Melvin S. Maltz ’47
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Year Awarded: 2013

Houston, TX

Melvin S. Maltz, Class of 1947, earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas. In 1944, he served in the U. S. Army Air Corps and was honorably discharged in 1946. He reentered A&M to finish his degree in 1948. As a student, he was Cadet Lieutenant of Squadron A, an athletic officer in the Corps of Cadets, and assistant sports editor for The Longhorn in 1946. He was also involved in the student chapter of the Institute for Aeronautical Sciences and the Houston Hometown Club.



After graduation in 1948, Maltz was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1953. He worked as secretary, director and vice president of Century Papers, Inc. from 1952 to 1976. In 1966, he was Industry Group Chairman of the Southern Division of the Paperboard Packaging Council.



Maltz and two partners formed National Inpack Corporation in 1976 and he served as president until the company was sold in 1985. He earned a Broker Securities license and licensed life insurance agent in the state of Texas in 1987. During that time he was a frequent member of the President’s Cabinet of the Acacia Group, earning qualification as a Life Member of the Million Dollar Roundtable. In 2005, Maltz became a member of Silver Fox Advisors and now serves as a senior account manager for the Lone Star Advisory Group, Inc.



Maltz has been an active Houstonian, serving as Masonic Master Mason in 1949, chairman of the Lombardi Committee for the Rotary Club of Houston in 1985, vice president of Congregation Beth Israel and president of Westwood Country Club in 1987. In 1949, he earned the Shriners Cripple Children Cross Crutch Award in recognition for his fundraising efforts for Arabia Shriners Hospital. He served on the Greater Houston Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society from 1974 to 1988—twice as its Chairman—and he was vice president of the Lone Star Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and director and vice president of Lighthouse Houston. He served on the Texas Division of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Directors until 2003. Maltz currently serves as a member of the Houston Advisory Board of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program mentoring prisoners in business principles.



He has also remained active at Texas A&M, having served as director and president of the Houston A&M Club from 1952 to 1955, Class Agent from 1957 to 1962, Chair of The Association of Former Students’ Board of Directors in 1973 and commencement speaker at Texas A&M in 1974. A member of the A&M Legacy Society, Maltz funded a President’s Endowed Scholarship in 1986. He served on the College of Science Development Council, the Planned Giving Council at the Texas A&M Foundation, and as chairman of the Board of Visitors for the Texas Maritime Academy, and vice president and president of the Sul Ross Group of The Association of Former Students. In 1970, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Houston A&M Club. Maltz currently serves on the President’s Board of Visitors for the Corps of Cadets.



Maltz and his wife, Corky, live in Houston. They have seven children, one of whom graduated from A&M, and a grandson who also graduated from A&M.

Muster is one of the traditions that I am most proud of. It maintains relations with Aggies, an emotional tie to Aggies who have passed on; and will at least annually remind you of relations built, friends made, and friends lost. It reminds of those days of "yore" that we lived, learned, and grew from.

Dr. Sam A. Nixon ’47
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Year Awarded: 1990

Galveston, TX

Nixon received a bachelor’s degree in Science in 1946 and later a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He began his medical career in the military, later opened practices in two small Texas towns and has been associated with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in a variety of key positions.



He served in faculty and administration positions with the University of Texas System and was named to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences by President Reagan. Dr. Nixon also shared his medical education expertise with his alma mater through service on the College of Medicine Advisory Council.

Thomas A. O’Dwyer ’47
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Year Awarded: 1984

Texarkana, AR

O’Dwyer received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in 1949. After rising to President of Ling Electric, Inc., he and two partners bought the company, renaming it Ling-Oliver-O’Dwyer Electric, Inc which was one of the top ten electrical contracting firms in volume in the South and Southwest and among the top fifty nationwide.



O’Dwyer served on The Association of Former Students Board of Directors for two years and is a former president of The Aggie Club. He was a charter contributor to the 12th Man Scholarship Program, a founding member of Texas A&M’s Opera and Performing Arts Society and served on the Target 2000 Project Committee.

Dr. Chester J. Reed ’47
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Year Awarded: 1984

Brown County, TX

Reed received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1947. He was a successful investor who developed real estate in the Houston area. Reed’s generosity to Texas A&M supported the Corps of Cadets and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Gift’s from Dr. and Mrs. Reed to Texas A&M University include contribution of land worth more than $600,000 to create the Reed Corps Scholarship Program for the Corps of Cadets. They established two President’s Endowed Scholarships and created the Reed Chair in Veterinary Medicine.



He is active in business and community affairs; Reed served as a director of Kincaid School, a prestigious private institution in Houston, and served as a member of the Houston Board of Health.

"I feel that those Aggies who go through the Corps of Cadets gain a unique experience and some what of being an Aggie is all about. I want as many young Aggies as possible to know that feeling."

Charles H. Weinbaum, Jr. ’47
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Year Awarded: 2008

Beaumont, TX

Weinbaum received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M. During his time as a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Beaumont Hometown Club and the Hillel Club, and he lettered in basketball. He went on to attend the Graduate School of Business at New York University before beginning his career with Beaumont’s Weinbaum Insurance Agency, of which he remains a partner. Weinbaum began developing commercial real estate in 1953 and, since 1975, has been president of two oil and gas firms, Cherokee Royalty and Marion Cass. In addition, he has been general partner of Weinbaum Family Investments since 1980. He is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and has served as a volunteer and contributor to dozens of educational and nonprofit organizations.



