Texas Techsan magazine

01/09/2025

The Hon. William Anson Thompson, Jr. – BSE ’68; MED ’73; TEACH ‘94:
“I hold a master's and a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University. I've had more than one career, but Texas Tech prepared me for them. I was a professional ballet dancer, a teacher, administrator and judge. I was a professional ballet dancer for 19 years. As a graduate assistant at Texas Tech University, I taught modern and folk dance. Lastly, I was elected county judge in Lamb County, Texas, in 2002 and I served for eight years.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

01/09/2025

This cold snap provides an excuse for staying inside and reading the latest issue of the Texas Techsan magazine: the Winter 2025 issue! This year marks the 75th that the Texas Techsan has been published. Each issue this year will include a special section devoted to the magazine's history. If you're not receiving the magazine, you're not a member, but we'd love to have you become : www.texastechalumni.org

01/02/2025

Diane Elizabeth Martin (Kolb) – BSE ’69:
“I transferred to Texas Tech in the fall of 1967 for my junior year as an elementary education major. I lived in Clement Hall on the fifth floor for the next two years, except one summer I was on the 11th floor of Chitwood. Some of my dormmates were Janan Johnson, Geri Hutchison, Linda Sanderson, Gayla Perry, Linda Beadles, Bryna Crum, and Phyllis Beasley. Girls living in the dorms had curfews at that time, and if you were late coming in, you got 'late minutes' on your record. After so many of those, it resulted in going before the dorm mother and a group of peers for discipline. We also had to wear dresses to all of our classes and anytime we were eating in the dorm cafeteria. There was one TV in the dorm, and it was located in a recreation area on the second floor. On certain nights, the room would be crowded with girls in hair curlers and robes watching popular shows. We had great times going to football games at Jones Stadium. In those days, there were no seats in the end zones, so every time Tech made a touchdown, the horse and rider would race around the stadium and go up and around the big double 'T' in the north end zone. I've heard that this is where the 'wave' at games started because all the Tech fans stood as it passed their section. I remember so much spirit at all the games. Once in 1967 when Tech beat Texas on their Austin field, it seemed like the whole Tech campus and townspeople descended on the airport to welcome the players back that night. There were so many people on the tarmac cheering that it wasn't safe to land the plane, so they had to land in Amarillo and bus the team back to Lubbock. We were in the Southwest Conference then, and there was a concrete spirit circle in the middle of the campus with all the team names and mascots in stone. At the beginning of my senior year, I met Chester Martin, a Tech graduate who was taking some graduate classes and working at the Texas A&M Research Extension Service in Lubbock. We married in July 1969.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

12/26/2024

Robert "Bob" Dale Evans – BA ’74:
“When I first started, I thought I wanted to be an architect, and Texas Tech had a phenomenal school for that. For me, it was a no-brainer. After about three and a half years, I ended up changing to political science. At that time, I got the bug to go to law school, but Texas Tech didn't offer a pre-law program. However, they did orient me towards political science if I wanted to get into law school, so I changed my major and ended up graduating with a BA in political science. I worked for a couple of years to earn some money to go to school. I was up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I took some night courses. I then decided to get my MBA after auditing a few courses. I worked for IBM for 20 years in a variety of sales and marketing positions. I also ran a part of Texas for one of the divisions. Texas Tech has impacted my career and my life in several ways. First, I came to learn that education is as good as the professors that the university has available. I feel that the education I got at Texas Tech was extremely solid and laid a good foundation for me to be able to earn my MBA. When I was at Texas Tech, there was a men's soccer team, and I played soccer for Texas Tech for four years. That particular activity ended up making me more dedicated to my school and to my grades. It has helped me perform at a very high competitive level throughout my life. There were a lot of experiences at Texas Tech that laid a good foundation and the groundwork for all the things I ended up accomplishing later in life. I feel very proud of my years at Texas Tech. They were good years for me. I made good friends, got a good education, and it allowed me to work in the technology field for just under 40 years. I feel very proud and very satisfied with the education I got at Texas Tech. Over the years, I had opportunities to go to other universities, and still, my heart is with Texas Tech.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

