Carlos H.
Cantu ’55
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Year Awarded: 2003
Brownsville, TX
Carlos Cantu graduate from Texas A&M in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. He is retired president, chief executive officer, director of the board, and executive committee member of the ServiceMaster Company. Cantu represents the Exelon Corporation of Chicago as a corporate board member and chairman of the audit committee. In addition, he holds positions on the University of Texas- Brownsville Development Board, Texas A&M Vision 2020 Advisory Council, and Dixon Gallery & Gardens Museum Board of Trustees.
"He certainly was a great business leader and an even better person. He handled success and adversity with dignity, humility, and courage."
- Longtime colleague Ernie Mrozek, ServiceMaster President and CEO
Ray
Nesbitt ’55
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Year Awarded: 2021
Houston, TX
Ray B. Nesbitt ’55 graduated from A&M in three years, then started as a junior engineer at the Humble refinery in Baytown. He retired in 1998 as president of Exxon Chemical Co.; previous positions included vice president of Exxon Chemical Europe and president of Exxon Chemical Americas. In 1991, he received Texas A&M Engineering's Outstanding Alumni Award.
He served as a director of the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and on boards including Hibernia Bank
and Marshall National Bank. He and wife Sarah co-chaired capital campaigns for St. Francis Episcopal Church and The Women’s Home in Houston. At A&M, they created chemical engineering scholarships; a chemical engineering professorship, chair and faculty
endowment; and an engineering study classroom.
Nesbitt was a Gold-level member of The
Association’s Century Club with 32 years of giving, supported the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Foundation and was a member of
the Chemical Engineering Advisory Council and A&M Legacy Society. He served on the executive committee for A&M’s “One Spirit, One Vision” capital campaign.
“He has demonstrated competence and integrity throughout his career and brought honor to Texas A&M.”
- Melbern G. Glasscock 1959
Charlie W.
Seely ’55
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Year Awarded: 2014
Fort Worth, TX
Charlie W. Seely '55, received a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He was also vice president of his senior Class and president of the Petroleum Engineering Club. Seely, a U.S. Army veteran, is an independent oil and gas producer, president of Seely Oil Co. and chairman of three companies that manufacture plastic products. One of his companies has been honored as part of the Aggie 100, which spotlights the fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led companies. He is a Past Chair of The Association of Former Students Board of Directors and of the Fort Worth Tarrant County A&M Club. He also is a former Class of 1955 Agent and a former board member for the 12th Man Foundation. He serves on the President’s Council of Advisors and on the development councils for the College of Science, the Corps of Cadets and Texas A&M University Press. He is an Endowed Century Club donor to The Association of Former Students, and his many gifts to the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Foundation have earned him recognition as an Eppright Distinguished Donor and member of the Legacy Society. Seely also provided a gift to The Association’s Building Enhancement Campaign, and a Tribute Pillar in the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center is named in his honor. He has given of his time and resources to organizations beyond Texas A&M, including tangible support provided to an orphanage in Russia. Seely lives in Fort Worth with his wife, JoAnn. Between them, they have five children: Lea Ann Seely ’80, Sheri Van Sickle, Charles, Jr., Keith Rayburn ’96, and Kevin Rayburn, plus nine grandchildren.
"As an oilman and business owner, Charlie has seen good times and bad times. I have always admired how he has managed to keep his priorities straight: God, family and Texas A&M."
- Mike Havel ’76, friend and business partner
Charles W. "Bill"
Soltis ’55
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Year Awarded: 2010
Houston, TX
Soltis received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and went on to attend the Engineering Training School in Syracuse, N.Y. During his time at Texas A&M, he was in the Corps of Cadets, the Houston Club, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Pi Tau Sigma.
Following his military service, Soltis began a successful career in commercial heating and air conditioning with the Carrier Co., and then in air-filtration technologies and cleanroom design and construction for industrial and medical fields. Today he is the president and managing partner of Soltis Enterprises in Houston.
Soltis’ passion for the preservation of the Costa Rica rain forest spurred his late wife, Wanda, and him to donate a research and education center in San Juan de San Isidro de Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica, to Texas A&M University to provide students with international experiences and to study topics related to sustainability in the tropics and community development. In addition to this state-of-the-art center, Soltis has given Texas A&M the long-term right to access and study a 250-acre rain forest adjacent to the Center.
