James H.
Uptmore ’53
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Year Awarded: 1986
Tours, TX
Uptmore received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education in 1953. After serving as President of H.B. Zachry Properties, Inc., he became President of Uptmore and Associates, Inc. in 1974.
Uptmore served as President of the San Antonio A&M Club and Class Agent for the Class of 1953. He was awarded the Aggie Parents of the Year Award in 1984 and the C.C. Polly Krueger Award from the San Antonio A&M Club.
"Jim Uptmore has given his time and resources to Texas A&M University, but more important than those visible actions are his feelings of loyalty and dedication for our university and for his fellow Aggies."
- Raul B. Fernandez ’59, Distinguished Alumnus, 2007
John M.
Yantis ’53
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Year Awarded: 2017
San Antonio, TX
JOHN M. YANTIS ’53 received a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology. As a student, he was a freshman class officer and “A” quartermaster in the Corps of Cadets.
After serving in the military, he worked for H.B. Zachry Co. and later as an equipment salesperson. In 1965, he founded what is today the $70-million-per-year construction firm Yantis Co., of which he served as chairman. He was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1988, and the company is a multiple-year honoree of the Aggie 100 list of fastest-growing businesses.
He is deeply involved in philanthropy and service both in San Antonio, where he was on the board of directors for Boysville (1980-84), and at Texas A&M. In 2008, he created the Patsy and John Yantis ’53 Regents Scholars Student Assistance Endowment Fund through The Association. He has served on the 12th Man Foundation board and on the 12th Man Foundation’s Champions Council and the Chancellor’s Century Council, has endowed 12th Man and Association scholarships, is a member of the A&M Legacy Society and has been a Gold level member of The Association’s Century Club, with 36 years of giving. In 1999, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Hall of Honor.
He was chairman of the 2007 Valero Alamo Bowl and has served on the board of Associated General Contractors and as president of Oak Hills Country Club, former home of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament, in 1990 and 1999.
His family includes his late wife, Patsy; children J. Mike Yantis ’76, Thomas G. Yantis ’78, Nancy Yantis Austin ’82 and Susan L. Yantis ’84; son-in-law Henry Eitt Austin ’80; grandchildren Mike Yantis, Jr. ’02, Taylor Eitt Austin ’12, and Hailey Lynne Austin ’15; and granddaughters-in-law Jennifer Nicole Yantis ’06 and Laura Oatman Austin ’13.
Stanton P.
Bell ’54
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Year Awarded: 2015
San Antonio, TX
Stanton P. Bell, Class of 1954, received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M, where he served as Corps Adjutant, executive officer of the Ross Volunteers and commander of the firing platoon for Silver Taps, Muster and other events, was a Distinguished Student and Distinguished Military Student and was involved with groups including Student Senate and MSC Council.
He served in the 24th Infantry Division in Korea and was selected as aide de camp to the commanding general. Bell is president and CEO of Bell Hydrogas, a propane company serving San Antonio and six counties. He has been a vice president and director of Mission Gas Company and has also served as a director of Compass Bank and the Valero Texas Open Golf Tournament.
Bell served five years as captain of the 12th Man Foundation’s Champions Council, created and funded the annual Ross Volunteer Spirit Award and is involved with the San Antonio A&M Club and has sponsored A&M functions.
He is a President’s Endowed Scholarship donor, Sul Ross Scholarship donor and a member of the Texas A&M Foundation’s Legacy Society.
Bell is a past president of the Rotary Club of San Antonio, the second-largest club in Rotary International. He is also a past president of the San Antonio Country Club, club golf champion, five-time club senior golf champion and served 23 years as a United States Golf Association committee member and rules official. He was elected King Antonio of Fiesta 1989, is a past president of the San Antonio Better Business Bureau and a past president of the San Antonio Golf Association.
His father was Stanton F. Bell ’29 and he has a daughter and a son.
"Stanton Bell stands tall on the pillars of honesty, integrity, leadership, fellowship and service. His record of service as an Aggie places him at the pinnacle of former students."
- Gen. Joseph Ashy '62, USAF (Ret)
E. Ridley
Briggs ’54
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Year Awarded: 2013
Mount Vernon, TX
E. Ridley Briggs, Class of 1954, earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas while serving as Guidon Bearer, then First Lieutenant of Squadron 12 in the Corps of Cadets. He was involved in Aggie Christian Fellowship, the Physical Education Club and intramurals. After graduation, he entered the United States Air Force Flight School and served as a fighter pilot on active duty until 1957, and as a reservist until 1962. In 1958, he returned to A&M to earn a master’s degree in education while on fellowship as a physical education instructor.
