Sort by: Class Year Year Awarded Name
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34Year Awarded: 2015
San Antonio, TX
Richard Kardys, Class of 1967, received a bachelor’s degree in government from Texas A&M University, where he was commanding officer of Squadron 8 and a Distinguished Student and Distinguished Military Graduate. He was a Ross Volunteer and member of the Ross Volunteers Firing Squad and groups including Town Hall and Election Commission.
He served as a JAG officer in the United States Air Force 1970-1976, and he is a 1970 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.
Since 1980, Kardys has been at Frost Bank in San Antonio as the manager of Frost Wealth Advisors. He is a past chairman of the Texas Bankers Association Trust Financial Services Division. He is a Certified Trust Financial Advisor and a Certified Wealth Strategist and was named 2015’s Aggie Lawyer of the Year by the Texas Aggie Bar Association. Kardys has served as chairman and member of the board of The Association of Former Students and is an Endowed Century Club donor and he served as chairman and member of the board of the Texas A&M Foundation and is a member of the Legacy Society. He served on the Vision 2020 Campaign Leadership Council in 1998 and he has supported enhancements to the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center with a core value wall focused on respect.
Kardys is a past president of San Antonio organizations including the Federal Bar Association, Estate Planners Council and Hospice San Antonio. He is a trustee of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and the Oblate School of Theology.
His Aggie family includes brother Kenneth Kardys ’71. Richard and wife Jessie Mathis Kardys have two sons, Clark Michael Kardys, M.D. ’99 and Christopher Tobin Kardys ’97, and three grandchildren.
"Richard's selfless nature is one of the most distinguishing things about him. In every gift, in every position and with every achievement, he has given from the most genuine place in his heart-and for all the right reasons.
- Buzz Miller '76
Year Awarded: 2015
Spring, TX
Lyle Lovett, Class of 1979, received bachelor’s degrees in languages and journalism at Texas A&M, where he wrote for The Battalion and, as a member of the MSC Basement Committee, both performed and booked acts on campus.
Lovett is a four-time Grammy Award-winning musician, composer and producer and has acted in 13 feature films. He was the 2011 Texas State Musician and received the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005. He has also received the Americana Music Association’s Trailblazer Award and the Texas Film Hall of Fame’s Soundtrack Award. He and Robert Earl Keen ’78 put on 2000’s Bonfire Benefit Concert soon after the 1999 Bonfire collapse, raising more than $90,000 to help victims’ families pay medical and other costs. He put on a 2004 concert celebrating The Association’s 125th anniversary and a 2010 concert that raised $50,000 to enhance the Clayton W. Williams, Jr., Alumni Center.
Lovett is a member of The Association’s Endowed Century Club, and has served on Texas A&M’s Liberal Arts development council and narrated a 2009 documentary on A&M’s history that is a fundraiser for the university’s Annual Fund.
He was inducted in 2012 into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame for his parallel career of more than 30 years with reining horses. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Houston for philanthropic work; he has supported UH’s architecture school and organizations including the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma and Houston Ride for Kids.
His fiancée is April Kimble ’97.
"In an industry that somehow or other cherishes its outlaws and loves its rascals, Lyle Lovett continues to be known as a man of high character whose music does not idealize alchoholism or drugs, or jail time or stealing another man's woman or his truck.
- Dr. R.J.Q. Adams, Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor of History
Year Awarded: 2015
Houston, TX
William M. Peña, Class of 1942, received a bachelor of science degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in architectural design from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, where he served on Corps staff and as president of the Laredo Club.
As a U.S. Army infantry officer in World War II, Peña fought in battles including Huertgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Colmar and was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, French Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre and Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor (France’s highest honor). He is one of five Aggies featured in the “Texas Aggies Go To War” exhibit in the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium.
Joining CRS Architects in 1948, Peña lectured worldwide and was part of more than 150 architectural projects in 39 states and nine countries. He is considered the “father of architectural programming” and he is the author of several books including “Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer” and “Ways of Thinking.” He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and recipient of Houston AIA’s Thomas Jefferson Award.
Peña is a member of The Association of Former Students’ Century Club and a colonel in the Corps of Cadets Association. He endowed a professorship in Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, of which he is an Outstanding Alumnus, and the college named CRS “Firm of the Century” for its influence. He has also served on the Board of Regents for the University System of South Texas.
Among his Aggie family were brothers Gustavo Peña ’38 and Augusto “Augie” Peña ’50.
"In the last 30 years, I have come to know Willie Peña as an eminent architect, author, teacher, scholar, mentor, war hero, and most importantly, as a generous, gentle, kind human being."
- Valerian Miranda '94, Director of the CRS Center
Year Awarded: 2015
Vail, CO
Dr. J. Richard Steadman, Class of 1959, received a bachelor’s degree in zoology at Texas A&M, where he played football during his freshman and sophomore years for legendary coach Bear Bryant. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and then served in the U.S. Army as the commander of an armored medical company.
