Robert E. Bolen ’47
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Year Awarded: 1998

Fort Worth, TX

Bob Bolen received a bachelor’s degree in General Business in 1948. Bolen is a partner in Cornerstone Investment Group in Fort Worth. His undergraduate years at Texas A&M were interrupted by two and a half years as a U.S. Navy Gunnery Officer abroad the USS Iowa during World War II. After returning and completing his business degree, he worked at McCrory’s Five and Dime stores for several years at various locations across the country. In 1951, he founded Bolen Enterprises, opening a Fort Worth toy store and then a bicycle shop. The firm now operates 20 Hallmark Card shops around the city.



His interest in civic affairs led to his election to the Fort Worth City Council in 1979. He served as Mayor of Fort Worth from 1982 to 1991 and has been President of the National League of Cities and the Texas Municipal League. He was instrumental in establishing Forth Worth’s international sister cities program, bringing a U.S. Treasury Currency Plant, the Texas Robotics Center and the American Airlines Maintenance Facility to the Fort Worth-Arlington area, and acquiring the Rock Island Railroad right-of-way between Fort Worth and Dallas.



His work to create a spirit of cooperation between Dallas and Fort Worth resulted in the establishment of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board, the Metroplex High Technology Education Task Force, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Trade Resource Center. Mr. Bolen served on Texas A&M’s College of Business Administration Development Council.



He has been recognized by the B’nai B’rith Jewish Anti-Defamation League, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the International Good Neighbor Council.

Clifton J. Bolner ’49
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Year Awarded: 2011

San Antonio, TX

Bolner graduated from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in business. He was a distinguished student for four years, a member of the Corps of Cadets, executive officer of the Texas Aggie Band and a distinguished military graduate.



After graduation, Bolner was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Korean War. After six years as a partner in the family grocery store, he founded and became president and CEO of Bolner’s Fiesta Products, Inc., a San Antonio company manufacturing and distributing food seasoning products worldwide. In 1979, he was named U.S. Grocery Supplier of the Year.



Bolner was awarded the Archbishop Francis J. Furey Outstanding Award Medal in 1969, and in 1979, was the first recipient of the Central Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Award. In 1982, he was the recipient of the National Conference of Christians and Jews Award. In 2004, he was named an Outstanding Alumnus of A&M’s Mays Business School. He has endowed four scholarships at A&M and is a life member of Sterling Evans Library and a charter member of Texas A&M’s Chancellor’s Circle and of The Association of Former Students Century Club. He is also a member of the 12th Man Foundation, the Texas A&M Foundation Legacy Society, the San Antonio A&M Club and has served as class agent for the Class of 1949 for several years.



Bolner has served many charitable organizations in the San Antonio area. He served as president of the Witte Museum Board, the San Antonio Museum Association and the San Antonio Symphony Society, and served on the boards of the San Antonio Area Foundation, the Cancer Therapy Research Center, the San Antonio Fiesta Commission and many others. He is active in his church, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, and is a past president of the Parish Council. The 2011 Humanitarian Award given by Catholic Charities was awarded to Mr. Bolner this year.



Four of his seven children and three grandchildren have graduated from Texas A&M and another granddaughter is a current student.

"Texas A&M has a great networking system. When you see another Aggie ring, you know you have another friend you are just waiting to meet."

Dr. Ray M. Bowen ’58
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Year Awarded: 2013

Houston, TX

Dr. Ray M. Bowen, Class of 1958, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M. After receiving a master’s degree in the same field from California Institute of Technology in 1959, he returned to Texas A&M to earn a doctoral degree in 1961, also in mechanical engineering. As a student at A&M, he was active in the Student Senate, Tau Beta Pi and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. As a member of the Corps of Cadets, Bowen was Deputy Corps Commander and Platoon Leader of the Ross Volunteers. He was also listed among the Who’s Who in American Colleges & Universities list in 1958.



After leaving A&M, Bowen served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1964. His assignment was to teach graduate courses in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In 1964, he studied a year at Johns Hopkins University as a post-doctoral fellow in mechanics. In 1965, he taught engineering mechanics at Louisiana State University, before joining the faculty of Rice University in 1967, where he taught in the mechanical engineering and mathematical science department until 1983. During that time Bowen served as director of the Division of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the National Science Foundation from 1982 to 1983. His academic career then lead him to the University of Kentucky, where he became dean of the College of Engineering, director of the Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems, and director of the Center for Applied Energy Research until 1989. From 1990 to 1991, Bowen returned to the National Science Foundation and served as deputy assistant director and acting assistant director for engineering. He then went on to Oklahoma State University to be provost and vice president for Academic Affairs until 1993. He served as interim president of OSU from 1993 to 1994.



