DEAR
North Texan
Early honors
The original University Honors Program (“Honors College,” spring 2012) accepted its first students in 1971. It was a program built on interdisciplinary seminars and the recruitment of top teachers as the instructors. The program began with 50 students but quickly grew to more than 400. Dr. Clovis Morrisson in political science (pictured) served as the founding director through the first graduating class and was succeeded by Dr. Tony Damico in foreign languages and literatures for several years. That program began to change when it lost support for the system of “borrowing” faculty members in exchange for a one-course reduction in their departments. The program was reconstituted in 1994, but the early program deserves a nod. Charldean Newell (’60, ’62 M.A.), Professor Emerita of public administration Denton Editor’s note: Thank you for pointing out the earlier program. Honors College
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Dean Gloria Cox says the college is “built on the shoulders of giants” whom she counts as personal friends as well as friends of Honors and UNT. “I hope all will be delighted to know that Dr. Morrisson is a member of the Honors College Development Board and that he and I talk from time to time,” she says. “It is wonderful to reminisce about the past program and to talk about ideas for the future.“
was Arthur Joseph Gionet. He was a professor of French at UNT from 1962 to the mid 1990s and was knighted three times by France for his contributions to teaching French, for his dedication to the French language, and for preparing and mentoring French teachers. He brought great honor to UNT.
Deployed
Campus visitors
We are two UNT alumni deployed with the U.S. Army to Afghanistan. On the right is Maj. Shane M. Little (’05), who studied anthropology and also has a master’s in management and leadership. I’m pictured on the left and studied history and political science. We are both enjoying our third deployment. 1st Lt. Brandon D. Kreitz (’94) Columbia, Mo.
Arthur Joseph Gionet Dr. Gionet’s name (“Dear North Texan,” spring 2012)
northtexan.unt.edu
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Summer 2012
Donna Beth Shaw (’65) Houston
I was the presiding officer of the student senate and a member of Phi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honorary society, when Sen. Lyndon Johnson visited campus in 1959 (“Visitors to Campus,” spring 2012). President Matthews asked me to accompany the senator around the campus and to introduce him when he spoke to the members of Phi Sigma Alpha. For the most part, Sen. Johnson ignored the aide who tried to remind him of his schedule, and he spent extra time with students. About a week later I got a letter from the senator expressing his thanks for the tour and saying how much he enjoyed the visit. I had no thought at the time that he might become president. He just impressed me as a very busy and important man who would
take the time to visit with students. Ed Smith (’60), Smith & Stephens Dallas
In 1954, when I was a student at North Texas, Professor J. Frank Dobie came to campus to lecture and to read from one of his books on the legends of the old Southwest. Nine years later when I began to research the life and career of the Texas novelist George Sessions Perry, I wrote Professor Dobie, who had been Perry’s friend and mentor. He sent me information and observations about Perry and his works. If I had not heard him speak, I probably would never have dared request information from him. Bob Cowser (’54) Martin, Tenn. In the fall of ’66, Henry Kissinger spoke one afternoon. He was not yet the internationally famous figure he would become in the Nixon administration, but he was a well-known expert on