George D. Comnas ’35
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Year Awarded: 1976

Vancouver, Canada

Comnas received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 1935. He built an international reputation for organizing global shipping and marketing operations for petroleum products and other commodities. His experience in the oil and shipping industries made him one of the most knowledgeable consultants in the world.

Richard N. Conolly, Sr. ’37
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Year Awarded: 1985

Athens, GA

Conolly received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Administration in 1937. He was Vice President of Stewart and Stevenson Services, Inc., a company which distributed engines and transmissions. He was an instrumental part of the establishment of the Texas A&M Research Extension Center at Corpus Christi.



Conolly served as the 1958 President of The Association of Former Students as well as the President of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. Conally was also named Texas Motor Transportation Man of the Year for 1971 and also named Who’s Who in the Southwest.

"There is a saying from Holy Scripture that ‘many are called, but few are chosen,’ and by his character, accomplishments, and his feeling for Texas A&M University, Richard Noble Conolly, Sr., is one of the ‘few’."

  - H.C. Heldenfels ’35, Distinguished Alumnus, 1979

Stephen F. Cooper ’78
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Year Awarded: 2015

El Campo, TX

Stephen F. Cooper, Class of 1978, earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M, where he participated in intramural sports and took part in numerous campus activities.



For 28 years, Cooper was president and owner of La Tierra de Esmeralda/Emerald Sod Farms, specializing in quality turf grass, sod and services in the Rocky Mountain region. He was the first sod producer to sod an entire golf course. He is involved in various businesses, from farming and ranching, real estate development and financing, investments to venture capital as owner and/or partner of Emerald Ag Investments, 2 Big Partners, New ICM, Rancho de los Amigos and Borrachos de Vino.



He served on the West Wharton County Hospital District board and helped form the El Campo Memorial Hospital’s 501 (c)3 operating entity, of which he is vice chairman. For the numerous entities involved with the El Campo Little League Project, he has served as organizer and advisor. He has helped A&M’s College of Agriculture as a mentor, speaker and guest professor and is a representative at large of The Association’s Leadership Council. He has chaired the Wharton County Agri-Life Leadership Advisory Board and serves on the Wharton County A&M Club’s board of directors.



Cooper is an Eppright Distinguished Donor and a member of the The Association’s Endowed Century Club, the Champions Council and Athletic Ambassadors of the 12th Man Foundation, the Chancellor’s Century Council, the A&M Department of Agricultural Economics’ Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry, the College of Agriculture development council and the Texas A&M Foundation Legacy Society.



He and wife Kimberley have two daughters, Alexis Anne Cooper ’12 and Shelby Suzanne Cooper ’13.

"Steve Cooper has been dedicated to Texas A&M since 1974 when he first walked on the campus. He embodies the true meaning of being an Aggie and his continued success to his profession, his university and his community is second to none."

  - Linc Lutrick '98

Jerry S. Cox ’72
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Year Awarded: 2005

Baytown, TX

Jerry S. Cox received a bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Finance from Texas A&M University in 1972, a Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Pepperdine University in 2000, and a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Houston Baptist University in 2002. During his time as a student at Texas A&M, Cox was a member of the Corps of Cadets and received the Outstanding Cadet Award.



In 1977, he founded Cox & Perkins Exploration, Inc., a fully-integrated independent oil and gas exploration and production company, where he serves as President and Chairman. His peers in the oil and gas industry praise Cox as an adroit investor and businessman who operates with high integrity and honesty. Cox is a member of Hydril Co. Board of Directors and the Pepperdine University Board of Regents.



Cox has given his time to Texas A&M serving as President of the 12th Man Foundation, member of the Mays Business School Development Council, Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center, and was recently selected Chairman Elect of the Texas A&M Foundation. As Presiding Chair of the One Spirit One Vision Campaign, Cox directed the historic multi-year campaign surpassing the $1 billion goal. Perhaps the greatest testimony to Cox’s service to the university in his assistance with searches for key leadership positions at Texas A&M. In 1998, Cox’s professional achievements were recognized with the Mays Business School Outstanding Alumni Award.



Born in Baytown, Texas, Cox and his wife, Kay ’02, have two children, Courtney and Paul.

"To me, being an Aggie simply means family and community. It is a sense of belonging and loyalty to anyone and everyone who shares that label. A&M was immensely valuable to me in teaching me discipline, respect, and focus. These principles demonstrated to me that a steadfast work ethic focused on a worthy cause will, over time, produce good results. Over the years since A&M, I have been blessed to see these core beliefs prove beneficial and reliable in many different areas of my life."

John A. “Jack” Crichton ’37
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Year Awarded: 1983

Dallas, TX

John A. Crichton is Chairman of the Board of Arabian Shield Development Co., a multi-million-dollar firm that obtained the first mineral concession in Saudi Arabia.



Following his graduation in 1937 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Production Engineering, Crichton earned a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Professional Degree of Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M in 1953.



Prior to serving in World War II, Crichton worked as an engineer and geologist for Union Producing Co. Following the war, he served in a variety of positions, including Vice President of Oil & Gas Property Management, President and Co-founder of Dorchester Gas Inc., and President of Yemen Development Corp. In addition to being President of Arabian Shield, he was also President of Nafco Oil & Gas Inc., Dallas Resources Inc., and Crichton & Co., a consulting and management firm.



