provides a variety of support services to students facing obstacles to successful degree completion.

Tiffany Smith is now Director of Development, stepping into the role vacated by former director Julie Cunningham, who relocated out-of-state. Smith joined the university in September 2015 and was most recently Assistant to the Vice President for University Advancement, a position in which she developed hands-on familiarity with all aspects of the university’s fundraising mission, including the Cameron University Foundation. A CU alumna, Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication in 2013 and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Oklahoma City University.

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Remembering

Dr. Valree Fletcher Wynn The Cameron University community mourns the death of groundbreaking Professor Emeritus Valree Fletcher Wynn, died on September 25 at her home in Lewisville, Texas.

Born on May 9, 1922, in Rockwall, Texas, Wynn grew up in Sentinel, Okla., during an era when there was no school for African-American children. Her parents understood the value of an education, so they lobbied for - and eventually won – the right to build a school. Because her mother had already taught her to read, Wynn started school in the third grade.

During a 2007 interview for the Oral History Project featuring inductees in the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, Wynn explained, “The first day, the teacher gave me a book and told me to read until I missed a word and that would be the grade she put me in. That is how I started school in the third grade.”

After that school burned down, Wynn continued her education in Sentinel, first in a brush arbor built by her father and community members, then in her own house, where her parents moved the benches in the winter.

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“That’s how much my parents valued education,” she explained.

After completing the eighth grade, Wynn was sent to Lawton to attend high school, staying with family friends. After graduating from Douglass High School in 1939, she attended junior college in Pueblo, Colo., where she lived with an aunt and uncle.

“This was my first experience in an integrated system, and I had to make a tremendous adjustment,” Wynn said. “I could not believe that students of other races (teachers, too) accepted me as an equal and were my friends. It was a totally new (and pleasant) experience.”

Two years later, she enrolled at Langston University.

“Social life was great until World War II took away all the eligible young men,” she recalled. “We spent our time studying, playing bridge and writing love letters. There were three published teachers on the English faculty. I had found my niche. I became an English major.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1943, she enrolled at Oklahoma State University to pursue a master’s degree, which she completed in 1951.

“One instructor came to me in class one day and handed me a paper I had written for the class and said, ‘I didn’t know you were that intelligent.’ That statement remained with me the entire time while I was at OSU. In the integrated situation, I always had to ‘prove’ myself.”

She credits one of her OSU professors for changing her life.

“My experience at Cameron fulfilled every dream I ever had of success in my life.”

“John Milstead was the best thing that could have happened to my academic career. He told me, ‘I’ll take you as a student and I’ll make a scholar out of you.’ He demanded (and got) 100% from every student in his classes. He showed me how to move from a fact-bound student to a thinking scholar.”

She was in disbelief on the first day of class when she received a syllabus that contained more than 25 pages of resources.

“At the end of the course, that syllabus was wrinkled, dog-eared and full of coffee and tear stains, but I was a totally changed person. I had learned! He allowed us to think for ourselves, but if we could not support our ideas with much research, he would nail us to the wall! He taught me how to learn. I’ll never forget him.”

Wynn said she always wanted to be a teacher, a goal she met when she joined the faculty at her alma mater, Douglass High School, where she taught for 13 years.

“There’s nothing like that first teaching experience when you see your name above the door and you have made it. Douglass was always more to its alumni than just a school or a job. It was a way of life. Our day at school didn’t end at four o’clock when the bell rang. It ended only when we felt that we had me the needs of each child for that day.”

Then, in 1965, school integration resulted in the closure of Douglass High School and Wynn’s move to Lawton High School, where she was its first African-American teacher. One year later, she was invited to apply for a faculty position at Cameron, recalling that she actually taught at Cameron for six months before she was given an application to complete. Once again, she was the first African-American faculty member.

“Somewhere along the way it came to me that color outweighed credentials in this rapidly changing environment. But I had always wanted to teach at a university.”

At that time, she learned that she needed at least 21 hours above a master's degree to be qualified for further employment, as

Cameron was in the process of becoming a four-year institution.

In 1976, she returned to OSU at the age of 46 to pursue a Ph.D., where she became the first full-time student in the new doctoral program in English.

Wynn was a valued faculty member at Cameron University for 19 years.

“I felt I had found my niche. My experience at Cameron fulfilled every dream I ever had of success in life. It was the answer to my prayers – the fulfillment of my hopes and dreams.”

She co-founded CU’s Ebony Society (now the Black Student Association) and directed the Miss Black CU Pageant for nine years. In 1985, the pageant was renamed in her honor. Her many honors include the Cameron University Distinguished Service Award, the university’s highest honor, and induction in the CU Alumni Association Faculty Hall of Fame.

Wynn’s stellar career wasn’t limited to teaching. She became the first African-American to serve on the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges in 1986, where she served as president from 1988-89. In 1993, she was honored by the President’s Council of Regional Universities for meritorious service, and in 1996, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2005, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

She was actively involved in Alpha Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Lawton Public Schools Foundation. Additionally, she was involved in Sen. David Boren’s Foundation for Excellence and the State Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission.

Wynn was predeceased by her husband, Phail Wynn Sr., son Phail Wynn Jr., and daughter, Patricia Phaye Wynn. She is survived by son Michael Wynn and his wife Cheryl, daughter-inlaw Peggy Wynn, and one grandson, Rahsaan Wynn.

- Janet E. Williams 7

PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES for CU ST UDENTS Cameron University’s Office of University Advancement, which oversees the Cameron University Foundation, endowments, fundraising campaigns and more, thrives on developing partnerships with organizations throughout southwest Oklahoma and beyond. Cameron Magazine is pleased to feature some of our recent partnerships and how they benefit students.

RAYTHEON MISSILES & DEFENSE PROVIDES FUNDING FOR CU MILITARY SPOUSE PROGRAM. The CU Foundation received a $10,000 grant from Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon Technologies, to provide funding for military spouses looking to pursue a college education. The pilot program offers aid to military spouses who are pursuing college degrees. Under the program, scholarships have been made available for the 2021-2022 academic year.

“Raytheon continues to look for innovative and meaningful opportunities to invest in our Lawton/Fort Sill community,” says Nate Jones, a U.S. Army veteran and the Director of Fires Requirements, Capabilities and Solutions at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “This new program at Cameron University is an ideal way in which we can help military spouses advance their education and career goals.”

The program is designed for military spouses and does not require the spouse to be a full-time student. However, it does require the student to take classes with Cameron University.”

Scholarship recipients are paired with a mentor from the USO Transitions Program Team, located on Fort Sill, which is partnering with Raytheon Missiles & Defense and CU to provide additional support.

ENGINEERING PROGRAM AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDED BY ARVEST FOUNDATION. CU’s engineering degree program, the only engineering degree program in southwest Oklahoma, received a $10,000 donation from the Arvest Foundation which been used to provide scholarships to Cameron students who are pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Engineering.

David Madigan, President and CEO of Arvest Bank, presented the donation on behalf of the Arvest Foundation. As a trustee of the Fires Innovation Science & Technology Accelerator (FISTA) Development Trust Authority, Madigan understands the increasing need for engineers in southwest Oklahoma and the role that Cameron plays in providing qualified job candidates in that field. FISTA works to attract defense contractors, hightechnology industry, and innovative businesses with capabilities to directly support various units at Fort Sill's Fires Center of Excellence. Providing a pipeline of job-ready, degree-holding 8

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

university graduates is an integral part of FISTA’s ability to do so.

“We are proud the Arvest Foundation shares our passion for Cameron University and understands the need for engineers in southwest Oklahoma,” Madigan says. “Being a military community means there are great opportunities for graduates of Cameron’s program. It’s important we keep those talented graduates here to help us continue to grow our region in many different ways.”

Since its launch in 2014, CU’s engineering program has produced 54 graduates and expects to add 10 more to that list in May 2022. CU’s program has developed a strong reputation for producing quality engineers who succeed in their chosen career while feeding the Oklahoma engineering pipeline.

CU engineering alumni have remained in state for employment and are located throughout southwest Oklahoma at locations including Altus Air Force Base, Goodyear, Henniges Automotive, HIS Sensing, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and Republic Paperboard. Additional alumni have found careers in the Oklahoma City metro area at companies such as Boeing, Cameron Measurements, Leidos and OG&E.

CU President John McArthur (left), student Alexis Woodford (center) and Rhonda Clemmer, Chair, Cameron University Foundation (right) join members of the McMahon Foundation Board of Trustees (l to r) Trustee Phil Kennedy; Dr. Todd Bridges, Chair, McMahon Foundation; Trustee Mike Mayhall; Trustee Kenneth Easton; for the dedication of two greenhouses funded by a grant from the McMahon Foundation.