Upon completing his master’s degree, Briggs accepted a teaching and coaching job with the Sherman Independent School District, where he taught math and coached football and basketball. He then left coaching and went back into flying as a company pilot for Sherman Steel and Wire Corporation, and later became the physical director of the Abilene YMCA. In 1961, he moved to Bryan to become associated with the Recording & Statistical Corporation and, in 1963, he transitioned to Bryan’s First Bank & Trust as vice president, in charge of marketing and business development. He then became a senior vice president and commercial lending officer and remained in that position until 1972, when he became president of the Elgin National Bank. In 1973, he moved to Paris, Texas, to serve as president and member of the ownership of Paris Bank of Texas, where he remained until 1985. During that time, he served on the Legislative Committee of the Texas Bankers Association, chaired its 5th District in 1976, and was named Lamar County’s Boss of the Year in 1978. From Paris, Briggs moved to McKinney in 1985 to become president and chief operating officer of Texas American Bank and, in 1990, he returned to Paris as president of Bank of America until he retired in 1996. Over a 10-year period, he taught in the Southwest Graduate Schools of Banking at Southern Methodist University and Texas Tech University.
Briggs remained an active member of society, no matter where he lived. In 1964, he was president of the Bryan-College Station Jaycees, named Brazos County’s Outstanding Young Man in 1965, and president of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce in 1969. In 1971, he was instrumental in the effort to build Bryan’s first Industrial Park and he served on the Bryan Planning and Zoning Commission. Volunteering has been a way of life for Briggs, He taught at Central Baptist Church in Bryan, First Baptist Churches in Paris, McKinney, and Mt. Vernon, and served as president of the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and the Lamar County United Way. He chaired the First Baptist Church of Paris campaign in 1980 to build a Family Life Center and he served on the Boards of the Paris Boys Club and Paris Education Foundation. After moving to McKinney in 1985, Briggs chaired the McKinney United Way and served on the Boards of the McKinney Boys Club, the North Texas Medical Center, the McKinney Airport, the Collin County Community College, and the original Board of Stonebridge Country Club. In 1990, he returned to Paris to lead a successful campaign to build a $1 million home for the Salvation Army and he later chaired that organization, and is now a Life Member of the Board. From 1990 to 2009, Briggs served on the Board of the St. Joseph Community Foundation, six of those years as Chairman, served as president of the Paris Rotary Club in 1998, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow. Since 1997, Briggs has served on the Board of Rotary’s Youth Leadership Awards program for Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma, three of those years as chairman. In 2001, Briggs was named as one of 50 citizens to have the most impact on Paris and Lamar County in the past century.
Texas A&M continues to be near the center of Briggs’ activities. As a charter member of the Century Club of The Association of Former Students, he has continued that relationship since 1966, the year he was President of the Bryan-College Station Aggie Quarterback Club. He served on the School of Veterinary Medicine Development Council from 1969 to 1973, and was Class Agent from 1970 to 1975. In 1976, he was elected president of the Lamar County A&M Club and named to the Texas A&M Target 2000 Committee in 1981. He has made 31 Muster speeches and has chaired the Lamar County A&M Scholarship Foundation. In 1998, he was named to The Association of Former Students’ Board of Directors and served through 2001. Briggs gave the memorial address at the Lamar County Bonfire Memorial in 1999. In 2001, he served on the Corps Development Council and, in 2002, was given the honor of namesake for Fish Camp, a freshman’s first tradition at Texas A&M. One of the first to purchase a gravesite in the Aggie Field of Honor, he is a member of the Corps of Cadets Association and the Sul Ross Group, of which he now serves as president.
Briggs and his wife, Shirley, live near Mount Vernon, Texas. They have four children, three of whom graduated from Texas A&M, and the fourth, a Baylor graduate, is active in the Longview A&M Mom’s Club. Out of their thirteen grandchildren, two have graduated from A&M and three others are soon-to-be graduates. His youngest son, Danny Briggs ’83, was inducted in the Texas A&M Letterman's Association Hall of Fame in 2012.
Make A&M’s core values your personal core values. You will never go wrong affirming excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service as a way of life.
MAJ GEN Thomas G.
Darling ’54, USAF (Ret)
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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."
Weldon
Jaynes ’54
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Year Awarded: 2020
Arlington, TX
Jaynes was chairman, CEO and majority shareholder of Priester Supply Co., which he spent more than 40 years building into a prominent southwest U.S. regional distributor for electric and gas utilities. He also created Repcom International, a national telecommunication company.
He operated both companies with an all-Aggie board of directors and management team.
As a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets in Squadron 15. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force.
Jaynes is a past president (now called chair) of the 12th Man Foundation, a recipient of its E. King Gill award and member of its Diamond Champions Council.
He helped to start and grow the 12th Man Foundation’s Major Gifts Department during his tenure on the organization's board of trustees.
He is an Endowed Century Club member of The Association, with 49 years of giving, and his support to A&M includes aiding MSC renovations, a Texas Turfgrass Research Education endowment, the Mr. and Mrs. L. Weldon Jaynes ’54 Sul Ross Scholarship, the Weldon Jaynes ’54 Presidential Endowed Scholarship and a Corps scholarship.
Jaynes is an A&M Lettermen’s Association Hall of Honor inductee and a past director of the Fort Worth A&M Club.
He and wife Judy give time and support to Trinity United Methodist and First Baptist Church in Arlington, Mission Arlington and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
They have three Aggie children, Tracey ’85, Brian ’87 (married to Beth ’88) and Stacey ’85, and three grandchildren, Cameron ’10, McCall ’15 and Will ’19.