It was in 1994 that Bowen returned to Aggieland to become president of Texas A&M—the fourth Aggie to hold the position. He served as President until 2002. During his time as president, Texas A&M initiated the Vision 2020 project and A&M was made a member of the Association of American Universities. He also initiated the process that led to the creation of a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at A&M. After serving eight years as president, he was appointed president emeritus and joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 2002, he was appointed for a six-year term to the National Science Board by President George W. Bush. He was reappointed to a second six-year term in 2008. He served as chairman of the National Science Board from 2010 to 2012. After teaching in mechanical engineering and in mathematics from 2002 until 2010, Bowen retired from Texas A&M and was named professor emeritus of mechanical engineering. He is currently a Visiting Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rice University.



Bowen has remained active at Texas A&M and he and his wife, Sally, have supported it in many ways through endowments of a Presidential Endowed Scholarship, scholarships for the Corps of Cadets and a scholarship for the Bush School of Government and Public Service. In addition, they have supported the Evans Library, MSC OPAS, The Association of Former Students and the 12th Man Foundation. He and Sally are especially proud of the scholarships and facilities that have been funded in their names by friends of the University.



Bowen and his wife, Sally, live in Houston. They are the proud parents and grandparents of a son, Ray, a daughter, Beth, and six grandchildren.

Take advantage of everything the modern A&M has to offer. Pursue a demanding academic program so that you will be prepared for a successful future career. Participate in the “other education” that is so strong at A&M. The leadership opportunities provided by the many student organizations will serve you well throughout your lives. Make friends. The people you meet while a student will become an important part of your lives. Our modern world is a global social and economic environment. Use your time at A&M to prepare yourselves to be competitive in that complex, diverse, world. A&M provides the opportunity to meet people from around the world, and it provides the opportunity to study abroad. Not all universities have this kind of opportunity. Finally, accept the generational obligation mentioned above and devote a portion of your future making A&M and even better place than it is today.

Dr. Charles H. Bowman ’59
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Year Awarded: 2015

College Station, TX

Dr. Charles H. Bowman, Class of 1959, received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University and received both a master’s degree and doctorate in petroleum engineering at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.



Dr. Bowman rose to the top of the international oil industry, working with Gulf Oil Corp. for 24 years in all aspects of the business, concluding in 1982 with his appointment as president of Gulf Refining and Marketing Co. He then joined BP, where he spent 12 years, initially in the U.S. and Europe, then as managing director of BP Australia, and finally in 1993 becoming chairman and CEO of BP America. Following retirement from BP in 1997, he joined Texas A&M as a professor and head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering. He later led the negotiating team that created a new Texas A&M campus in Qatar, eventually serving as its interim dean and a member of its joint advisory board. He is dean emeritus of Texas A&M University at Qatar and professor emeritus of petroleum engineering.



Dr. Bowman and wife Lynn Holleran are Endowed Diamond Century Club members of The Association of Former Students and members of the Texas A&M Foundation Legacy Society. Their gifts to A&M include endowments for International Programs, the Department of Petroleum Engineering’s Resource Center and the College of Liberal Arts’ Cervantes Project, as well as a College of Engineering faculty fellowship.



He has served as a director of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, a trustee of Case Western Reserve University, a director of National City Corporation, a director and treasurer of the American Petroleum Institute, chairman of the Cleveland Ballet board, a director of both the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Opera, and an advisory board member at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C., think-tank.



With first wife Ethel Kenah Bowman, he has five children, including Lisa Bowman Villalobos ’90.

"Dr. Bowman's four-decade career in the oil and gas industry helped the world meet its energy needs. He is an exceptional individual with outstanding professional achievements, extraordinary contributions to society and dedicated service to Texas A&M."

  - Dr. Mark Weichold '78, Dean and CEO, Texas A&M University at Qatar

Richard A. Box ’61
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Year Awarded: 2019

Austin, TX

As commanding general of the Texas State Guard from 2000 to 2006, Dr. Richard A. Box ’61 helped lead the state’s response during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Box earned a B.S. in Zoology from Texas A&M in 1961, and while a student, was a member of Company H-2, on 2nd Brigade staff in the Corps of Cadets. He lettered in varsity tennis and was in the Pre- Medical/Pre-Dental Club and Brush Country Hometown Club.

After graduating from A&M, he completed a doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch-Houston and served as an Army dentist during the Vietnam War. Recently retired from dental practice in Austin, he is a Fellow in both the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists and currently serves as a trustee of the Texas Higher Education Foundation.