12/19/2024

Jerry J. Lobdill – BS ’59:
“I was the first person in my family to receive a college education. I arrived in September 1955 from Fort Worth. I lived in Bledsoe Hall for most of my time at Tech, and finished my BS in the August of 1959. The school was named Texas Technological College then, and tuition was about $50 per semester. Gasoline was $0.179 per gallon at a Hudson Station on College Avenue across the street, and there was a Lotta Burger across College from Bledsoe where a cheeseburger was $0.39. Room and board at Bledsoe was $65 per month. My professor was Dr. A. G. Oberg, who was a very good teacher and advisor. I was a charter member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. You had to be a Greek to have much of a social life at that time. Those were the days! I met and courted my future wife at Tech. She was a Sigma Kappa whose parents lived in Saudi Arabia. She was the first of five wives. One of my two sisters, Jill, graduated from Tech in 1963 and became the premier portrait artist in Fort Worth. We now live within two blocks in Fort Worth.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

12/12/2024

Gregory "Greg" D. Ross – BBA ’70:
“What stands out for me during my time at Texas Tech was the combination of courses I was taking in the last few years of college and, just as important, my last two years of Army ROTC. I received my BBA degree in finance and at the same time, I received my commission in the U.S. Army. After graduation, I went on active duty with the Army and then completed Army helicopter flight training and received my Army Aviator Wings. I served as a pilot and aircraft commander in combat in Vietnam flying the UH1-H from August of 1971 through March of 1972. Upon returning to the U.S., I was transferred to the Army Reserve. I then began my civilian career in finance in the Dallas metro area. I retired in 2018 and often return to Lubbock to visit friends and walk the lovely Texas Tech campus.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

12/05/2024

VICKI CATES SELLERS – BA ’98; TEACH ‘00:
“When I returned to college as a non-traditional student, several professors were really important in my development, and I really appreciate that they were at Tech at that time. Both Tech and Lubbock are known to be friendly, and fitting the area's amicable reputation, those professors reached out to guide me. Two of them are still friends today although we seldom see each other. One now lives in Ohio while the other still resides in Lubbock. Every year or so we correspond thanks to email, and we enjoy jumping back into our friendships. After I earned my master's degree while teaching in our small rural middle and high schools, TTU hired me for two semesters to teach adolescent literature in the College of Education. The professor who had usually taught it left Tech for employment in Ohio, and she recommended that I teach the course to pre-service teachers. I taught on Wednesday nights for three hours, and my class consisted of undergraduate and graduate students. Sometimes I took students from my middle school classes with me, so the two groups' interactions served to benefit both my middle school and Tech students. Those middle school students now have their advanced degrees, and I know that those wonderful Wednesday nights at TTU influenced them positively. My degree from Tech has enriched my life in so many ways, opening my mind and allowing me to share my passion with my students, our community, and our staff. Where I teach is a very small school; it's a comfortable family of students and colleagues. I couldn't ask for a more meaningful atmosphere for my career. Finally accomplishing that goal has brought me such joy. Looking back now, I am extremely grateful for the support TTU bestowed on me, in particular, through those two professors whose guidance set me on my path toward fulfillment as a teacher. What great happiness I have experienced! I love being a teacher!”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

11/28/2024

Chester Doane Martin – BS ‘67:
“I transferred to Texas Tech in the spring of 1964 as a sophomore animal husbandry major. My dorm, West Hall, was the first coed dorm, and I remember fun times with fellow dormmates Sam Moore, Gary Condron, Sam Hayes, Mickey Dot Hammond, Carolyn Brumley, Maurice Richards, and others playing 42 in the lobby and going to football games and dates and dancing at the Cotton Club and the Golden Nugget and the Slayton VFW. We would get dates with some really neat young ladies from Doak, Weeks, Knapp, Horn, and Drane dorms. I became a member of the Block and Bridle Club. Some of my most memorable professors in the Ag Department were Durham, Baumgardner, Westbrook, and Hunter. While I was at Tech, the college became a university, and there was much discussion and consideration about the name change. Thankfully, the 'Double T' remained. After graduation, I worked for the A&M Extension station in Lubbock as a research technician for seven years. During that time, I married a Texas Tech student, Diane Kolb. I then took a job with Farm Bureau Insurance as an adjustor and stayed with them until I retired in 2003. The job took me to Spearman, Texas, and then to Graham, Texas, where I live today. My wife and I have been married for 51 years, and we have two daughters, Jennifer and Betsy, and one son, Garrett. We also have three grandchildren: Lola, Dovie, and Jeremiah. Their mother, Betsy, is also a graduate of Texas Tech. I also have three sisters with degrees from Tech: Ruth Ann Ryan, Mary Beth Green, and Rebecca Sue Lot. I have many wonderful memories of my years at Tech. When I graduated, I bought a class ring. In 1974, it slipped off my finger while living in Spearman. Forty years later and two days after my 70th birthday, I had just sat down to watch Texas Tech play in a bowl game when the phone rang. A little nine-year-old girl had found my ring in her backyard and located me by computer, and she then mailed it back to me. I wear it proudly everywhere I go.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

11/27/2024

!!!!