Weinbaum has been actively involved with Texas A&M, having served as president of the Beaumont A&M Club and on the Board of Directors of The Association of Former Students. He is a co-founder of the Texas A&M Letterman’s Association as well as a member of the 12th Man Foundation Champions Council. Weinbaum funded a President’s Endowed Scholarship in 1990 and has contributed to many other A&M organizations and activities. He serves a councilman emeritus for The Association of Former Students and was recognized by the Beaumont A&M Club for 50 years of dedicated service. In 1982 he and his late wife, Gloria, were recognized by Texas A&M University as its Parents of the Year.



Weinbaum has five children, Charles, Class of 1977; Daniel, Class of 1981; Jonathan, Class of 1982; Bernard; and Rebecca; seven grandchildren, including Elana Weinbaum, Class of 2007; and a great-grandchild.

"Charlie Weinbaum- no matter who you speak to- is highly respected for his honesty, love for his family and community, optimism, ethical business practices, and his passion for Texas A&M University."

  - W. Edward Collins, M.D. ’77

C. Ray Holbrook, Jr. ’48
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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."

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."

Edward F. Kruse ’49
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Year Awarded: 2005

Brenham, TX

Edward F. Kruse received a bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science from Texas A&M University in 1949. While a student, he was a varsity letterman in swimming, a member of the Corps of Cadets and honored as a Distinguished Military Student.



Shortly after graduation, Kruse joined family-owned Blue Bell Creameries, Inc. Kruse’s 50 plus years of service have included positions of General Manager, President, and Chief Executive Officer, and since 1993, Chairman of the Board. His oversight and management of the sales division was instrumental in building Blue Bell into the number three ice cream brand in the country. Kruse’s professional accomplishments were recognized by his induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Dairy Products Institute Hall of Fame in 1995. He served in leadership positions for the Dairy Products Institute of Texas, the Dixie Dairy Products Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the International Ice Cream Association. For 10 years, Kruse served on the Texas Lutheran University Board of Regents.



Texas A&M recognized Kruse with the College of Agriculture and Life Science Outstanding Alumni Award in 2002 and induction into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor in 2003. Kruse has provided students the valuable resources of Blue Bell to enhance their educational opportunities. He is an ardent supporter of the College of Agriculture and Life Science, the Corps of Cadets, and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service.



Born in Brenham, Texas, Kruse and his wife, Evelyn, have four children, Karen ’73, Ken ’75 (deceased), Paul ’77, and Neil ’80 (deceased).

"A&M has been very special to me; the camaraderie I shared with others in school lasts even until today when I see former members. Many of the things I learned at A&M stay with me even today."

Charles A. Mattei, Jr. ’49
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Year Awarded: 2014

The Woodlands, TX

Charles A. Mattei, Jr. '49 received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Texas A&M. A veteran of the U.S. Army and chairman emeritus of United Business Corp., he was chairman and CEO of Cit-Con Oil Co. and a vice president of both Gulf Oil/Chevron and Citgo. He served as president of the Beaumont and Tulsa A&M clubs, Class of 1949 Agent, president of the 12th Man Foundation and the Sul Ross Group, and as a member of the Vision 2020 Task Force, President’s Board of Advisors, and the Corps Development Council. He was inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor in 2011 and was the Houston A&M Club’s 2009 Outstanding Aggie of the Year. He and his wife, Bettie, are Endowed Century Club donors to The Association of Former Students, and their generous gifts to the Texas A&M Foundation and the 12th Man Foundation earned them recognition as Eppright Distinguished Donors and members of the Legacy Society. Their gifts to Texas A&M included a President’s Endowed Scholarship, a 12th Man Endowed Scholarship and a Sul Ross Scholarship. The Matteis also supported The Association’s Building Enhancement Campaign, and the Mattei Conference Room at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center is named in honor of Charlie and Bettie Mattie and Joe ’53 and Eddie Mattei (Charlie’s brother and sister-in-law). In addition to his service to Texas A&M, Mattei also filled leadership roles with his local Rotary Club, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and his local United Way. Mattei, who passed away April 18, and Bettie are parents to four children—Gail Lowell, Jim Mattei, Bob Mattei and the late Charles Mattei—and seven grandchildren.

You don’t have to know Charlie long to understand that few things were more important to him than Texas A&M. He believed Texas A&M gave him the knowledge and training that enabled him to build a successful career. Charlie is, was, and always comported himself as an Aggie. He felt the need to satisfy his obligation and love for Texas A&M by loyal and generous gifts of time, financial support and dedicated service to A&M Clubs, The Association of Former Students, and the 12th Man Foundation. His loyalty and actions always represented Texas A&M well.

  - Melvin S. Maltz ’47, friend and Distinguished Alumnus

William C. McCord ’49
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Year Awarded: 1993

San Antonio, TX

McCord received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1949. Shortly after graduation, he began working for ENSERCH Corp. (formerly Lone Star Gas Co.) and served as President, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer. He served on the Board of Directors of Employers Casualty, ENSERCH Exploration, Inc., Pool Energy Services Co., and Lone Star Technologies, Inc as well as the Dallas Citizen’s Council, State Fair of Texas, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, and Presbyterian Hospital.



In 1992, he received the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Star of Texas award and served as Chairman of the Texas A&M Board of Trustees and Texas A&M University Development Foundation.