Edward C. “Pete” Aldridge, Jr.,
Class of 1960, received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Texas A&M and went on to earn a Master’s degree in the same field from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962. During his time at Texas A&M, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Institute of Aerospace Sciences, Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Shreveport Hometown Club.
Aldridge’s distinguished 42-year career began in 1961 with Douglas Aircraft Company, and included 18 years of service in the Pentagon -- first as an operations research analyst, as the director of Planning and Evaluation under Donald Rumsfeld during his first tour as Secretary of Defense, as Under Secretary and then Secretary of the Air Force under President Ronald Reagan, and finally as the under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics under President George W. Bush. He also served as president of McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company from 1988-1992 and as president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation from 1992-2001.
Aldridge was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, presented the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association and has served as a volunteer and contributor to dozens of educational and nonprofit organizations. He is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Aldridge has been actively involved with Texas A&M, having donated generously to the College of Aerospace Engineering and as an Endowed Century Club member with The Association of Former Students.
Frank C. Litterst, Jr., Class of 1943, graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science in animal husbandry. As a student he was a Ross Volunteer, Commander of Battery “A” Coast Artillery and a member of the boxing team.
Like many of his classmates, Litterst left Texas A&M after three years of school for service in World War II, serving as a platoon commander and artillery officer in the Southwest Pacific Theater. After recovering from wounds suffered in combat and receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Texas A&M, completed his degree in animal husbandry in 1946 and began graduate work in poultry husbandry.
After working almost 20 years as a rancher, Litterst joined the Texas Agricultural Education Adult Specialist Program, a cooperative effort of Texas A&M University and the Texas Education Agency, in 1965. As a beef cattle specialist he traveled 350,000 miles and visited 2,400 ranches over 10 years helping Texas ranchers improve their herds and profits through his beef cattle short courses. From 1975 until his retirement in 1989 he was a beloved lecturer in Texas A&M’s department of animal science. He served as superintendent of the Houston Livestock Show’s Junior Market Steer Show from 1966 through 1976 and was a member of the show’s Range Bull and Heifer Committee from 1969-1987. He is credited with developing an evaluation instrument for range bull grading used by major livestock shows today and for contributing to the development of the model, standards, and application of the U.S Department of Agriculture Feeder Cattle Grades currently in use across the United States.
Litterst was recognized with The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Extension in 1975 and for Teaching in 1984. He was named Senior Lecturer Emeritus by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents upon his retirement in 1989.
Litterst is a loyal and active contributor to Texas A&M University and currently serves as a Class Agent for the Class of 1943.
Paul D. “Pablo” Marvin, Class of 1966, received a Bachelor of Science in business management while working part-time and later full-time to support his young family.
Upon graduation, Marvin returned to his native Mexico and built a long and prosperous career in business. Working first as a production and marketing manager for Aceros Nacioneles, S.A. in Mexico City, he later founded Plasticos Precisos, S.A., a plastics extrusions company. Marvin also worked at Deutz, CV.de C.B in Mexico City, one of Latin America’s largest holding companies at the time and later founded and operated the Los Tocayos chain of restaurants in Denver, Co. Today he is a real estate executive and CEO of Compania de Inversionistas de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
Marvin has remained a committed and loyal supporter of Texas A&M, especially to initiatives focusing on international programs and was named an Outstanding International Alumnus in 2006. He is a member of the Texas A&M International Board, the Texas A&M Mexico Center Advisory Board, the Bush School Development Council and is a founding member of Texas A&M’s International Programs Office. In 1993, Marvin and his wife, Barbara, provided 5,000 square feet of office space rent-free to Texas A&M University, allowing for the creation of the Texas A&M University Center in Mexico. This center serves as Texas A&M’s official representation in Mexico, enabling the university to further its research collaborations with Mexico and Latin America and strengthen linkages with academic institutions, business organizations, and governmental agencies in Mexico.
Marvin serves as a mentor to Texas A&M’s Academy for International Leaders Program and as an external advisor to the Mexican Student Association. He was actively involved in the planning of the Central American Aggie Summit in 2006 and in the 2007 Middle East Aggie Summit.
Dr. Charles R. Munnerlyn, Class of 1962, received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Texas A&M University, where he was a member the Corps of Cadets, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Pi Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, the Student Conference on National Affairs, and was both a distinguished physics graduate and a distinguished Air Force ROTC Cadet. After serving two years in the United States Air Force, he earned a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1969.
Munnerlyn is considered one of the founding fathers of laser vision correction and holds more than 30 U.S. patents in the field of optics. He designed and built the first excimer laser system for vision correction and developed the core mathematical formulas that dictate the amount of corneal tissue to be removed by the laser. The company he founded in 1987, VISX, Inc., is now the leading manufacturer of laser vision correction systems in the United States.
In recognition of his many career accomplishments and contributions to the field of optics, Munnerlyn has been named a member of the Texas A&M Academy of Distinguished Graduates for the College of Science, 2001 Engineer of the Year by Design News Magazine, a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and 2007 recipient of the Edwin Land Medal, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Rochester’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and was the 2008 recipient of the University of Rochester’s Distinguished Scholar Award and the 2001 Stevens Institute of Technology Honor Award.
Munnerlyn’s commitment to Texas A&M is evident in his generous support of The Association of Former Students’ Century Club, his significant support of the Texas A&M Foundation’s One Spirit One Vision campaign, and his endowment of programs in Physics and Observational Astronomy. In 2008, Texas A&M named the Charles R. ’62 and Judith G. Munnerlyn Astronomy and Space Sciences Building in his honor.
Jesse L. Easterwood, Class of 1909, studied agriculture at Texas A&M, leaving in 1909 to pursue business opportunities in Mexia, where he would become one of the town’s leading citizens. As a student, he was a member of B Company Infantry and played second base on the baseball team.
Upon the United States’ declaration of war on Germany in 1917, Easterwood sold his business and volunteered for duty as an aviator. He would become one of the first Americans qualified to fly as a naval aviator and sailed to Europe with the first group of American pilots to serve overseas in World War I. He completed 16 missions deep behind German lines and later saw service with the air forces of France and Italy. By the end of the War, Easterwood was one of only three survivors from the original group of 68 American pilots.
After the war, Easterwood remained in the Navy, flying the dangerous early airmail experiments. As a naval lieutenant he took it upon himself to fly all aircraft with mechanical problems and perished while attempting an emergency landing in a seaplane with a notoriously bad engine.
Easterwood was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic deeds during World War I. In 1940, Texas A&M paid tribute to his service by naming its new flying field – now known as Easterwood Airport - in his memory.
Frederick W. Heldenfels, Jr., Class of 1933, graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. As a student, he participated in the Corps of Cadets and was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.
Heldenfels joined the family business in 1933 and with his brother, Tony Heldenfels, Class of 1935, led the lumber business started by his father and uncle to become one of the largest contractors for public and private construction projects in South Texas. He was named Chairman of the Board of Heldenfels Brothers, Inc. in 1978 and remained so until his death in 1992.
Active and influential within the construction industry, he served as president of both the Associated General Contractors of Texas and the Associated General Contractors of America. He served as a board member for the Del Mar College Board of Regents for 24 years and as its president for 10 years. In recognition of his service to the school, the administration building was named for him in 1982.
Heldenfels served on the Board of Directors of the Texas A&M Research Foundation and was an active supporter of The Association of Former Students and the 12th Man Foundation.