NEW GREENHOUSES WILL PROVIDE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. The university has added two instructional greenhouses to its arsenal of hands-on teaching facilities, thanks to a $210,000 grant from the McMahon Foundation. The facilities will offer year-round growing in a controlled environment and are conveniently located near the classrooms where biology and agriculture courses are taught.

“The trustees of the McMahon Foundation continue to embrace Cameron’s goal of providing experiential learning in facilities that offer easy access to our students,” says Albert Johnson Jr., Vice President for University Advancement. “It’s one thing to read about growing and collecting soil samples, for example, yet so much more meaningful and memorable to experience those processes hands-on. The greenhouses will offer CU students numerous opportunities to ‘get their hands dirty,’ if you will, as they work toward degree completion.”

Dr. Mike Husak, Chair of the Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences, says that the new greenhouses will provide students with skills they can utilize after graduation.

“We have plans to use the greenhouses for plant experiments in biology, botany and ecology classes,” Husak explains. “Students enrolled in botany will learn about the anatomical development of plants from seeds onward, while those in ecology will use the space to look at plant competition as it relates to plant density.”

Agriculture students will also utilize the facilities.

“By planting corn and beans, students will learn the difference between cereals and legumes as well as how to distinguish monocots and dicots,” says Dr. Ali Fornah, Assistant Professor. “We will have the ability to conduct a plant spacing experiment by using the recommended spacing versus using

reduced spacing, to help students recognize the importance of appropriate plant spacing.”

Other applications include teaching students how to properly plant vegetables, how to use a green seeker sensor on different plants to determine nitrogen use efficiency, and how to collect and analyze soil samples. Students will also learn about appropriate fertilizer applications as well as when and how to harvest different plants.

“We are truly indebted to the McMahon Foundation for making these facilities possible,” says Johnson. “The vision of the McMahon trustees will continue to benefit Cameron students for generations to come.”

The McMahon Foundation – the leading donor in CU history – has provided more than $20 million in support to Cameron University. In addition to funding countless scholarships and providing support for academic programs, the foundation has funded campus improvements that include the current renovations to the CU Library, the Esports suite, the Louise D. McMahon Fine Arts Complex, the Academic Commons, the McMahon Centennial Complex, various athletic facilities and more.

- Janet E. Williams

If you would like to have a positive impact on CU students by making a donation to the Cameron University Foundation or a specific academic program, contact University Advancement at 580-581-2999 or email foundation@cameron.edu.

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Lynn PATH TO A CAREER

in higher Standards! No Compromise!

BG (RET.) WILLIAM BILO PROVES HE’S A CUT ABOVE THE REST Aggies all over the world are known for outstanding contributions in their career fields. Some of them pair distinguished military service with their professional achievements. A few, like retired Brigadier General William C. Bilo, have gone that extra mile worthy of special recognition.

Bilo, who graduated from Cameron in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in history, proved he’s a cut above the rest when his superior meritorious service earned him induction into the Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame in May. The ceremony was held at Fort Benning, Ga., and culminated with a permanent feature of Bilo in the OCS Hall of Honor inside the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Ga. During his induction, Bilo thanked the noncommissioned officers (NCOs) “that made him possible.” He continued, “From basic training and through six commands, I especially appreciate the understanding, patience, and encouragement of the first sergeant I live with at home and who has given me 55 years of support – my wife, Diane (A.A. in Business, 1966), who is also a Cameron graduate.”

The OCS Hall of Fame was created in 1958 to honor OCS graduates who have displayed superior valorous combat leadership, superior meritorious service, distinguished public service, superior public service or lifelong service.

Bilo’s military career started when he enlisted in the Army in 1964. He was commissioned as an artillery officer upon completion of OCS at Fort Sill on Dec. 17, 1965. His 33-year military career includes active-duty assignments as well as service in the Oklahoma, Virginia, and Maryland Army National Guards and in the Army Reserves. During his active-duty time, Bilo served as a Pershing instructor, platoon leader, executive 10

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officer, and held several commands. His overseas tours included Germany and two combat commands in Vietnam.

Recognition is nothing new to Bilo, who has been honored with numerous military and civilian awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2 awards), Bronze Star Medal w/V Device (2 awards), Bronze Star Medal (3 awards), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/V Device (3 awards), Army Commendation Medal (5 awards), Army Achievement Medal (2 awards), Good Conduct Medal, Selective Service Meritorious Service Medal, and many service, campaign, National Guard, Reserve and community service awards.

Bilo is also featured on the CU George D. Keathley Department of Military Science Wall of Fame and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1993 by the Cameron University Alumni Association. In 1986, Bilo was inducted into the Fort Sill Artillery OCS Hall of Fame.

When asked which military achievement meant the most to him, Bilo replied, “The Good Conduct Medal I received as an enlisted soldier.” Bilo also stated, “My decision to attend OCS was influenced by one of my senior NCOs who had been a prisoner of war in Korea. He convinced me to do it.”

Bilo has also been very active in his community. He served on the board of directors for the Baltimore Association of Retarded Citizens and has received three mayoral citations in Baltimore for work in the local school system. He has volunteered numerous hours at a level-five education facility for special needs elementary students, worked as a volunteer at Sarah’s Hope (a shelter for homeless women and their children) and was selected to serve on the Governor of Maryland's Task Force to evaluate the state's support for military veterans.

After retiring from the military, Bilo operated a consulting firm, Rainbow Enterprises. He has been a member of several government task forces and advisory panels, especially those involved with veterans' benefits and veterans' memorials. Bilo was also active in several professional organizations, including serving as a vice president of the Field Artillery Association.

Even though Bilo was older than most of his classmates, his memories of Cameron include many traditional elements like attending all the sporting events – especially football games – and being employed as a student worker on campus.

“I enjoyed many great professors! Drs. James Norris, Charles Smith and Bob Quinten were especially exceptional and are my favorite thing about Cameron. Dr. Smith had seniors in his seminar class working in the library cataloging references as part of the accreditation certification process. We were extremely motivated to be a part of that,” reminisced Bilo.

Bilo’s exemplary service by recognizing the importance of the formative years of tomorrow’s artillery leaders.

OCS graduates live by the motto, “Standards! No Compromise!”

Brigadier General William C. Bilo has certainly exemplified that dictum throughout his life in all he has accomplished in his military career, through his community service and with his dedication to Cameron University.

- Rhonda Young COL (Ret.) Frank Harman, President & CEO of the United States Army Officer Candidate Schools Alumni Association, inductee BG (Ret.) William Bilo, Diane Bilo, and LTC David Holstead, Commandant, Federal Officer Candidate School, at the OCS Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at Fort Benning, Ga. on May 17.

(Courtesy ocsalumni.org.)

Bilo has continued to stay connected to Cameron through his work with the Gladys “Slats” Patton Endowed Lectureship and said, “Promoting continuing education is what drives me as an alumnus to contribute to the CU community.”

This lectureship, established in 2005 to advance the quality of education in the study of Health and Physical Education with an emphasis on instruction in women’s athletics and coaching, was created to honor Bilo’s mother-in-law, Gladys “Slats” Patton.

This is not the first time Bilo’s name has been associated with awards acknowledging the contributions of others. The Field Artillery Association presents the William C. Bilo Support Forward Award to recognize a soldier in any component of the Army who best represents the qualities of leadership, teamwork, and caring for soldiers. The purpose is to perpetuate 11

F romANCHOR

O T BANKER

For the past 18 years, CU alum Monte Brown earned a reputation as a valued, accurate and unbiased source of news, thanks to his position as a reporter and ultimately anchorman at KSWO-TV. It was a career that grabbed his attention early on.

hands-on learning. While students at other schools would have to jockey for equipment or studio time, every student at CU had the opportunity daily. That was my biggest factor in choosing Cameron.”

“My fascination with TV news started as a young child,” Monte says. “I remember watching newscasts every day with my grandmother in Bristow. I was drawn to watching local events unfolding live on camera. The reporters and anchors had an opportunity to tell visual stories about amazing people and places.”

He signed on as a student worker with KCCU-FM, where he reported on events at Cameron and issues important to southwest Oklahoma. By his second semester, he jumped at the opportunity to co-anchor the biweekly “Top of the Hour” newscast on CUTV.

After high school, he found work in a corporate call center and did some freelance work for a music website and a monthly entertainment magazine in Tulsa.

“It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had a passion for reporting,” he explains. “I knew I wanted to make this my career, but had no idea how to find time for college classes and pay for them while holding down a full-time job. So I took baby steps.

Six hours at night to begin with at Tulsa Community College.

The next semester I took nine. Then summer classes. ”

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The now-veteran newsman has fond memories of his student days.