This 'Guns Up' could be from the youngest fan Texas Tech has ever seen.

11/21/2024

JOHN "CHUCK" CHARLES DONALDSON III – BA ‘75:
“I took a trip with the press club in high school to Austin. I fell in love with Austin and thought I wanted to go to the University of Texas. My mother said, 'Why don't you go for a year to Texas Tech, and see how you like it?' In fact, it's only about a two hour drive from where we lived at the time, so I did. I liked Tech so much that even though I had a good friend who transferred to UT Austin after our first semester, I told him, 'I'm not going with you.' Dr. Ann Daghistany, who I understand retired a few years ago, in the English Department was amazing; I think I took every course she taught while I was there. There were a lot of other professors that I really liked, but Dr. D. opened up a whole new world of ideas for me. The thing that stands out is probably not any one single incident or group of incidents, but a general impression. At SMU, students are always telling me that if they're not in a fraternity or something like that, they feel left out and they can't make any friends. At Texas Tech, it was nothing like that. I made friends in my classes, at the dorm, in the dining hall. It was just so easy to get to know people, so that was really fun. I went to probably all the plays at the University Theater and the Lab Theater, and those were a lot of fun. I don't know if they still have the Lab Theater. It was in an old dilapidated building, which I loved. I took advantage of a lot of cultural opportunities and really enjoyed those. There was something happening all the time. Parking was accessible, and the price was never prohibitive. I paid $2 per ticket both for Jackson Browne and John Denver at the auditorium. It's always neat to meet someone that is a Red Raider or to find out that someone I've known for a while was a Red Raider. Learning to write has helped me in my career, and I learned how to analyze and appreciate good literature. That has helped enrich my life. Tech is where I started growing up, sprouting my wings, and learning who I am.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

11/14/2024

CARLOS F. FRANCO III – MBA '98:
“I liked my experience while attending Texas Tech University. The campus life, the educational component, and the social aspect all played key roles in my experience. My introduction to the faculty, staff, and student body was amazing, and everyone I met was welcoming and supportive. Beyond the friends that I met at Texas Tech, I also enjoyed the football games, food, and nightlife that Lubbock offered. During my time at Texas Tech, I successfully graduated with a master's degree from the business program with a focus on hospital administration/management. My interest in health care stems from the fact my father is a cardiologist, and I longed to follow in his footsteps. During my time getting my undergraduate degree, I realized that I was more interested in the business aspect of medicine. This is the reason that after graduating, my first job was managing 15 physician groups across five states. After ten years of managing physician groups, I moved to a hospital-based position managing physician contracts. For the past ten years, I have happily returned to the Texas Tech system. I currently work at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas, as an administrator. I'm managing over 200 physicians and over 100 staff, have multi-million-dollar budgetary responsibilities, and I apply what I learned in my MBA every day. Beyond my financial responsibilities, I also have responsibilities over our research and residency and fellowship programs. The residency programs are key to providing the doctors of tomorrow for our community, our state, and our country. My MBA was the key to advancing throughout my career, and my success is directly tied to both the Texas Tech and the TTUHSC system.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

11/07/2024

Randall R. Lecocq – BA ‘69:
“I grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, which is only 200 miles away from Texas Tech. I fell in love with the Tech campus, and my friends from high school were also applying to Tech. What really stood out for me was the quality of the History Department. I had no idea it was going to be so good and I was told they'd spent a lot of time going around and getting some of the best young professors from around the country. That was certainly the case, as I was to discover under professors like Idris Traylor, Otto Nelson and James Harper. Dr. Traylor became a mentor for me and many others, and I am still in contact with him. In my coursework, I emphasized central and eastern European studies. At Tech, I joined the professional foreign service fraternity, Delta Phi Epsilon. I also spent a summer working on a German farm under a university exchange, and enrolled in ROTC, joining the counter-guerrilla unit. After graduation, I served in the Army for two years, then received a master's degree from Georgetown University. That was followed by a 25-year career in the State Department as a foreign service officer. I served in Israel during Camp David and did tours in Africa, but specialized primarily on Russia, serving as consul general in Vladivostok, a political officer in Moscow, and charge d'affaires in Minsk, Belarus. Texas Tech prepared me well for the wonderful career I had, and I'm very grateful.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