As an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in knee injuries and disorders, Dr. Steadman developed a revolutionary approach to knee surgery including a microfracture procedure used to treat more than 500,000 patients a year that has been adapted to other joints such as the shoulder and hip. He is the founder and chairman emeritus of The Steadman Clinic and founder and co-chairman of the nonprofit Steadman Philippon Research Institute, a world leader in orthopaedic research and education, known for its clinical research database and study of orthopaedic injuries associated with the knee, shoulder, ankle, hip, and spine.
Dr. Steadman was the U.S. Alpine Team Physician at nine Winter Olympics, from 1972 to 2006. His success in returning many elite athletes to major athletic achievements following potentially career-ending injuries includes 26 athletes from professional soccer, 45 from the NFL, 23 from the MLB, eight in the NBA and 26 snow skiers. He served as consultant to the Denver Broncos football team and the Colorado Rockies baseball team. He has been elected to a wide variety of sports medicine associations and is a 2015 inductee to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Hall of Fame.
He and wife, Gay L. Steadman, have two children, Lyon and Liddy, six grandchildren, and three grandchildren.
"While Dr. Richard Steadman is highly acclaimed for his treatment of high-performing athletes, he prefers to be known as one who has helped average people resume active lives after debilitating illness or injury."
- Coach Gene Stalling '57
Year Awarded: 2014
College Station, TX
MAJ GEN Thomas G. Darling '54, USAF (Ret), received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M, graduating as a Distinguished Air Force ROTC student. He also played basketball for two years. He logged more than 7,000 hours as an Air Force pilot and more than 500 B-52 combat hours in Vietnam. His distinguished military career included command of the 97th Bomb Wing (B-52), commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College and vice commander, 15th Air Force. His military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster. He retired from active duty in 1987 as deputy commander, U.S. Atlantic Command. He then returned to A&M as commandant of the Corps of Cadets, serving in that position until 1996, when he began a third career as executive director of development for the Corps. He is credited as the driving force behind the funding and building of the Sanders Corps of Cadets Visitor Center, and the Darling Recruiting Company is named in his honor. He received the President’s Distinguished Service Medal and was named Commandant Emeritus. He is a loyal donor to The Association of Former Students, the 12th Man Foundation, Texas A&M Foundation and Corps of Cadets Association. He has been inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor. He supports and volunteers for many organizations, including the Brazos County A&M Club, Habitat for Humanity, the Brazos Valley Symphony, the Military Officers Association of America, and his church. Darling has two children—David ’80 and Suzanne—with his first wife, Evelyn, with whom he shared 52 years of marriage prior to her death. He lives today in College Station with his wife, Kathleen.
"I enjoyed being a Texas Aggie and all that meant. I also enjoyed the deep friendships I made and knowing I was a part of the great Aggie family."
Year Awarded: 2014
College Station, TX
Charles A. "Chuck" Ellison '76, a veteran of the U.S. Army’s JAG Corps, is the founding shareholder of The Ellison Firm in Brazos County. He was named the 2013 Texas Aggie Bar Association Aggie Lawyer of the Year, is Past Chair of The Association of Former Students Board of Directors and a founding trustee of the Texas A&M University System Political Action Committee. A company commander and Ross Volunteer, he received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Texas A&M, graduating cum laude. He earned his law degree from Texas Tech in 1979. He and his wife, Tedi ’90, are Endowed Century Club donors to The Association of Former Students and, together with Barbara and Arno ’64 Krebs, made possible the Memories exhibit on the Neely Mezzanine. Ellison served on the Vision 2020 Mid-Term Review Committee and has been an active volunteer in the Bryan-College Station community, including serving as a board member of St. Joseph Health System, chair of the Hospice Brazos Valley Ethics Committee, Campaign Chair of United Way, Chair of the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley and a member of the Charter Review Committee for the City of College Station. He is a founding member of the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education and a member of A&M United Methodist Church. He has served on the board of directors of several area businesses, including The Bank & Trust of Bryan/College Station. Ellison has two daughters, Kim Russell ’02 and Courtney Harvell ’05, and two granddaughters. He and Tedi live in College Station.
"It is a true blessing in any life to have lifelong friends who are present with you in the good time and the tough times. That is what my Aggie buddies have been and still are to me."
Year Awarded: 2014
Cameron, TX
Monroe H. Fuchs '56, received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in poultry science from Texas A&M. He was a Ross Volunteer and a distinguished student and was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. He also led both Alpha Zeta and the Poultry Science Club his senior year. Fuchs, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is chairman of the board of Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms, the family business he built into the nation’s largest supplier of recreational poultry. He has positively influenced thousands of lives through more than 25 years of Christian ministry to jail and prison inmates and their families. He served on the Cameron City Council and established the Cameron Volunteer Ambulance Service. He was elected to the Yoe High School Hall of Honor and was presented with a Lifetime Service Award by the Cameron Chamber of Commerce for his continuous commitment and dedication to the Cameron Chamber of Commerce and the City of Cameron. A long-time leader and supporter of the Milam County A&M Club, he was also honored as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2013. He is an Endowed Century Club donor to The Association of Former Students, and the generous gifts provided by his family to the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Foundation have earned them recognition as Eppright Distinguished Donors and members of the Legacy Society. Included among their gifts are three endowed scholarships in poultry science. Fuchs has four children—Gary ’78, Janet Crouch ’83, Teri Adcox ’90 and Laurie Robinson ’92—plus nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He and his wife, Dorothy, live in Cameron.