He speaks highly of the faculty members who mentored him, calling them “some of the best professors in the business.”

After earning an associate's degree in journalism and mass communication, he pondered where to continue his education.

Luckily, one of his professors at TCC was familiar with Cameron University, which led Monte to meet with Tony Allison, longtime chair of the CU Department of Communication.

“Our classes were small enough to engage with them one-on-one and large enough to have some memorable group discussions.

The more we cared about our work, the more our professors would be there to inspire and challenge us. Steve Adams was my go-to for radio, newswriting and anchoring/reporting, while Dr. Matt Jenkins was, and is, a master of video production. I will never be able to thank them enough for their mentorship.”

“Tony was a great salesman for Cameron! What I remember most was his pledge that I would have endless opportunities for

The skills Monte learned at CU led to a job at KSWO-TV in 2003, while he was still a CU student.

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

Monte soon learned that reporting the news often required him on business development and lending. He decided to make the to interview people on what might be the worst day of their lives. career change in order to spend more time with his family.

“My approach to reporting tragedy was to put myself in the victims’ shoes. How would I feel in their situation? Compassion and empathy should never be lost in journalism, even when the subject is contrary to the reporter’s personal beliefs. Some of my proudest moments came when those who I reported negative news about later complimented me for being fair and balanced.”

Even as an anchorman, Monte says the weight of what he was reporting took an emotional toll. One such story occurred in December 2020, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered to health care workers in Lawton.

Compassion and empathy should never be lost in journalism!

“Following months of reporting on the uncertainty, isolation and death toll from the pandemic, there was new hope that we had a tool to fight it,” he says. “To see those health care workers, who had been working tirelessly and putting their own safety at risk to protect others from the virus, receive some protection was very emotional for me. I hope people could hear that it my voice. Journalists and broadcasters are human, too. If they are not touched or moved sometimes by what they’re reporting, how can they connect with their audience?”

“You won’t find many 8-5 schedules in the news business,” he says. “Throughout my career, I watched as some of my coworkers had to miss events with their kids, not to mention daily interactions, dinner, bed time, etc.”

He says the reality of his work schedule didn’t really hit home until his own young children started going to school.

“I would kiss them goodbye in the morning but wouldn’t get to see them again until the next morning. When they played their first tee-ball games, I was only able to attend one. It suddenly became clear to me that I would begin missing these once in a lifetime opportunities at an even faster pace as the kids get older.”

Having decided he needed to make a career change, Monte was far from certain where that change would take him.

“I had no idea how I would utilize my communication skills and community connections,” he says. “That led to a conversation with some of the leaders of Liberty National Bank. While I was certainly not their traditional candidate for commercial lending, they saw the value of the trust and relationships I’ve built with the people of southwest Oklahoma. Not only will I be able to help families and businesses grow, my new role will also allow me to be more involved in the community. I’ll be able to take part in events, rather than report on them.”

- Janet E. Williams

These days, you won’t find Monte behind the anchor desk talking to a camera. Instead, he has settled into his new position at Liberty National Bank as Associate Vice President, with a focus 13

How One Aggie

Creates Opportunities for Entire Populations Everyone has heard the proverb, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.” Imagine the possibilities if that theory was applied to an entire population of people versus one man. That’s exactly what Ed Huffine has set out to accomplish.

Huffine, who graduated from Cameron in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, currently serves as the chief executive officer of Huffine Global Solutions. The company’s mission statement is “transforming the natural resources of a nation into sustainable health and prosperity for its people.” It’s a motto truly representative of the type of humanitarian that Huffine strives to be.

A fourth generation Oklahoman, Huffine says everything he has achieved in life was built on the foundation from which he came. The development of Huffine Global Solutions (HGS) is no exception and is the result of unmet basic human needs Huffine witnessed during his work and travels around the globe.

“Everyone I’ve met all over the world knows I’m from Oklahoma. I’m proud of and appreciate my history and heritage.

It made me who I am,” explained Huffine.

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CAMERON UNIVERSITY

Both of Huffine’s parents were educators who instilled in him the power of learning and knowledge. He describes himself as a naturally curious child who was always striving to understand how and why things worked, especially in life and nature.

Huffine credits his parents for nurturing this trait in him, allowing it to fully develop.

Most noteworthy is how his parents taught him to not judge a book by its cover. Instead, he learned a deep respect for other people, to base his opinion of them on their character and that their worth was more deeply tied to how they treated people.

This philosophy is one that would pay dividends for Huffine’s ability to connect with people from all walks of life in a wide variety of locations despite cultural differences others might see as insurmountable.

“While I’m working with and serving others, I do so with the utmost respect and understanding. I try to keep my emotions out of it and always refrain from allowing politics to interfere.

Providing these things allows those you are assisting to accept your help with dignity,” stated Huffine.

Upon graduation from CU, Huffine had his sights on becoming a teacher and possibly a college professor. As is often the case, life had other, much bigger, plans for him. As chance would have it, Huffine accepted a position at Cameron teaching chemistry labs and overseeing the tutorial lab the day before Lawton Public Schools offered him a job at Lawton High. He spent four years at CU before leaving to pursue his doctorate in biochemistry with a focus on DNA testing.

was of a 17-year-old boy and the second was a 15-year-old boy.

Huffine describes it as “one of those singular events that defines the future.”

The system that made that historic match was the first of its kind – what Huffine calls a DNA led process. To make it work, Huffine and his associates took samples from family members of the missing and entered them into one database, created another separate database of DNA from bodies they found and then ran the two databases against one another. At that time, the best labs in the world were making “Everyone I’ve met all over 100 matches per year. Within six months, Huffine’s system the world knows I’m from was making 200 matches per Oklahoma. I’m proud of month and within a year it and appreciate my history was 500 matches per month, and heritage. It made me more than the rest of the world combined. The system who I am.” created by Huffine became the standard around the globe.

Huffine then went on to work with the Federal Aviation Administration. He started out in the FAA’s toxicology department but later took on the responsibility of setting up its DNA testing lab before accepting a position with the American Registry of Pathology for the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in 1994.

This new opportunity was as the chief of the mitochondrial DNA section overseeing the analysis of skeletal remains and associated family members from American conflicts. During this time, his cases included analyzing the bullet that allegedly killed John F. Kennedy and signing the report identifying Michael J. Blassie as the remains in the Tomb of the Unknown from Vietnam.

The announcement identifying Blassie occurred on national TV just moments after Huffine learned he would be front and center with the press. Huffine remembered, “My boss was gone, so it was up to me. Our director said, ‘What you say will impact our agency forever. Don’t mess this up.’ How’s that for pressure?”

Huffine credits his positive experiences at Cameron for the tenacity that allowed him to be successful with many things in his life, especially the Bosnia project.

“I was so well-prepared for the future. CU students are given an exemplary education by high-quality instructors and programs that set them up to take the next step. More importantly, when you have professors, like those at CU, who genuinely care for and

The dogged and determined scientist was called to Bosnia in 1999. In a region where genocide had become the norm and 25,000 people had disappeared, he was sure his protocols and processes could answer questions that had defied many others for years. Huffine endured months of hurdles upon hurdles. “Some of these countries require a lot of patience,” commented Huffine.

Just when he found himself ready to give up, fate stepped in again when Huffine was approached by a Muslim woman whose husband and son had been snatched from their home

by Serbian soldiers. She pleaded with him that if he could return their bodies to her, she could forgive the atrocities.

Huffine recalled, “I knew then that I had to stay the course and help. She gave me the determination I needed at that very instant.”

Huffine still definitively recalls the day when the systems he developed in Bosnia found the first DNA match. The first match

Ed Huffine during a two day workshop in Kampala, Uganda with representatives from all the nations of the International Commission on the Great Lakes Region (except Angola).

15

believe in you, it allows you to persevere against all obstacles,” acknowledged Huffine.

Two years into his work in Bosnia, the 9/11 tragedy occurred.

The FBI came looking for Huffine and asked for his assistance in creating a system to identify the thousands of missing Americans. He willingly obliged before returning to Bosnia for a few more years.

“You can leave Cameron University, but CU never leaves you. And that’s the best thing, ever!”

In 2004 Huffine served as the vice president for International Development/Humanitarian Missions for Bode Technology group. For 11 years he helped dozens of nations create and upgrade their DNA testing capabilities until Bode was sold and ended its international work.

After all the suffering Huffine had witnessed around the world, his next professional goal came easily to him – bring together brilliant experts in various fields who possess a heart to do virtuous things for the betterment of mankind. Hence, Huffine Global Solutions was born.