His service to the state of Texas also includes having served on the Texas Real Estate Commission and as chairman of the State of Texas Aircraft Pooling Board.

Box is a chairman emeritus of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, having chaired the board from 2011 to 2013, when he helped lead A&M’s transition to the Southeastern Conference. He is a member of the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association board of directors, and has served on the President’s Council of Advisors. He is a longtime member of the Corps of Cadets Association and was inducted into the Corps Hall of Honor in 2017. Box is a member of The Association of Former Students’ Century Club, with 19 years of giving.

He has also served on the Austin Symphony Board and the Boy Scouts Capitol Area Council.

Box and his wife, Lynn, reside in Austin, and their Aggie family includes his brother, James E. Box, Jr. ’52, and nephews, Ted Boriack ’85, Clark Boriack ’90, Paul Boriack’15 and Andrew Davis, M.D. ’16.

"Dr. Box will go down in history as one of our great leaders at Texas A&M, leading this great university through one of the most expansive periods in our history. His selfless service as Chair of the Board of Regents has made a huge impact on our students and faculty across the university and The Texas A&M University System."

  - Jim Schwertner

Searcy Bracewell ’38
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Year Awarded: 1978

Houston, TX

Bracewell received a bachelor’s degree in History in 1938 and a Bachelor of Law degree at Houston Law School. He served as a U.S. Army Major in World War II. He is co-founder of Bracewell Patterson, LLP which was established in 1945.



Bracewell served in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. He was a Counselor and Trustee to the Texas A&M Research Foundation and served on The Association of Former Students Board of Directors.

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.

Harvey R. “Bum” Bright ’43
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Year Awarded: 1991

Muskogee, OK

Bright received a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1943. His career spanned the oil, trucking and finance industries. After serving in World War II in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he joined Sun Oil Company as a field engineer. He and his roommate, Herbert Schiff ’43 began trading oil leases and in 1949 the two men sold half of their lease holdings and established their own exploration and production company.



Bright also built a nationwide trucking empire with East Texas Motor Freight as the cornerstone, was a principal stockholder in RepublicBank Corporation, and created BrightBanc. From 1984 through 1989 he was owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team. Bright served as Chairman of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents from 1981-1985.

"He was a close friend and businessman that I respected and admired tremendously. With Bum, his word meant everything. He was one of the most honorable men that I have ever had the privilege of knowing and working with."

  - Jerry Jones, Owner of Dallas Cowboys football team

Fred R. Brison ’21
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Year Awarded: 1979

Pittsburg, TX

Brison received a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture in 1921, a master’s degree from Michigan State University in 1931, and did advanced graduate studies at the University of California in 1936. After a more than 60-year career in the agriculture industry, Brison was known as the world’s foremost authority on pecans.



Brison was the President of the Texas Pecan Growers Association, President of the Federated Pecan Growers of America, and received honors in the industry such as Gold Pecan Award of National Pecan Shellers & Processors Association, and the Distinguished Technical Contribution Award of Award. He also received The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching while he was a professor of horticulture at Texas A&M.

Ernest D. Brockett ’34
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Year Awarded: 1967

Itasca, TX

Brockett came to A&M in 1930 and was a member of “A” and “B” Company Engineers, the Scholarship Honor Society and the Petroleum Engineers Club.



After receiving his degree in petroleum production engineering, he went to work as a roustabout for Gulf and learned the oil business from the derrick floor up. He became a production engineer in Odessa in 1936 and held that post until his military service call in 1940. He served with distinction in the Army’s Pacific campaigns from Australia to Japan. He took part in engagements in Lae, Linschhafen, Hollandia, Leyte, Visayan and Mindoro and was among the first Americans to arrive in the Japanese homeland. He was promoted to colonel and earned the Legion of Merit, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Cluster, Air Medal and Purple Heart for gallantry in these actions. The British Government also awarded him the Distinguished Service Order.



In 1945 he returned to Gulf as assistant chief engineer at Fort Worth. In 1948 he was named assistant superintendent of production and the following year transferred to Pittsburg as staff engineer for production.



In 1952 he went to Venezuela as assistant to the president of Mene Grande Oil Company. He was elected a vice president of Gulf in 1955 and placed in charge of Houston’s production division. Two years later he returned to the company’s headquarters as administrative vice president. He became president of British American Oil in 1958 and in 1960 was named Gulf’s executive vice president and elected a director of the corporation. He was chosen to be president later that year and in 1965 named Chairman of the Board.



He is a trustee of Carnegie Institute of Technology and director of Westinghouse Electric, West Penn Hospital, the National Petroleum Council, and other civic and professional groups.