"My family and our business have always had a close relationship with the A&M’s Department of Poultry Science. We have been beneficial to each other in many ways. Our long term respect for each other has led our family to establish three endowed scholarships beginning with the Leo and Edna Fuchs Endowed Scholarship in 1991. I have always believed when you have received a blessing from an individual or organization, you need to return the blessing."
Year Awarded: 2014
Wichita, KS
William W. Hanna '58, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Hanna, a U.S. Army veteran, is former president and chief operating officer of Koch Industries. He is also a former director of Security Benefit Corp. and Bank IV Kansas. He serves on the Texas A&M College of Engineering External Advisory and Development Council and served on the Nucleus Fund Committee for A&M’s Capturing the Spirit campaign. He has been honored as an Outstanding Alumnus of the Dwight Look College of Engineering and has endowed scholarships for engineering students. He is an Endowed Century Club donor to The Association, and his gifts to the 12th Man Foundation and the Texas A&M Foundation have earned him recognition as an Eppright Distinguished Donor and member of the Legacy Society. He is a former director of the Boys & Girls Club of Wichita and former trustee of the Wichita Children’s Home. He led the formation of Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters and led the organization for a decade. He serves as chair emeritus and board member of the Kansas organization and served on the national board for 10 years. In 2013, he received the Charles G. Berwind Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The award honors outstanding volunteer leaders who have devoted substantial time and energy to youth mentoring. He is vice chair of Youth Entrepreneurs, which teaches entrepreneurship to high school sophomores and juniors, serving Kansas and Missouri. Hanna lost Janice, his wife and sweetheart of 51 years, in 2010. He has three sons—John, Paul and Chris—and seven grandchildren and is a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church.
"I have found the Aggie Network to be very supportive for me during my career as I could count on those that I dealt with to practice the important traits of integrity, trust, accepting responsibility and keeping your word."
Year Awarded: 2014
Santa Fe, TX
C. Ray Holbrook, Jr. '48 received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from A&M. While at A&M, he was in the Corps of Cadets, the Aggie Band and student government. He was named to Who’s Who Among American Universities and received the Engineering Achievement Award. He also won four varsity track letters, won several conference championships and was a member of the 1948 national-champion mile relay team. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he began his career as an engineer with Monsanto Chemical Co. in 1952, and after earning a law degree, transferred to Monsanto’s patent department. He served as Galveston County judge from 1967 to 1995. He also served on the Texas State Board of Education and the Gulf Coast Water Authority. He is a former president of the Houston Galveston Area Council and a former chairman of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties. Holbrook was a founding member of the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association and served on the Board of Visitors for Texas A&M University at Galveston. He is an Endowed Century Club donor to The Association of Former Students, has been active with the Galveston County A&M Club for more than 50 years and is a member of the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. He is also an Eagle Scout and serves on the executive board of the Bay Area Boy Scouts. He has been a member of the Episcopal Church for over 70 years and serves on the vestry of St. Michael’s Church in La Marque. He has won multiple gold medals in bicycling, walking and swimming in the Texas Senior Games and Texas Senior Olympics. Holbrook’s wife of nearly 60 years is Mary Ann, a graduate of Texas A&M-Commerce. They have three children, C. Ray III ’78, Lauren Spalding, and Lee Ann Postma ’82; and 10 grandchildren.
"Everyone knows that being an Aggie gives you access to the largest and greatest fraternity in the world. Everybody admires Aggies whether they are one or not. And I hear every day from people they are so thankful they had a chance to be an Aggie, or they did not go to college but if they had they would have gone to A&M."
Year Awarded: 2014
Bryan, TX
Dr. Stephen A. Holditch '69, received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from A&M, all in petroleum engineering. He was a member of the Corps of Cadets, serving as Second Battalion commander and as a Ross Volunteer. Holditch is a former head of the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering and former director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute. He also founded S.A. Holditch and Associates, which had a worldwide reputation for being able to solve the most difficult petroleum engineering problems. Holditch has been honored as a member of the Petroleum Engineering Academy of Distinguished Graduates and as an Outstanding Alumnus of the Dwight Look College of Engineering. He and his wife, Ann, have funded multiple scholarships in petroleum engineering, as well as a Sul Ross Scholarship. They are Endowed Century Club donors to The Association of Former Students, and their many gifts to the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Foundation have earned them recognition as Eppright Distinguished Donors and members of the Legacy Society. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1995 and has been honored with most of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ top technical honors, including the Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing Award, which he received in 2014. He is former president of the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas; and a board member of the Research Valley Partnership and of the National Petroleum Council. He and Ann have been married 43 years and have two daughters, Katie Rowe ’97 and Abbie Walsh ’01, and five grandchildren.
"You will look back at your years at Texas A&M as one of the best periods in your life. Your classmates will be lifelong friends, so keep in touch with them and the university as your career takes you to various parts of the world. Always remember the Aggie Code of Honor."