As Huffine described it, “the whole is greater than the sum of parts. Putting the right people with the best technologies into a country increases that region’s economic development. That leads to better futures for the residents and their families. Many atrocities that happen around the world start with desperation for basic survival.”

By creating HGS, Huffine’s objective is to provide citizens with a better economic life that is sustainable with their country’s natural resources, thereby complimenting and assisting the judicial systems in place to hold those who commit acts of violence accountable for their actions. Ultimately, he’s still using forensic systems but instead of matching DNA profiles, HGS is creating opportunities for entire populations.

Huffine has received awards for excellence from federal, state, professional and academic organizations. In 2020, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

When asked how he managed to make achievements that have impacted so many people around the world, Huffine was quick to credit his education at CU. “Dr. Ann Nalley and all of the physical science professors I had left an imprint on me. Their energy and passion are contagious.

Fingerprints from all of them are still with me and on everyone I have touched globally,” Huffine replied.

The global reach of Huffine includes identifying countless remains to reunite them with their families, testifying before Congress, advising the last four U.S. presidents, working in 84 countries, coordinating with heads of state for several nations, leading various research and development projects, consulting with for-profit companies, and managing large groups of scientists.

Even with his busy schedule, Huffine still finds time to give back to his community in Lawton. His most recent project involves using family property to create hunting, fishing, and archery experiences for military veterans, first responders, Boy Scouts and other youth groups. The goal is to provide a place for these organizations and individuals to gather for relaxation, fellowship, and to connect with nature. The enterprise is appropriately named Generations.

Huffine ended with this heartfelt sentiment, “You can leave Cameron University, but CU never leaves you. And that’s the best thing, ever!”

- Rhonda Young

On May 4, 2017 Huffine Global Solutions CEO Edwin Huffine was asked to join other faith leaders at the White House for a celebratory board dinner.

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CAMERON UNIVERSITY

A Cameron alumnus has undertaken the significant task of helping small business owners in Oklahoma during the COVID-19 pandemic. John D. Veal Jr. is in his first year serving as the district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Oklahoma operation.

He had previously served as SBA deputy director until taking over as the top state administrator.

The SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.

Veal’s extensive experience in government contracting – combined with a passion for empowering small business owners – led him to take the SBA position.

“I am honored to lead the Oklahoma office as it works to start and grow small businesses here,” Veal said. “In what is an especially challenging time for the state’s small business community, it is my goal to help provide services that help entrepreneurs persevere through the pandemic.”

The pandemic has continued to be felt by both the SBA and small business owners in 2021 as it limits the ability for the two groups to interact. Virtual workshops, seminars and counseling sessions have replaced face-to-face interaction.

“The pandemic has really stretched our resources, but I think people got a new appreciation for the SBA and what we do,” Veal noted. As small businesses lost revenue and customers during COVID, being able to connect employers and their employees with federal aid has helped them remain viable.

“Our office has reached out to more businesses than it had previously been involved with,” he said. “We’re not able to replace all the lost revenue, but it gives businesses a lifeline.”

An Army veteran, Veal served as a commander of the finance detachment during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He

was a member of the finance corps and retired in 1995 at the rank of first sergeant, having served for more than 23 years.

After his retirement from the military, Veal worked at Cameron from 1999-2003 as its assistant dean of students and, for a time, the dean of students. He earned his bachelor’s degree in independent studies from CU in 2003. He also holds master’s degrees in business administration and accounting from Oklahoma City University.

A certified professional public buyer and an NIGP-certified procurement professional, Veal was previously a business coordinator with the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OSBDC), operating Lawton’s Small Business Development Center for two years. While with the OSBDC, the SBA recognized him as regional and state Veteran’s Small Business Champion of the Year.

Although his office is in Oklahoma City, Veal maintains his home in Lawton. The number of organizations with which he’s involved reflects his commitment to the community. He is a CU President’s Partner and serves on the board of the Cameron University Foundation. He has also served as a trustee for the Comanche County Industrial Development Authority. Veal was presented Leadership Lawton-Fort Sill’s Reuben Brown Award, given to an outstanding program graduate – and later chaired the organization.

Veal has served as District 5A governor for AMBUCS, a national charity dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities, and has been national president of the Society of Case Research.

He is a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, served as a district treasurer, and was named the Omega Man of the Year for its Ninth District. Veal was recently inducted into the inaugural class of the Oklahoma State Ques Hall of Fame for his fraternal and community contributions. He is the current President of the Oklahoma State Ques Association.

17

Dr. Lynn Cherry's

PATH TO A CAREER

higher education in

Lawton native Lynn Cherry had a plan. After graduating from Eisenhower High School, she’d get a degree from Cameron University and then establish herself in a career as a secondary school teacher. She hit the mark with the first two, but the hand of fate – in the guise of the late Tony Allison, longtime faculty member (and later chair of CU’s Department of Communication) – intervened.

She first met Allison, as well as then-chair J.C. Hicks, at a Cameron-sponsored summer camp.

She looks back on that mentorship with appreciation.

“They gave me the opportunity to develop my ability as a debater and as a speaker, and they encouraged me in the classes that I took with them,” Lynn says. “J.C. in particular encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone with the individual events that I did, to do more events that were interpretation-oriented. It turned out that I was able to do those as well as I did many of the speaking events. I don’t know that I would have done those had he not really encouraged me.”

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

“For one thing, we had a phenomenal year,” she recalls. “We won almost every tournament that we participated in during the fall and spring semesters. We went into nationals knowing that we were a very competitive team.”

“ I l o ve t h e s t u d e n t interaction.”

“I got to know both of them when I was in high school because Cameron had a summer speech and debate camp,” she explains. “I worked with Tony more because I was doing more debate. But they both saw something in me. They believed in me and offered me a scholarship to attend Cameron.”

18

Not surprisingly, Lynn secured a spot on the renowned Cameron University Speech and Debate Team, which enjoyed tremendous success during the 1980-81 academic year.

The 1981 team found itself following in the footsteps of the 1979 team, which had won the national championship.

“I don’t think most of us were really focused on ‘we have to win nationals,’” she says. “We thought it would be a lot of fun if it happened, but frankly, we were there to do well and in part to have fun.”

“Do well” certainly seems to be an understatement, as the 1981 Speech and Debate team followed in its predecessor’s footsteps by winning the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, which was held every two years.

“Cameron University was the first school in Pi Kappa Delta to ever win back-to-back national championships,” Lynn says.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication in May 1983, Lynn planned to teach high school speech and debate.

That’s when fate stepped in.

“Public speaking was a required general education course that all students at Cameron had to take,” Lynn explains. “Public speaking is not a class that most students want to take their first year, so they have a tendency to put it off. In the fall of 1983, there were students who were supposed to graduate either in December 1983 or May 1984 who couldn’t get into a public speaking class, as all the sections were full.”

Lynn explains that then-President Don Davis reached out to Tony Allison, who by then was serving as department chair, and asked him to add more sections. Allison responded that his faculty was “stretched thin,” and there were no local adjunct professors with a master’s degree who could teach public speaking.

In 2015, she was honored with the institution’s Distinguished Service Award.

Whether teaching in the classroom or working in an administrative role, Lynn’s motivation stems from one primary concept: “I love the student interaction.”

She says that her experiences at Cameron – both as a student and as an adjunct – prepared her for a career in higher education.

“As I understand it, Tony said, ‘I have a student who just graduated. She was a speech major and she’s certified to teach high school. I think I can talk her into teaching as an adjunct. Will you let me hire her?’ Don Davis told him yes. So five and a half months after I graduated, I started teaching college, and I discovered that I loved it – much more than I enjoyed my student teaching experience teaching high school.”

During her second year as a CU adjunct, Allison advised her with the news that if she wanted to continue teaching at the collegiate level, she would need to attain at least a master’s degree, if not a doctorate.

Lynn Cherry (middle row, left) sits in front of her mentor, Tony Allison (back row, left) in this photo of the 1981 National Championship speech and debate team.

After earning a Master of Arts at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Lynn earned a Ph.D. at Louisiana State University. In 1991, she joined the faculty of the College of Charleston (S.C.), where she was a founding member of its Department of Communication.

“…I star ted teaching college, and I discovered that I loved it…”

During her 30 year career at the institution, she has provided leadership in a number of roles in addition to her teaching duties.

These include her service as Director of Forensics (Speech and Debate), Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Director of the College's Undergraduate Academic Services Office, Speaker of the Faculty, Associate Provost for Curriculum and Institutional Resources, and Associate Chair of the Department of Communication, a role to which she was recently re-appointed.

