Distinguished Alumni

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Joe Utay ’08

Joe Utay ’08
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Year Awarded: 2010

Utay, Class of 1908, received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University and went on to earn a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1912. As a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, Ross Volunteers, the “T” Association, the Athletic Council and the Dallas Club and was captain of the varsity football team.



Utay returned to Texas A&M in 1912 and served as a freshman football coach and was director of athletics. He is recognized as a pioneer of football in the Southwest. He was the president of the Texas Officials Association from 1912 until 1936 and was instrumental in establishing the Southwest Officials Association, which helped organize the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, starting the tradition of the Southwest Conference appearing in the Cotton Bowl. He was also a practicing attorney in Dallas for more than 55 years.



Utay was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a founding member of the Texas A&M Letterman’s Association and a charter member of the National Football Hall of Fame.



Utay served on the Texas A&M Board of Directors (now the Board of Regents) from 1935 to 1941. He was a contributor to The Association of Former Students’ Century Club. Dormitory 12 (Utay Hall) is named in his honor.

"I believe my uncle would try to instill the following advice to today's student body: Avail yourself of all opportunities. Choose your endeavors carefully, with passion, and do them well. Promote and be loyal to your school and live with Aggie values all of your life."

  - Gary Utay '60, nephew of of Joe Utay, Class of 1908

Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge, Jr. ’60

Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge, Jr. ’60
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Year Awarded: 2009

Arlington, VA

Aldridge earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in the same field from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962. As a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Institute of Aerospace Sciences, Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Shreveport Hometown Club.



Aldridge’s distinguished 42-year career in the aeronautics field included 18 years of service in the Pentagon under three separate presidential administrations. He served as the director of Planning and Evaluation, as Under Secretary and then Secretary of the Air Force, and finally as the under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. He also served as president of McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company from 1988-1992 and as president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation from 1992-2001.



Aldridge was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, presented the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association and has been a volunteer and contributor to dozens of educational and non-profit organizations. He is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.



Active in his support to Texas A&M, Aldridge has donated generously to the Department of Aerospace Engineering and is an Endowed Century Club member with The Association of Former Students.



He is a native of Shreveport, La., and currently lives in Arlington, VA with his wife, Jody. They have three sons; Michael, David, and Mark; a daughter, Lori Aldridge-Boyd; and six grandchildren.

"The academic education I received at Texas A&M is clearly at the top, since it gave me the background and skills to continue my education and to prepare me to enter my professional career. But almost as important, are the leadership skills I obtained from my years at Texas A&M in the Corps of Cadets. The Corps not only taught me how to follow, but also how to lead. These academic and leadership skills have benefited my career and my life."

Jesse L. Easterwood ’09

Jesse L. Easterwood ’09
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Year Awarded: 2009

Wills Point, TX

Easterwood, Class of 1909, studied agriculture at Texas A&M, leaving in 1909 to pursue business opportunities in Mexia, where he would become one of the town’s leading citizens. As a student, he was a member of B Company Infantry and played second base on the baseball team.



Upon the United States’ declaration of war on Germany in 1917, Easterwood sold his business and volunteered for duty as an aviator. He would become one of the first Americans qualified to fly as a naval aviator and sailed to Europe with the first group of American pilots to serve overseas in World War I. He completed 16 missions deep behind German lines and later saw service with the air forces of France and Italy. By the end of the War, Easterwood was one of only three survivors from the original group of 68 American pilots.



After the war, Easterwood remained in the Navy, flying the dangerous early airmail experiments. As a naval lieutenant he took it upon himself to fly all aircraft with mechanical problems and perished while attempting an emergency landing in a seaplane with a notoriously bad engine.



Easterwood was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic deeds during World War I. In 1940, Texas A&M paid tribute to his service by naming its new flying field - now known as Easterwood Airport - in his memory.

"Lt. Easterwood exemplified the values on which this institution was founded - duty, honor and service. His life illustrated the leadership abilities TAMU instills and values in other great Aggies such as Earl Rudder ’32, including leading from the front, inspiring by example and never asking others to do what he was not willing to do himself."