10/31/2024

Juliet Sadie Wallace – BA ‘19:
“The dance department at Texas Tech is its own family. A majority of professors being women created a nurturing environment for artists and a place where anyone was welcome. One of my favorite professors in dance, Genevieve Durham DeCesaro, who also became the vice provost for academic affairs, was amazing because of her supportive leadership style in lecture, movement, or administrative realms. She has supported so many young artists as an educator, choreographer and mentor, but also continues to question controversial themes in dance such as gender, race and age throughout her published research and books. Dr. Ali Duffy was also another amazing professor who embodied the intersection of research in dance within not only lecture-based classes but also through performance and choreography. Dr. Duffy has also published a book called 'Careers in Dance' which addresses perceptions of limitations that many young artists and dancers face in wanting to pursue a career in dance. Lastly, Kyla Olson was another favorite professor who created an honest, challenging and fun environment through classes like musical stage dance, jazz, ballet and world dance forms, as well as oversaw the senior capstone, the Fall Dance Festival. Through her spirit, choreography and wit Kyla will always be in my memories, from me being a freshman Red Raider so intimidated and then to senior year basically having her as a second mom. There are so many wonderful professors in the J. T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts, especially in the School of Theatre and Dance, that have empowered their students to have the confidence, knowledge and perseverance to thrive in any future community. I am so proud to know these women and to have shared their impact throughout my experience at Texas Tech University. I would do it all again and I will always remember the memories and family I have at Tech. Wreck 'Em forever!”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

10/24/2024

Michael "Mike" Stephen Allaire – BBA '73:
“In September of 1965, I entered college life at Texas Tech University with a plan to graduate in four years with a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting. However, things did not go as planned, I did not achieve my goal of a BBA until mid-1973. After my sophomore year, I married my current wife and went into military service. While in the service my wife and I had our first child. After discharge, I worked on oil rigs for a period of three years. We saved enough money to help facilitate our final years at Tech, which included our second child. Going into my last year at Tech, I had a job interview with Exxon. It went very well and I was offered a position in Houston. I retired from Exxon Mobil after 32 years of experience. My wife and I have three successful sons. I believe that it was a combination of my experiences in the oil fields, military service, and Texas Tech that achieved my goal of a job with Exxon. Texas Tech is a great educational journey for any young man or woman.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association

10/24/2024

The Texas Techsan won the CASE Best of District IV for the "Parting Shot" section in the magazine. Guns Up!

About this entry: We close each issue of the Texas Techsan magazine with a one-page section titled, "Parting Shot." The photo is submitted by a photographer whose work is included in the same issue and by invitation from me. My "ask" is that it is a photo that is meaningful to the photographer. The....

10/17/2024

The Hon. Erleigh Wiley (Norville) – BBA '84:
“My brother was in school at Texas Tech, so it was a natural draw for me. It helped me make the final decision that Tech was the right school for me. I already knew about the campus from visiting my brother. I knew the people were friendly and the campus was accessible. I studied hard, but I had a good time in Lubbock too. There were two classes that I had at Tech that were really influential in my studies and career choices later. One class was a summer composition course, where I had an English teacher who was knowledgeable not just about the course he taught but about young adults. This gentleman was thoughtful and was trying to teach his students how to express themselves by reading great writers and writing for ourselves. The professor told us, 'Young people should write their thoughts down.' The professor had such a good compass. I read and wrote stories for class, but he was very hard with the pen. He was critical, and it helped with my grammar and organizing my ideas in written form. I found him to be great with students, and I loved going to his class every day in the summer. I wrote about ideas that I had never expressed before outside of my thoughts. He read and critiqued them, but he never mocked them. The other class that I took that made an impression was from an adjunct professor when I was about to graduate from the business school. I had started thinking about law school and I thought it would be good to take a business law course. The professor was an adjunct at Tech. He taught classes, but he was a practicing attorney. He impacted me because he was a teacher, but also a practitioner. He was practical, wise, and so knowledgeable about real-life issues. I found the course to be useful and impactful. Without even realizing it, I started learning how to be a decision-maker. As I look back, teachers and professors changed me as a student and as a person in a positive way. Texas Tech was the right choice for me.”

To help record the history of Texas Tech’s first 100 years, the Texas Tech Alumni Association collected stories from alumni for an oral history project titled "Matador Memories." More than 10,000 alumni contributed to this digital vault honoring our past.

“Every Red Raider has a story,” and Matador Memories exemplifies that. We will be sharing some of those stories here. Enjoy!

A limited number of published copies of Matador Memories is available for purchase, which includes a one-year membership in TTAA. Contact the TTAA at [email protected] for more info.

Texas Tech Alumni Association