“There was definitely a sense that faculty were always willing to meet with students, work with students, help students, and that was something that I think many of us appreciated very much – that one-on-one, hands-on connection with faculty,” she says. “I think the things I learned that I still utilize are the things that I always appreciated in my professors – the qualities or characteristics of a good professor. I still try very much and hope that I do emulate those qualities, the ways of interacting with students so that in the classroom or whether I’m talking with students outside the classroom, to be able to interact with them on a personal level and yet still remain the professor. It’s a balance of how to be able to enjoy being with students, to laugh and have fun with them, yet still maintain the professional mentoring relationship. Those are things that I learned. I’m not even sure I was conscious of it, but these are things that I know that I have drawn on. They still very much guide me in the work that I do today.”

- Janet E. Williams

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1958 AGGIES WERE UNLIKELY DIAMOND KINGS AMAZING FEAT EARNED THE HALL OF FAMERS THE TITLE OF “TEAM OF LEGEND” Without a doubt, this is as remarkable a national championship tale as you will ever hear. It starts with Ted Owens – yes, the great Ted Owens, who found fame as the Kansas Jayhawks’ men's coach who took his basketball squad to numerous Big 8 championships and two appearances in the Final Four during his 19 years there – and ends on an August night in Oklahoma City more than six decades later.

Top photo: Ted Owens (center) proudly holds Cameron’s Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame plaque while flanked by Hall director Mike James and emcee Mick Cornett.

Long before his fame as a Jayhawk, Owens accepted his first coaching job at Cameron State Agricultural College in 1956.

The Aggies hired him to coach basketball, teach U.S. History, serve as an assistant football coach … and start a baseball program. Although baseball was among the first sports at the Cameron State School of Agriculture when it was founded as a high school nearly 50 years earlier, it was discontinued when the Great Depression paralyzed America. For 27 years, Cameron went without hearing the crack of a bat in the springtime.

Bottom photo: The 1958 national champs. Standing, left to right: manager Bub Smith, Tony Owings, Don Hendricks, James Ray, Dexter Rolette, Homer Watkins, Patrick O'Dell, Sid Griffin, Ted Handke, Donnie Sinclair; kneeling, from the left: Wayne Tedder, Jackie Martin, Toby Tillman, Jim Marr, Terry Byrd, Bill Short, Earl Tankersley, Don Gosa, coach Ted Owens.

Seeing an opportunity during the mid-1950s to use baseball as a recruiting tool to draw football and basketball prospects, Cameron administrators were suddenly eager to restart baseball – until they learned that the Pioneer Conference, which the college had joined, didn’t offer it as a competitive sport.

Administrators’ zeal cooled considerably, so Coach Owens focused his efforts on basketball, which he did quite well, putting together an Aggie team that went undefeated during the 1957-58 regular season and rose to the top of the national junior college basketball polls.

But that’s a story for another day.

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CAMERON UNIVERSITY

Although administrators had lost interest in baseball, several of the junior college's athletes did not, especially ones who chose CSAC under the impression the sport would be reinstated.

Owens – who had played a little minor league baseball in Texas – felt a duty to those athletes, so he put together a team in the spring of 1958.

The squad was diverse in a day when diversity was still lacking in many sports. It included a Black player, three Native Americans – and a number of students who had never played on an integrated roster of any kind. This unique assemblage of football and basketball players, farm boys, boxers and veterans would meet on the college's ROTC drill field near where Howell Hall and Veterans Grove now stand. No scholarships, no budget, no uniforms, no playing field and no bleachers … still, the group got in regular practice time using their own equipment.

Their opponents were almost exclusively military units from nearby Fort Sill, since the Aggies had been allowed access to one of the post’s baseball fields one day a week. Those battles were hard on the boys from Cameron, and it took most of the spring

before the Aggies managed to win their first scrimmage. But it paid off.

the top of the ninth, Phoenix’s pitcher walked in the go-ahead run for Cameron, which then tacked on an insurance run and held on for the win.

As it happened, the National Junior College Athletic Association picked that same spring to sponsor its first national baseball tournament, and it was to be played in Oklahoma. At the urging of his players, Coach Owens called the tournament director to see what it took to qualify. When asked Cameron's record, Owens simply said that the Aggies had not lost to a college team all year – which was true, given the fact CSAC hadn’t played another college that spring.

Later that day in the semi-final, Cameron drew Navarro College.

The Aggies’ pitching staff was thin, but it came through, holding Navarro to three runs, while Cameron hitters drove in five.

Two days later, the coach received instructions via telegram: If Cameron defeated Sayre Junior College in a three-game series, it would be selected to host Bacone College. Win that series, and CSAC had an invitation to the national tournament.

The first order of business was to secure uniforms and a playing field. It so happened that Fort Sill had ordered new uniforms for its teams, so the Aggies were given cast-offs from the Fifth Field Artillery Battalion's squad. Even though they embroidered “Aggies” across the front of the jerseys, it was still possible to read the faded military markings that had previously adorned the cloth. Owens was able to secure use of a baseball field at Memorial Park in Lawton, which an old semi-pro baseball team once called home.

When Sayre came to town, the Aggies were inhospitable hosts, scoring early and often to put the first two games away in short order and advance to its series against Bacone. Cameron repeated the feat against Bacone – although not without surviving a nail-biter in the opening game. After CSAC jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the third inning, Bacone battled back to tie the game at 6-all midway through the sixth. The Aggies plated two runs to win, 8-6. They then scored six times in the second game to secure their spot in the national tournament, which was to be played in Miami in the opposite corner of the state.

If you’ve ever seen the film, “Hoosiers,” you’ll likely recall the scene where the entire town joins the high school team in its long drive to the state tournament. Well, it wasn’t like that for the Aggies. The team piled into two station wagons and left for nationals by themselves. Virtually everyone involved – other than the team – expected the Aggies’ drive to northeastern Oklahoma to last longer than its stay at the tournament, especially since CSAC was the No. 8 seed in the singleelimination event.

As the bottom seed, Cameron drew the unenviable task of facing the top-rated team, Phoenix, in the first round. Phoenix was so certain it would beat CSAC that the coach opted to save his best pitcher for the next game. Early on, it looked like a brilliant move. Phoenix scored first, but the Aggies plated two runs of their own in the third. Cameron held the lead until the eighth inning when Phoenix rallied for a run. Tied at 2-all going into

For the title game, CSAC drew Northeastern Junior College, its in-state enemy and No. 2 tournament seed. As it did in nearly every game that spring, the Aggies scored early, plating five runs.

But Northeastern rallied for four runs of its own and Cameron held a narrow lead going into the seventh inning.

While playing solid baseball had become an Aggie trademark, it was far from elaborate. In fact, Owens’ offensive strategy utilized only two signs: the bunt and the steal. It didn’t take long for the Norsemen to start stealing signs, so Owens decided to switch them mid-game in an effort to confuse his opponent. The only flaw in this strategy was that when it came time to actually send a signal, Owens momentarily forgot about the switch. With two men on and a full-count on the batter, Coach thought he gave the steal signal. When the batter bunted, it caught everyone by surprise – including Owens. The startled third baseman muffed his throw and two Aggies scored.

Cameron went on to win the game – and the 1958 NJCAA national baseball championship – by a score of 9-6.

Although you might think that this is end of this fairy tale, there was one more chapter yet to be written, and it didn’t happen until 63 years after that Cinderella spring. This past summer, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame inducted the 1958 Aggies as a “team of legend” – a title truly befitting its remarkable accomplishment.

Coach Owens was joined by several of the surviving team members – Terry Byrd, Jackie Martin and Donnie Sinclair – for a reception in their honor at the Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Aug. 1. The next night, Owens and Cameron athletic director Jim Jackson represented Cameron at the induction banquet and accepted a plaque in honor of the team.

The national championship trophy won back in the spring of 1958 is painfully small by today’s standards. To be honest, most Little Leaguers have larger trophies sitting on their bedroom shelves. Still, this one is proudly on display in Aggie Gym, a testament to the dedication of a small group of athletes who defied the odds, putting together an undefeated season in handme-down uniforms and coached by a future hall of famer.

And now it has a Hall of Fame plaque to keep it company.

— Researched and written by Keith Mitchell, using the recollections of Ted Owens in his autobiography, “At the Hang-Up” 21

a n a J

Acevedo

TAILOR MADE FOR A CAREER

in costuming

Jana Acevedo might just be the only Cameron alumna who holds the title of stitcher. As a professional tailor/seamstress, she works in the entertainment industry making costumes for film, television and theatre. It all started when she learned how to sew during her ninth grade home economics class.

“I guess the idea of working in costuming started around the end of high school,” the Elgin High School graduate says.

“I remember reading behind-the-scenes magazine articles about TV shows that I really liked and thinking that would be fun to do.”