  - Stephen H. Lucy ’82

Fred W. Heldenfels, Jr. ’33

Fred W. Heldenfels, Jr. ’33
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Year Awarded: 2009

Corpus Christi, TX

Heldenfels graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. As a student, he participated in the Corps of Cadets and was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.



Heldenfels joined the family business in 1933 and with his brother, Tony Heldenfels, Class of 1935, led the lumber business started by his father and uncle to become one of the largest contractors for public and private construction projects in South Texas. He was named Chairman of the Board of Heldenfels Brothers, Inc. in 1978 and remained so until his death in 1992.



Active and influential within the construction industry, he served as president of both the Associated General Contractors of Texas and the Associated General Contractors of America. He served as a board member for the Del Mar College Board of Regents for 24 years and as its president for 10 years. In recognition of his service to the school, the administration building was named for him in 1982.



Heldenfels served on the Board of Directors of the Texas A&M Research Foundation and was an active supporter of The Association of Former Students and the 12th Man Foundation.



A native of Beeville, TX, Heldenfels spent most of his professional life in Corpus Christi. He was married to Rae Heldenfels, and after her death to Paula Heldenfels. He was father to two sons; Frederick III ’56 and John ’60; grandfather to Frederick IV ’79, Kenneth ’82, Gilbreath ’85, John ’85; and Steven ’88; and had seven great-grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

"My father was drawn to Texas A&M because of the spirit exhibited by both his father and uncle who preceded him at Texas A&M. To him, being an Aggie was not just an education but also a lifelong experience, and he was guided throughout his career by the principles of leadership and contribution that he learned at Texas A&M."

  - Fred W. Heldenfels III '56, son of Fred W. Heldenfels, Jr. '33

Frank C. Litterst, Jr. ’43

Frank C. Litterst, Jr. ’43
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Year Awarded: 2009

College Station, TX

Litterst received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry from Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1943. He was a Ross Volunteer and Commander of Battery “A” Coast Artillery at Texas A&M when he was called to service as an artillery officer during World War II. Wounded in action and honorably discharged, he returned to Texas A&M and completed his degree in animal husbandry in 1946.



In a career spanning 44 years, Litterst worked as a rancher, a beef cattle specialist with the Texas Agricultural Education Specialist program, and as a lecturer in the Department of Animal Science. He served as superintendent of the Houston Livestock Show’s Junior Market Steer Show from 1966 through 1976 and was a member of the show’s Range Bull and Heifer Committee from 1969-1987. Additionally, he is credited with developing an evaluation instrument for range bull grading used by major livestock shows today and for contributing to the development of the model, standards, and application of the U.S Department of Agriculture Feeder Cattle Grades currently in use across the United States.



Recognized with The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Extension in 1975 and for Teaching in 1984, Litterst was named Senior Lecturer Emeritus by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents upon his retirement in 1989.



Litterst is a loyal and active contributor to Texas A&M University, including The Association of Former Students’ Century Club and currently serves as a Class Agent for the Class of 1943.



Litterst lives in College Station and with his late wife, Royce, has three children; Kathy Gough (spouse, Carl Gough, Jr.’69), Frank III ’68 (spouse, Patsy) and Mike ’73 (spouse, Carlette ’75). He has seven grandchildren, including Carl Gough III ’92 (spouse, Megan ’96) and Christopher Gough ’95 (spouse, Jane '95) and 11 great-grandchildren.

"At A&M you learned that anyone could do what they wanted to do, but that it takes a good man to do what he doesn’t really want to do. That discipline helped my later on to face and conquer whatever was in front of me."

Pablo D. Marvin ’66

Pablo D. Marvin ’66
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Year Awarded: 2009

College Station, TX

Marvin earned a Bachelor of Science in business management while working part-time and later full-time to support his young family.



Upon graduation, he returned to his native Mexico and built a long and prosperous career in business. Marvin worked for Aceros Nacioneles, S.A. and Deutz, CV.de C.B in Mexico City. He later founded Plasticos Precisos, S.A., a plastics extrusions company; the Los Tocayos chain of restaurants in Denver, Co; and Compania de Inversionistas de Mexico, S.A. de C.V, a real estate company where he currently serves as CEO.



