Roll Call Tribute

Leslie L. "Les" Appelt '41, 88, of Bastrop (formerly of Hallettsville and Houston) died April 22, 2007. He was an officer with the Engineer Construction Battalion in the U.S. Army during World War II. He began his career in commercial real estate by founding Leslie L. Appelt & Associates in 1957 which evolved into the current Colliers International. He served as general partner to an array of private limited partnerships which have purchased, managed and developed industrial, commercial and retail sites in the greater Houston area as well as the southeastern U.S. He served as president of the National Society of Industrial and Office Realtors and of the National Association of Realtors. He was director and founder of the Texas A&M University Center for Education and Research in Free Enterprise. He conceived and developed the Leslie L. Appelt Aggieland Visitors Center located on the first floor of Rudder Tower which was established in 1974 and named in his honor in1991. Appelt Hall, a campus dorm built in 1989, was named in his honor. He served on The Association of Former Students board of directors from 1968-71 and as president in 1971. He was a trustee and chairman of the Texas A&M University Foundation and designated trustee emeritus in 1989. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M in 1977 and inducted into the Corps Hall of Honor in 2000. He received the Sterling C. Evans Medal in 2001 in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to Texas A&M. Survivors include three sons; a daughter; three step-sons, Brandon C. Coleman, Jr. '78, Kevin B. Coleman '82 and Scott A. Coleman '86; three step-daughters, including Vanessa R. (Henry) Landram '95; seven grandchildren, including Eric A. Appelt '96, Amy Appelt Wallingford '97 and Carrie (Appelt) Richardson '99; step-grandchildren, including Brandon C. Coleman III '05 and Blake B. Coleman '10; and seven great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., College Station TX 77840-2811.