As a theatre arts major (and a McMahon Scholar) at CU, she was exposed to all facets of production, including costuming, makeup, lighting, scenic design, props, directing and acting.

Her familiarity with so many aspects of production continue to play an important role in her career as a professional tailor.

“Set and lighting are so important to the overall design of a production,” she says. “They really go hand-in-hand (with costuming) to make the look of a production cohesive.”

Jana was actively involved in a multitude of CU theatre productions – sometimes as a member of the cast, sometimes 22

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

on the crew. Her talents were utilized in “Our Town,” “The Medium,” “Watbanaland,” “The Day Room,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “The Imaginary Invalid,” “The Servant of Two Masters,” “Oxygen,” “Once Upon A Mattress,” “Scenes and Revelations,” “Working,” “Whose Life Is It Anyway?,” “Wit,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “I Hate Hamlet” and “Nine.”

One highlight of her Cameron days was receiving awards for costume design from the Oklahoma One State American College Theatre Festival and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region VI, for her work on “Scenes and Revelations.”

She also made a mark academically, earning membership in Phi Eta Sigma and picking up numerous university honors including “Who’s Who Among American College Students" and departmental awards such as Outstanding Academic Achievement, Outstanding Contribution by a Theatre Major, and Student of the Year.

After graduating from CU, she landed a position with Lawton Community Theatre (LCT), where she worked for three years.

“I loved my time at LCT,” she says. “I was basically a oneperson shop most of the time, doing the designing, building, fitting and alterations. I think it helped me learn how to sew quickly and think on my feet. I loved how creative it allowed me to be and showed me how to collaborate with other artists. Also, working in theatre for so long before I switched to film helped me transition more smoothly into the tailor shop.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts in 2008, she continued her education at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2013.

“After I graduated (from SCAD), Atlanta seemed like the next move because of the film industry there,” Jana explains. “I started as a production assistant in the costume department and then transitioned to a stitcher/tailor in the tailor shop. I joined the union (IATSE Local 479) and have been working in film since about 2014.”

“I’ve worked on a handful of Marvel projects recently,” she explains. “Those include ‘Loki,’ ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Hawkeye,’" which is set to air in November 2021.

Some of her other assignments include "Watchmen," "Haunting of Hill House" and the "Fear Street" trilogy.

Jana looks back on her days as a Cameron student with fondness and appreciation.

“I was lucky that Cameron had some amazing costume professors come through that mentored me and allowed me to help design shows,” she says. “I don’t think I would be where I am now if I hadn’t had those experiences.”

- Janet E. Williams

Versatility is a key component in the costume world, which suits Jana to a tee. Her impressive skill set includes machine sewing, hand sewing, draping, patternmaking, script interpretation, and advanced apparel construction. She’s also adept in painting and drawing, which allows her to share her design ideas with others.

“If I’m designing, I love anything in the late 1800s and early 1900s,” she says. “I also enjoy sci-fi fantasy. I work primarily as a tailor, so I love building from any time period really.”

Her career has also afforded her opportunities as a costume designer, which sometimes presents challenges that the audience might not be aware of.

"Set and lighting are so important to the overall design of a production"

“I designed an outdoor ballet a few years ago and it was taking place in late fall and was getting pretty cold,” she says.

“I had to figure out a way to keep the dancers warm without layering them too much so that you could still see their movement. We ended up using multiple pairs of fleece lined tights and thermal tops under their costumes.”

As a tailor, you won’t see Jana on-screen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy her work. Despite a slow-down in production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s been busy stitching and sewing for a number of film and TV projects.

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Tiny Whitt: Cam ero n’s for got ten sup ers tar Before "American Idol," there was "Star Search." Before that came Arthur Godfrey’s "Talent Scouts" and "Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour." But before them, there was the granddaddy of them all … radio’s Major Bowes Amateur Hour."

With so many chances to find fame, it was inevitable that an Aggie would find the spotlight. One did.

When the family eventually left Oklahoma for Noel, Missouri, Wayne instead went the other direction. No one knows why he chose Cameron, but in the spring of 1934, the 21-year-old wound up on campus. Back then, CSAC was well on its way to becoming Oklahoma’s largest junior college. It was known statewide for football and its agriculture program … but it also offered nearly a dozen music and drama programs.

His name was Wayne Calvin Whitt, but most folks knew him as “Tiny.” His talent took him from the campus of Cameron State Agricultural College during the Great Depression and landed him in Tinseltown, where he acted alongside Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Henry Fonda and Tyrone Power.

With its vast array of trios, quartets, octets, choral groups, bands – even a dance orchestra – the college was constantly sending out students to perform for civic groups and society functions.

Whether by accident or by intent, Wayne had found himself right where he needed to be.

For a brief, shining instant, he was Lawton’s superstar.

To say that Wayne was a “big man on campus” would be an understatement. At 6-foot-4, you could spot him a mile away.

He sang for young men at a Civilian Conservation Corps work relief camp at Binger. He pledged the “Black Maskers” drama club and directed fellow students in one-act plays. He joined the Cameron Quartet, and emceed school functions. He was elected vice president of CSAC’s sophomore class.

Born in 1913, Wayne was the youngest of Louis and Mittie Whitt’s five kids. Louis was a brakeman for a Kentucky railroad before he relocated his family to a farm outside Stroud around statehood. The Whitts lived in Lincoln County for several years, but decided to head northeast to Miami by the time Wayne was in high school.

24

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

He provided accompaniment for Cameron’s popular girl’s group – and renamed it the “Wayne Whitt Trio.” The group sometimes played three shows a week. Whether it was in Meers or in Walters, he found audiences. Wayne took courses in harmony, ear training, public speaking and journalism, turning himself into an all-around entertainer and promoter.

One weekend, while visiting his parents in Missouri, he made a quick trip to Sulphur Springs, Ark. It was there that Wayne met Kate Smith. Yes, THAT one, the “God Bless America” Kate Smith. Only six years older than Wayne, Smith was already a veteran of radio and a chart-topping singer. Wayne’s brief encounter with Smith nurtured his thought that a plus-size singer with a big voice and a folksy attitude could be a star.

All he needed was a chance, and in the spring of 1936, he got it when "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" called.

American Idol is probably the closest thing today that compares to Bowes’ radio program. It didn’t matter where you lived, you were a fan of the show that attracted singers, tap dancers, and musicians who played the saw or the washboard. Even baton twirlers got a shot – although it’s impossible to figure how their abilities were judged on the radio. It didn’t really matter, as Bowes himself was the sole judge. Those who failed their audition were rudely interrupted with a gong and sent home – a trick that Chuck Barris would resurrect 40 years later on TV’s “Gong Show.”

Those who knew Ed Bowes said he made Simon Cowell look like a saint. He had the power to make or break an act. And that he did, making stars out of unknown entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Connie Francis and Beverly Sills.

clubs – and it was the one where Wayne was singing.

They saw Wayne’s performance and took a liking to him. They encouraged him to try out for the movie, and he was cast as the conductor of a train held up by the James Brothers. His appearance was brief, but Wayne now had his first acting credit under his belt. He headed west where Paramount put him under contract and immediately cast him in “Some Like it Hot,” a Bob Hope comedy that had Wayne playing the bass player in Gene Krupa’s band.

Back in Oklahoma, “Some Like it Hot” was booked for a “world premiere” in Lawton a week before it would officially open in New York. Wayne came home for the event, which featured a live phone conversation with Bob Hope that was broadcast over speakers so moviegoers could listen in.

The local boy had made good. Cameron administrators asked him to visit campus, where he delivered opening remarks at the 1939 Honors Day assembly.

The Mort Millman Agency represented Wayne, and it decided he needed a new name. Given his massive size – which now topped 300 pounds – it seemed clever to call him “Tiny” Whitt. And that’s how he was known for the rest of his life.

Tiny made two more films in 1939, playing a college student in the “Dancing Co-Ed” with Lana Turner, and as a football player in “$100,000 a Touchdown” with Joe E. Brown and Susan Hayward. In one year, Tiny made four films with some

The Lawton Chamber of Commerce sponsored a benefit at one of the hotels in Medicine Park and raised enough to send Wayne to New York as Cameron’s representative. He repaid the favor with a victory. He became part of Bowe’s touring company that crisscrossed the nation entertaining America.

That experience eventually led to an offer to sing with Ozzie Nelson’s orchestra.

Wayne was performing at the Shadow Lake Dance Hall, one of the resort clubs in his parents’ hometown of Noel, when his big break came in the summer of 1938.

Just up the road in Pineville, the western “Jesse James” was being filmed. While Noel was small – around 500 people at that time – Pineville was much smaller, so cast members stayed there instead. On their first night in Noel, Henry Fonda and Tyrone Power decided to hit one of the

Wayne Whitt's most notable movie role was in the Bob Hope movie, “Some Like it Hot.” That’s him at upper left.