A loyal supporter of Texas A&M, especially to initiatives focusing on international programs, Marvin was named an Outstanding International Alumnus in 2006. He is a member of the Texas A&M International Board, the Texas A&M Mexico Center Advisory Board, the Bush School Development Council and is a founding member of Texas A&M’s International Programs Office. In 1993, Marvin and his wife, Barbara, provided 5,000 square feet of office space rent-free to Texas A&M University, allowing for the creation of the Texas A&M University Center in Mexico. He is a mentor to Texas A&M’s Academy for International Leaders Program, an external advisor to the Mexican Student Association and was actively involved in the planning of the Central American Aggie Summit in 2006 and in the 2007 Middle East Aggie Summit.



A native of Mexico City, Marvin and his wife Barbara now reside in College Station with their daughter, Sophia. Marvin is also father to Paul ’86 (spouse, Pamela Galbreath Marvin ’87), Taylor, and Rosalind.

"Texas A&M has given extra meaning to my life. The values that A&M teaches are of worldwide importance and if even a little bit of A&M could rub off on the rest of the world, the world would be a better place."

Dr. Charles R. Munnerlyn ’62

Dr. Charles R. Munnerlyn ’62
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Year Awarded: 2009

San Jose, CA

Munnerlyn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Texas A&M University, and was a member the Corps of Cadets, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Pi Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, the Student Conference on National Affairs, a distinguished physics graduate and a distinguished Air Force ROTC Cadet. He served three years in the United States Air Force before earning a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1969.



A founding father of laser vision correction, Munnerlyn designed and built the first excimer laser system for vision correction and founded VISX, Inc. in 1987, the leading manufacturer of laser vision correction systems in the world, which is now a part of Abbott Laboratories.



Munnerlyn is a member of the Texas A&M Academy of Distinguished Graduates for the College of Science, a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and 2007 recipient of the Edwin Land Medal, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Rochester’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the 2008 recipient of the University of Rochester’s Distinguished Scholar Award and the 2001 Stevens Institute of Technology Honor Award, and was named 2001 Engineer of the Year by Design News Magazine.



His support to Texas A&M includes The Association of Former Students’ Century Club, the Texas A&M Foundation’s One Spirit One Vision campaign, and endowments in Physics and Observational Astronomy. Texas A&M’s Charles R. ’62 and Judith G. Munnerlyn Astronomical Laboratory and Space Engineering Building is named in his honor.



A native of Edna, TX, Munnerlyn lives in San Jose, CA with his wife Judy. They have four children; Audrey, Patrick ’93 (spouse, Rhonda Worrall Munnerlyn ’93), John and Stewart; and four grandchildren.

"Not only did I receive an excellent education in the principal areas of physics while at A&M, my experiences in the Corps and in the military science classes gave me training in leadership and management. I also was taught to take responsibility for my actions and to work with others to accomplish a task."

Neal W. Adams ’68

Neal W. Adams ’68
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Year Awarded: 2008

Euless, TX

Adams received his Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing. As a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Student Senate, served as head yell leader, and was honored as a Distinguished Military Graduate and Distinguished Student. Upon graduation, Adams attended Baylor School of Law, receiving his juris doctorate in 1970.



He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1972. He began his professional career in 1972 as president of Neal W. Adams, P.C. Since 1987, he served as president, principal attorney and co-owner of Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C.



In 2001, Governor Rick Perry appointed Adams to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, where he served six years and, in July 2005, Governor Perry appointed him as vice chairman of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a position he held through August 2007.



In October 2002 and 2007, Texas Lawyer magazine named Adams as the “Go-To Lawyer” for school law in the state of Texas. Each year beginning in 2003 through 2007, Adams has been honored as one of the Texas Super Lawyers in school and education law by Texas Monthly magazine. He is a past chairman of the State Bar of Texas School Law Section. A Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, Adams was named 1994 'Man of the Year’ by the Northeast Tarrant County Board of Realtors.



Adams is a loyal supporter of Texas A&M. He is a member and chair-elect of the Chancellor’s Century Council, a member of The Association of Former Students’ Leadership Council, the A&M Legacy Society, the Corps Development Council and the Corps of Cadets Association. Adams also serves as a member and past chair of the President’s Board of Visitors for the Corps of Cadets, a member of the 12th Man Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and a member and past president of the Former Yell Leaders Association. He is a regular Muster speaker and a life member of the Fort Worth-Tarrant County A&M Club. In addition, he is a frequent contributor of his time and talents to various civic, church and community organizations.