“I am forever grateful to have graduated into the Texas A&M Aggie Network. Aggies have been a major factor in all aspects of my life, from friends and family to career.”
- Weldon Jaynes '54
Gerald L.
Ray ’54
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dallas, TX
Ray graduated from Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served after graduation as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and later the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He received his M.B.A. in 1959 from The Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1959.
He first worked for Sanders & Co. and then was vice president of Zale Corp. before founding his own firm, Gerald L. Ray Investment Advisors, in 1977. The following year he founded Gerald L. Ray and Associates Inc. (later Gerald L. Ray & Associates, Ltd.). Ray remains chairman of that company, which has become one of the Southwest’s most respected investment firms. He is a past chairman of the National Conference for Investment Analysts and a member of the Investment Company Institute and the Association for Investment Management and Research.
Ray has a long history of supporting Texas A&M. He has endowed the Gerald L. Ray ’54 Pillars of Texas A&M, multiple scholarships, a Foundation Excellence Award for minority or economically disadvantaged students, and the Department of Finance Kupfer Distinguished Executive Award. He has been a major contributor to the Aggies on Wall Street Program, which brings A&M’s best and brightest to the center of the financial world and has resulted in scores of Aggies succeeding in Wall Street careers.
In honoring Mr. Ray’s mother and father, he chose to name the Elizabeth and Joseph Ray Auditorium in the May’s Business School in their honor.
He and his wife, Helaine, have two children and five grandchildren.
“The relationships I made at A&M have been important guide posts in my life. Over the years, they have made a significant impact on many of my goals.”
Dr. Joe E.
West ’54
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Year Awarded: 2011
College Station, TX
Dr. West graduated from Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas with a doctorate in veterinary medicine after graduating as valedictorian of Cotulla High School. While at A&M, he played freshman baseball and was a senior yell leader, vice president of the YMCA cabinet, president of the student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a member of the Aggie Christian Fellowship. West also earned a Master of Science degree in Radiation Biology from the University of Rochester, and a PhD in Comparative Pathology from the University of California at Davis.
He served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service from 1957 to 1979, rising to the rank of colonel and receiving the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, among other honors. After retiring from the service, he became an associate professor of veterinary medicine at Mississippi State University before joining the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at Texas A&M. He has published more than 30 scientific articles and, after retiring from TVMDL, worked in emergency preparedness and response with the Texas Engineering Extension Service. He was recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.
West was the 2001 campus Muster speaker and he and his family cared for A&M mascot Reveille V after her retirement. He is a past president of the Association of Former Yell Leaders, the National Capital A&M Club and the Brazos County A&M Club. He is a Fish Camp namesake, Class Agent and Representative at Large, and has been a member of the Century Club for 40 years. He is also a member of the Corps of Cadets Association and the Sul Ross Group.
He is a past president of the Brazos Valley Veterinary Medical Association and the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice and was a delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates. He is also a member of the College Station Noon Lions Club, the Men’s Garden Club, American Legion Post 159, and the Brazos Valley Chapters of the U.S. Air Force Association and the Military Officers Association of America
He and his wife, Carolyn K. West, Class of 1988, have four children, two of whom attended Texas A&M, and three grandchildren.
“My life without being a Texas Aggie is unimaginable. During 1950-1956, I developed a deep and abiding love for Texas A&M, the Aggie spirit and the comradeship we enjoy.”
Clayton W.
Williams, Jr. ’54
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Year Awarded: 1981
Midland, TX
Williams received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry in 1954. In 1957 he entered the oil and gas business as an independent producer, and since that time has been active in all facets of the industry. During his business career, he has organized 23 major entities, ranging from Clajon Gas, the largest privately owned natural gas company in Texas, and Williams Company, which has drilled more than 800 wells across the country, to his newest company, Clayton Desta Communications, which has built the first totally digital microwave long distance network in Texas. His farming and ranching operations encompass more than 450,000 acres of land in Texas and Wyoming. He serves as President of Clayton Williams Energy Inc.
Williams has demonstrated his loyalty to Texas A&M in a number of ways, from serving as Visiting Executive in residence at the College of Business Administration to underwriting the Clayton Wheat Williams Texas Life Series to be published by the Texas A&M Press. He has contributed funds for a President’s Endowed Scholarship as well as funds for general use by the University. Williams served on The Association of Former Students Board of Directors. Clayton W. Williams, Jr. epitomizes the best of Texas A&M: integrity, a concern for others, and unwavering support of his alma mater.
"A&M taught me that you have to go after things, do something and do it right. I’m proud to be a part of it."
Henry Bartell
Zachry, Jr. ’54
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Year Awarded: 1997
Laredo, TX
Zachry received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1954 and completed the Management Development Program at Harvard Business School. He serves as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Zachry, Inc. Mr. Zachry’s interest and involvement in Associated General Contractors of America have extended over a number of years. He is a national life director, having served in a number of positions and on the board of directors since 1974.
At Texas A&M University, Mr. Zachry has been a member of the President’s Advisory Council, the Civil Engineering Department’s Advisory Committee, the Board of Advisors for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and has actively supported a variety of TAMU activities through the A&M Development Foundation. He and his father H.B. Zachry ’22 are the only father-son recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award.