Opposite page: Tiny Whitt made his movie debut in “Jesse James,” a western with Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda.

25

of Hollywood’s biggest names. He lived in Laurel Canyon and made three times the salary of the average American male.

And then, inexplicably, it all came to a screeching halt. Tiny never appeared in another film.

Maybe he decided being a movie star wasn’t in the cards, or more likely, he simply decided he’d rather sing, which he did at the Cocoanut Grove, the noted supper club frequented by the rich and famous. He was featured at such well-known Sunset Strip night spots as Ciro’s and the Trocadero. Tiny’s friendship with Gene Krupa got him a gig with Gene’s band and then as a vocalist for Alvino Rey’s and Paul Whiteman’s orchestras.

At the start of World War II, Tiny joined the Hollywood Victory Committee and performed USO shows along the West Coast.

He returned to the Cocoanut Grove, where soldiers mingled with celebrities, to help raise funds for the war effort.

Along the way, he made friends with Jeannie Robbins, one of many girls who headed to Hollywood in the 1930s with plans of being a model or starlet. Instead, she wound up retouching photos at a studio. Jeannie also gave her time to the Red Cross and USO, and that’s how she met Tiny.

One morning, hundreds of miles from Oklahoma, Tiny bumped into an old friend on a Hollywood street corner. Ervin Ethell was a Lawton boy who wanted to learn to fly, and Cameron had a pilot training program. After earning his degree and a pilot’s license at CSAC, Ervin joined the Army Air Corps and was

shipped to California. He was assigned to Santa Ana Army Air Base, where he was a trainer and recruiter.

With his good looks, it was inevitable that Ervin would need some portraits made. Tiny seemed to know everyone in Hollywood, and they knew him. When Ervin asked him if he knew of a good studio, Tiny responded by saying, “Erv, you happen to be right outside the best studio in town and I know the girl who does the retouching. She’ll make you look like Clark Gable.” Ervin and Jeannie were introduced, a romance was kindled and Tiny became a war hero’s matchmaker when Ervin received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his wartime missions in Africa.

After the war, Tiny traveled to Oklahoma City for a summertime visit with his brother, Glenn. It was Tiny’s first time back home since the war began, and in a short time he decided to return for good.

Back in Oklahoma, Tiny couldn’t recapture the fame he’d had in California, and then his family was hit with a series of tragedies.

Glenn opened a farm implement store in Sapulpa, but soon flirted with bankruptcy. In an act of desperation, he robbed a bank in Luther and was caught less than a day later holding less than $3,000 in loot. Glenn went to prison in 1953, and both of Tiny and Glenn’s parents were dead within the year.

Still, Tiny wasn’t ready to stop entertaining. In 1959, he bought the Shadow Lake Dance Hall – the same one where he’d met Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda 20 years earlier. “Jesse James” had put the club on the map, and clientele from a nearby military training base gave it a reputation as a hotspot.

Shadow Lake’s popularity peaked by the late 1950s, so Tiny must have thought he’d landed a goldmine when bought the venue.

In reality, Shadow Lake was sold because Oklahoma started allowing liquor sales, and a major highway was being diverted to Pineville. Fewer customers meant less revenue and the owner saw the writing on the wall. Tiny didn’t, and soon his hopes of running an entertainment mecca faded.

Tiny spent the rest of his days in obscurity. He operated a Tulsa restaurant, and in January 1971, he died of a heart attack at age 58. Tiny’s obituary made no mention of his life as an entertainer, other than serving as the organist at his church.

His body was taken to Davenport where the rest of his kin were buried. Tiny had outlived them all. The family plot was full, so Tiny wasn’t even laid to rest near his parents. He was buried with a plain headstone halfway across the cemetery.

Tiny was responsible for introducing Cameron war hero Ervin Ethell (right) to his future wife, Jeannie. (Photo courtesy Jennie Chancey)

26

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

It was a sad ending for an Aggie who found fame on national radio, rubbed shoulders with movie stars, and sang with some of the great bandleaders of the day. It was a long way from Hollywood, and it was a long way from Cameron State Agricultural College.

- Keith Mitchell

BEHIND THE DESK, IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA

WHETHER ANCHORING OR REPORTING,

ZAYNA HALIBURTON

SHARES STORIES OF COURAGE, COMMITMENT AND CARING

As a CU student, Zayna Haliburton became a fixture on CUTV, honing production, anchoring and reporting skills that she uses on a daily basis as an anchor, producer and reporter at NBC affiliate WRDW in Augusta, Ga. Graduating in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Media Production (JRMP), she has embarked on a career that is firmly rooted in the education she received at Cameron.

“My experiences at Cameron prepared me for this career field by providing me a glimpse into what a job in news would look like,” Zayna says. “Through various writing classes and film and production courses, I was able to make the choice on if a career like this would be a fit for me."

Referring to herself as a “hands-on learner,” Zayna says that CUTV provided experiential learning opportunities that were ideal.

“I was able to produce, report, and anchor various shows on a weekly basis, getting more of an idea of what it would be like in the real world each week,” she explains. “Finding stories to cover on a weekly basis – and here in the career field it's everyday – can be tough. Feeling comfortable and natural in front of the camera is not the easiest, but these are things I got better with as my time at CUTV continued.”

During her last semester as a CU student, Zayna secured an internship at KSWO-TV. “This is something anyone and everyone should do – INTERN!” she says. “This is how you really know if this career is for you.

You work with real reporters, anchors, and photographers that lay down what it's really like, and even get to put a story together yourself, go out on breaking news or other daily stories, and even do some of the interviews for the station.”

As she looks back on her time as a student, Zayna says some of her favorite memories “stem back to when I began taking JRMP classes and became close with the professors, and other classmates. My favorite memories are the late nights spent working on stories, homework, or even CU News with my JRMP friends.”

Other great memories come from being a part of CU News, from telling great stories to meeting people around campus she had never talked to before to and building friendships.

“I had the best professors who really cared about me and my career, and who pushed me. I know they saw something in me that I didn't at the time. I knew I wanted to do this when I got involved in CU News, and really when I interned at KSWO. During my internship, I said, ‘I can do this!’, which led to me applying and starting work a week after graduation.”

Now that’s she’s building a solid reel as a news anchor, reporter and producer, Zayna shares that the most rewarding part of her job is telling someone else's story, informing the community, and meeting new people.

“I feel that a lot of stories I tell are making a difference in someone's life,” she says. “I do a lot of feature stories, so writing about other people, the changes they're making in the community, or our partnership with Children's Hospital of Georgia, where I share a patient story called ‘Miracle Monday’ one day a month, is bringing out emotion, care, the will to help others and is so rewarding. For me, it's not about being on TV, it's sharing those stories hopefully teaching or sharing something that a viewer at home did not know about. That's why I do this.”

-Janet E. Williams 27

ALMA MATTERS

Alumni who received more than one degree are listed by year of most recent degree. Those who attended but did not graduate are listed under the year they would have graduated; or in some cases, the last year they attended. If you have changed your address, have a new job or have other news to share, contact the CU Office of Alumni Relations, 2800 W. Gore Blvd., Lawton OK 73505, 580-581-2988; alumni@cameron.edu; or on the web at www.cameron.edu/alumni.

1980s

Harry Ross (’80, BA), Lawton, is the music minister at First Baptist East in Lawton. He has served the church since 1984.

Larry Smith (’82, BS), Duncan, and his wife Donna celebrated 50 years of marriage in September.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Smith established Larry D. Smith, Inc., an accounting firm.

Lynn Cherry (’83, BA), Charleston, S.C., has been named Associate Chair of the Department of Communication at the College of Charleston. During her tenure at the institution, she has served in many leadership roles and was honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 2015.

Craig Akard (’84, AAS), Lawton, now serves as the Human Resources Director for the City of Lawton. He served with the Lawton Police Force, retiring as a captain, then joined the Lawton Fire Department in an administrative role. In 2018, he became the employee development coordinator for the City of Lawton and was most recently deputy director.

28

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

2010s

Liz McCullough (’86, BACC), Huntsville, Ala., is the chief financial officer/director of resource management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering and Support Center. She is certified in defense financial management, earning her CDFM in 2011 And the CDFM with acquisition speciality in 2012.

Keith Mitchell (’89, BA), recently completed a term as president of the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association, a networking group of professional higher education communicators.

He has been a member of the OCPRA board since 2016.