Adams and his wife, Sonja, have two daughters, Marti Morgan, Class of 1993, and Paige.

"Through a series of actions, I have been particularly impressed with Neal’s ability to work with cadets and other students. It is clear that he identifies and communicates effectively with them and is a remarkable mentor. Students could not have a better role model as they consider their own service to the University and to our society."

  - LTG John A. Van Alstyne '66

Arthur R. McFerrin, Jr. ’65

Arthur R. McFerrin, Jr. ’65
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Year Awarded: 2008

Beaumont, TX

McFerrin received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M and went on to earn a master’s degree in the same field in 1969. As student, he was a member of Company E-1 in the Corps of Cadets, the Student Conference on National Affairs, the Society of Military Engineers, as well as the Great Issues Committee.



McFerrin began his career in 1967 with Shell Chemical, before becoming an independent plant manager in 1972. In 1975 he founded KMCO, a chemical processing and manufacturing company, and in 1990 established KMTEX, a high-volume distillation company. He purchased South Coast Terminals in 1995 and is a partner in several other chemical processing plants.



McFerrin has served Texas A&M as chairman of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board and has served on the President’s Corps of Cadets Board of Visitors, the 12th Man Foundation Board of Trustees, Texas A&M Research Foundation, and the Chancellor’s Century Council.



In 2005, McFerrin established an endowment to support Texas A&M’s department of chemical engineering, which now bears his name. His many contributions to Texas A&M are visible throughout the campus and include the McFerrin Indoor Athletic Center and the Cox-McFerrin Basketball Center. McFerrin endowed the Becky Gates Children’s Center, the Marilyn Kent Byrne Student Success Center in the College of Education and Human Development, as well as the Byrne Chair currently held by Dr. Jim Kracht.



He has been part of the Distinguished Visiting Executive Series at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service and in 1998 was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the Department of Chemical Engineering.



McFerrin and his wife, Dorothy, have two children, Jeffrey, Class of 1992, and Jennifer.

"He is a man of exceptional talent, notable accomplishments, unlimited compassion, and unquestionable integrity. In fact, he embodies all of the personal attributes that Aggies value. Artie exemplifies the concept of a servant leader, always willing to step forward when needed, and more than willing to deflect credit to others. I have never seen anyone so caring, considerate, and generous, and at the same time, so gracious, modest, and unassuming. He is truly a rare and unique individual."

  - Erle Nye '59, Distinguished Alumnus, 2006, and Chairman Emeritus, TXU

James D. Pitcock, Jr. ’49

James D. Pitcock, Jr. ’49
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Year Awarded: 2008

Houston, TX

Pitcock graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. As a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, American Society of Civil Engineers, Houston Hometown Club and Saddle and Sirloin Club.



Pitcock began his professional career in 1950 as a purchasing agent for Farnsworth & Chambers in Houston. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1952 before returning to Farnsworth & Chambers. By 1955, he was co-founder, partner, president and CEO of Williams Brothers Construction, a company he built from a startup to one of the nation’s largest highway construction firms.



In 1976 Pitcock was appointed by President Gerald R. Ford to the National Transportation Policy Study Commission, and served as national president of Associated General Contractors of America in 1984. In 2002, he was honored for his emergency reconstruction of the collapsed Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas. Pitcock was inducted into the Texas Good Roads and Transportation Association Hall of Fame in 2004, the Texas Transportation Institute’s Hall of Honor in 2005 and was honored as the ‘Houston Engineer of the Year’ in 2006.



Pitcock has generously volunteered his time and resources to Texas A&M, funding numerous scholarships, fellowships and research projects. He has been honored as a Distinguished Graduate of Texas A&M’s Department of Civil Engineering and as an Outstanding Alumnus of the Dwight Look College of Engineering. Pitcock and his wife, “Puddie,” have two children, Jim and the late Jan.

"Mr. Pitcock has served as a remarkable example of a leader of character throughout his life and his career- as a student, a cadet and a highly successful former student of Texas A&M University."

  - LTG John A. Van Alstyne '66

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