Crichton was the Republican candidate for Governor of Texas in 1964 and has served in various GOP committee positions. He was one of the four finalists for the ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia in 1980.



Crichton is Past President of The Association of Former Students, Past President and Founding Member of the Letterman’s Association, and former Chairman and Trustee of the Texas A&M Development Foundation. He served on the Century Council, which was appointed by the Board of Regents in 1961 to help set goals for Texas A&M for attainment by its centennial in 1976, and he served on the Target 2000 Project Committee.

"I know of no one who is more dedicated to Texas A&M than Jack. He has worn his Aggie spirit with distinction in all walks of life. His energetic efforts on behalf of Texas A&M are well known to his fellow Aggies and he is highly respected by all who know him."

  - Edward E. Monteith ’43, Distinguished Alumnus, 1993

O. Wayne Crisman ’38
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Year Awarded: 1985

Mansfield, LA

Crisman received a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1938. His 35+ year career with Gulf Oil Corporation began in 1946 and he worked his way to President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. He retired in 1979 after the company merged with Diamond Shamrock.



Crisman also created and endowed the Crisman Institute for Petroleum Management at Texas A&M University in 1984 and endowed a Texas A&M President’s Scholarship. He was also instrumental in founding Crisman Preparatory School for learning disabled children in Longview.

"O. Wayne Crisman brings honor to everyone who knows him and who has been touched by his caring. His life truly reflects the greatness of America and the goodness of the human heart. He is a man of great intellect, quiet, dignity, and genteel spirit – he is, above all, an Aggie."

  - Peggy C. Coghlan, Ed. D. ’76

John David Crow ’58
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Year Awarded: 2004

Marion, LA

John David Crow '58 received his bachelor’s degree in general business in 1958. A member of the Aggie football team, Crow played on the 1957 Southwest Conference Championship team and was named Scholastic All-American. He was the first Aggie to be awarded the Heisman Memorial Trophy.



Upon graduation, Crow was the number one draft choice of the NFL Chicago Cardinals in 1958. He later played in St. Louis and San Francisco and was a Pro Bowl player in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1966 before retiring in 1969. Crow went on to coach both collegiate and professional teams before returning to Texas A&M as Associate Athletic Director and later Athletic Director.



In recognition of his athletic career, Crow was honored by the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. He served Texas A&M as Director Emeritus of Texas A&M Letterman’s Association and was an ardent supporter of Texas A&M athletics. Crow also gave of his time and talents in service of various charitable organizations in his community and across the country.



Born in Marion, Louisiana, Crow and his wife, Carolyn, had three children, Analisa, Jeannie and their late son, John, Jr., as well as seven grandchildren.



John David Crow passed away on June 17, 2015.

"John David Crow is admired widely, not only because of his athletic prowess and fame on the field, but rather because of his actions as a person, always finding the good in people and constantly crediting his alma mater for his success."

  - Eddie J. Davis ’67, President of The Texas A&M Foundation

COL Edward B. Cushing, Class of 1880
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Year Awarded: 2006

Houston, TX

Col. E.B. Cushing, Class of 1880, majored in civil engineering at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now known as Texas A&M University).



Cushing joined the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1881 as chief engineer of construction and was an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was a colonel and advising engineer in the U.S. Army and received distinguished service medals from the governments of France, Belgium and Italy.



As a former student, Cushing dedicated himself to supporting and improving the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and after the legislature failed to appropriate funds for the college, underwrote the needs of the college to prevent closure. In 1880, he was elected chief secretary of the Association of Ex-Cadets (now known as The Association of Former Students) and while serving as president on the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas’ Board of Directors, was responsible for bringing President W.E. Bizzell to the college.



Cushing had the foresight to compile records of student enrollment from the first years of the college, setting the precedent for the Directory of Former Students. He helped establish the Alumni Bureau and the Alpha Phi Fraternity, and was elected to the Houston Committee in 1914 to represent the college before the state legislature.



Upon his death in 1924, Cushing bequeathed to A and M his large collection of engineering texts, which are now stored in the Cushing Library.

"There is perhaps no man who has had the interests of the college so much before him and no man whose memory deserves such a fitting tribute by the college."

  - Library Committee statement to the Board of Directors on the naming of ‘Cushing Library’

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."

Alfred I. Davies ’34
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Year Awarded: 1982

Fort Worth, TX

Davies received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Administration in 1935 and later a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics. His tenure on The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents encompassed the establishment of the Private Enterprise Research Center, opening of the West Campus complex, and the completion of Olsen Field.



Davies was also the Director and Executive of the Sears, Roebuck and Company in Dallas. He has served on the governing boards of the Republic National Bank in Dallas, the Republic of Texas Corporation, Enserch Corporation, Zale Corporation, Frozen Food Express; and Metropolitan Savings and Loan Foundation.

"By all standards, Al Davies’ business career, his family life and his distinguished civic service has reflected honor and glory to Texas A&M University."

  - James W. Aston ’33, Distinguished Alumnus, 1967