1990s

John L. Blodgett (’94, BS), Norman, is an administrative law judge of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission. He has more than 20 years of experience practicing law. His professional licenses include the Oklahoma State Bar; the U.S. District Courts for Western, Eastern and Northern Districts; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

DeShawn Weekly (’96 BA), Allen, Texas, has been named American director of the Miss Top of the World Plus Sized beauty pageant. She also joined the staff of Behavioral Innovations in Richardson, Texas, as a behavioral therapist in June.

2000s Michelle Rahn (’08, BS), Claremore, has been honored with the 2020-21 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary Teaching by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. She is a sixth grade teacher in science, technology, engineering and math at Will Rogers Junior High School in Claremore.

William Hines (’11 BS, ’07, AAS), Lawton, serves as deputy chief for the Lawton Police Department. He has served as a detective, patrol supervisor, patrol shift commander and CID commander during his tenure with LPD. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Tiffany Vrksa (’13 BA), Norman has joined the City of Norman as Chief Communications Officer.

She was previously Community Relations Director for the City of Lawton.

Crystal Wright (’13, BBA, AAS; ’10 AS), Temple, is a senior audit associate at McCormack and Associates in Norman. Her banking experience includes serving as an internal auditor and a compliance associate.

Laurie Bethune (’14, AS; ‘09, BBA), Marlow, serves as Senior Vice President/Audit Manager at McCormack & Associates in Norman. She has more than 20 years of professional banking experience since 1984.

Ryan Whiteley (’09 MED; ’08, BS), is now the head baseball coach at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City. He served as an assistant coach at the school for the past four years and previously coached at Lawton’s Eisenhower High School and Cache High School.

Rachel Engel (’14, BA), Wichita, Kans., is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com, where she writes about first responders and the importance of their work. She also reports on public safety issues for Lexipol.

Anna Trevino (’14, MS), is now the administrative liaison at Cardwell Career Preparatory Center, part of the Irving (Texas) Independent School District.

Nicholas Gautier (’18, BS, AAS), Lawton, is a software specialist at Satloc, where he designs and develops firmware and software.

Kaley Patterson Dorsey (’15, BA), Lawton, has been named Communications and Marketing Manager for the City of Lawton.

Jennifer Omogbai (’18, BBA, AS), Oklahoma City, is a support technician at Simplifile, part of Intercontinental Exchange, a mortgage technology company.

Trish Harris (’15, MBA; ’08, BACC), Norman, serves as Vice President and Audit Manager at McCormack & Associates, a management consulting firm focused on the banking industry.

Tyus Momoh (’19, BS), Mansfield, Texas, is a physical therapist technician at Arlington Orthopedic Associates, where he assists in modality treatments, rehab assistance and body performance corrections.

Joseph Wood (’16, BS), Frederick, teaches 7th and 8th grade geography and social studies at Snyder Public Schools and also serves as assistant football and basketball coach as well as head baseball coach. He previously taught at Putnam City High School and Tipton Public Schools.

Emmanuel Beatus (’17, BS), Dallas, Texas, is a licensed agent at New York Life Insurance Company. He was previously a personal banker at Fort Sill National Bank.

Brooklyn Pierce (’19, BBA, AS), Norman, is a social marketing associate for OEC Fiber. She previously served as an intern for Western Farmers Electric Cooperative.

2020s Caitlin Anders (’20, BA, AAS), Oklahoma City, is the digital content coordinator at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. She also operates Anders Studio productions, a photography/ videography company.

Isabella Myers (’20, BA, AAS), Lawton, joined the CU staff in June as the work-based learning experiences coordinator for the Student Enrichment Center.

Joshua Reed (’20, BS), Lawton, has joined the Anadarko Police Department as a patrolman.

Nathaniel Orton (’19, BS, ’18, AAS), Oklahoma City, is a software developer at Paycom.

Harley Pennington (’19, MBA; ’17, BACC, AS), Walters, is an accountant at Barnes Welsh & Perry in Lawton. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

IN MEMORIAM Lynett Adams, Oklahoma City Cody Brock Allison (’87), Johnson City, Tenn.

KaVauzie Banks, Lawton Billye “June” Barrington (’48), Duncan Michael Keith Brashears, Wagoner Larry Wayne Cain III (’00), Lawton Kenneth E. Carter (’94), Cache Doyle Wayne Chadwick, Edmond Ed “Chappie” Chappabitty, Lawton Elvera F. Collier, Lawton Stephen Rex Conner (’86), Sterling Maj. (Ret.) David F. Cummins (’73), Lawton John Stuart Cunningham, Lawton James C. Daugherty (’48), Holdenville Wilma Lawler Dean (’47), Marlow Bearl Gene Dixon, Hurst, Texas Betty Anna Edmonson (’90), Lawton Gloria Foster (’76), Lawton Alice Varicee Franklin, Arlington, Va. Jack S. Gardner, Crawfordsville, Ind. Jerrid Carl Glass (’02), Mountain View Jack Nance Gresham (’86), Williston, Tenn.

Nancy Burgess Hamilton (’72), Lawton Christopher Hamlin (’03), Lawton Gary M. Hancock, Midwest City Charles Ross Hankins (’72), Lawton Lawrence “Trey” Hansen, Frisco, Texas Jeff Hart, Walters Robert D. Harvey (’70), Delaware, Ohio Carole J. Hazelbaker, Lawton

Darcy George (’20, BS), Mountain View, has begun her teaching career at Mountain View/Gotebo Schools, where she teaches junior high and senior high science. She also serves as cheer coach.

Bennie Ernest Henson, Lawton Danny Holder, Hollis James Walter Hooser, Walters TSgt (Ret.) Carl Hoover (’15, ’18), Sterling CW3 (Ret.) Harold Herman Hunter (’91), Lawton Candice Hurlocker, Marlow Margaret Ruth Parks Irwin (’84), Lawton Paula Jacobs (’68), Frederick Leslie Janice Poshway “Jan” James (’82), Lawton Karen Jo Bigbow Kagle, Lawton James “Kimo” Kaikainahaole (’76), St. Petersburg, Fla. Eddie C. Lankster, Indianapolis, Ind. Rosella Lavin (’46), Walters Anthony “Andy” Leary (’87), Lawton Marvin A. Lepien Jr., Ashley, N.D. Nieta Faye Loftis (’45), Bartlesville Randy Miller, Cookietown Juanita M. Miles, Lawton Brenda Gail Mahan (’80), Altus Matthew Lee Mason (’96), Colchester, Ill. LTC (Ret.) Dennis McAdoo (’90), Lawton Joseph Lee McDonnell (’75), Wichita Falls, Texas Jerry Joe Neal (’71), Covington, Ga. Gregorey Anthony Otto (’98), Burkburnett, Texas Rand Winters Ozier, Eureka Springs, Ark. Charla Donnine Pantoja (‘86), Rio Rancho, N.M. SFC (Ret.) Robert D. Perez (’82), Lawton MSG (Ret.) Sammie Boyd Pilcher, Lawton Eddie Robert Pinkley (’91), Cache Marilyn Red Elk, Walters

Keyanna Patterson (’21, BS), is a third grade teacher at Cloud Elementary in Wichita, Kans.

Destany Rochell (’21, AS; ’20, BS), Comanche, is a natural resource specialist at Waurika Lake.

Roland Perry Ridge II, Denton, Texas David Earl Riley (’61), Lawton LaDonna Rhea Rogers, Lawton Patricia Salagovich (’77), Frankfort, Mich.

CW2 (Ret.) Edward B. Selstad (’83), Lawton Clodus Ray Smith (’48), Oklahoma City Wilda McMahon Spillers, Springdale, Ark. Will “Bill” Rogers Stephens, Mustang Wilma L. Stout (’39), Lawton Mary Catherine Stuart, Edmond Bessie R. Payete Sullivan (’58), Duncan Tommy Dale “Tom” Thomas (’92), Cache Ricky Dale Trent, Duncan John Manuel Vela, Lawton Delbert Keith Walker, Perkins Ronnie Wickens (’83), Lawton John “David” Wilson, Frederick Marvin D. Wyatt (’76), Faxon

CU SUPPORTERS, FACULTY AND STAFF John Armstrong Beckman, Lawton Dale Cosgrove, Bellingham, Wash.

Dorothy Hicks, Ajijic, Mexico LTC (Ret.) Jerry Orr, Lawton Kurt Ward Short, Lawton Albert Leslie Stansberry, Lawton 29

MAGAZINE

Attention: To submit an address change, please call the CU Office of Alumni Relations at 580.581.2988, or email alumni@cameron.edu

2800 West Gore Boulevard Lawton, Oklahoma 73505-6377 580.581.2211

SAVE THE DATE Homecoming 2021 February 25-26, 2021 Check for upcoming schedule and events https://www.cameron.edu/homecoming

TM