Soltis was inducted into Texas A&M’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Academy of Distinguished Graduates in 1994 and he received the Cleanroom Hall of Fame Award in 1991.
Soltis is a member of the Houston A&M Club and The Association of Former Students Century Club.
"A&M taught me to conduct myself with integrity in business and in life. The leadership skills that I learned in the Corps of Cadets gave me the confidence and ability to open and run my own business. The Aggie Spirit taught me the importance of loyalty and fair play."
Edmond
Wulfe ’55
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Year Awarded: 2017
Houston
ED WULFE ’55 received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. As a student, he served on 2nd Wing staff as a cadet lieutenant colonel, was a Ross Volunteer and a member of the Freshman Drill Team and the Senior Court, and was president of Texas A&M Hillel.
He is the chairman, CEO and founder of Wulfe & Co. commercial real estate brokerage, development and property management firm. Among properties he has developed: BLVD Place, which won a 2015 Houston Business Journal Landmark Award; redeveloped Meyerland Plaza, which was honored among “Deals That Made a Difference” in 1995 and 1996; and Gulfgate Center, which won the Houston Chapter of the Urban Land Institute’s 2012 Development of Distinction Award and Best Rehabilitation Renovation Project in 2003. He was previously executive vice president and a director of Weingarten Realty Investors.
He serves on Texas A&M’s Master of Real Estate Advisory Board, has been a lecturer for MBA students, created an endowed scholarship in Mays Business School, and funded an auditorium in the Texas A&M Hillel Building. He has been a Diamond level member of The Association’s Century Club, with 33 years of giving.
He chaired Houston Mayor’s Main Street Coalition, leading redevelopment of the city’s Main Street Corridor; chaired the Stadium Park Redevelopment Authority; chaired a referendum to expand Houston’s light rail and transit systems (2003); and co-chaired a $100 million parks bond issue campaign (2012). He has served on executive committees and boards for Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Symphony, Scenic Houston, Holocaust Museum, Uptown Management District and the Texas Bowl.
His family includes wife Lorraine, four daughters, seven grandchildren, extended family of two daughters and three grandchildren, and his brother Emil Wulfe ’58.
Joe B.
Foster ’56
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Year Awarded: 1997
Arp, TX
Foster received bachelor degrees in General Business and Petroleum Engineering. Foster joined Tenneco Oil Co. and served as Executive Vice President. In 1989, he established Newfield Exploration Co. which he served as Chairman and President. He served as Trustee of the Texas A&M Foundation and on the Board of Directors of The Association of Former Students.
"Joe is a superb role model for future generations of Aggies, and represents the finest example of what Texas A&M has to offer."
- Eddie J. Davis ’67, President, Texas A&M Development Foundation
Monroe H.
Fuchs ’56
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Year Awarded: 2014
Cameron, TX
Monroe H. Fuchs '56, received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in poultry science from Texas A&M. He was a Ross Volunteer and a distinguished student and was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. He also led both Alpha Zeta and the Poultry Science Club his senior year. Fuchs, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is chairman of the board of Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms, the family business he built into the nation’s largest supplier of recreational poultry. He has positively influenced thousands of lives through more than 25 years of Christian ministry to jail and prison inmates and their families. He served on the Cameron City Council and established the Cameron Volunteer Ambulance Service. He was elected to the Yoe High School Hall of Honor and was presented with a Lifetime Service Award by the Cameron Chamber of Commerce for his continuous commitment and dedication to the Cameron Chamber of Commerce and the City of Cameron. A long-time leader and supporter of the Milam County A&M Club, he was also honored as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2013. He is an Endowed Century Club donor to The Association of Former Students, and the generous gifts provided by his family to the 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Foundation have earned them recognition as Eppright Distinguished Donors and members of the Legacy Society. Included among their gifts are three endowed scholarships in poultry science. Fuchs has four children—Gary ’78, Janet Crouch ’83, Teri Adcox ’90 and Laurie Robinson ’92—plus nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He and his wife, Dorothy, live in Cameron.
"My family and our business have always had a close relationship with the A&M’s Department of Poultry Science. We have been beneficial to each other in many ways. Our long term respect for each other has led our family to establish three endowed scholarships beginning with the Leo and Edna Fuchs Endowed Scholarship in 1991. I have always believed when you have received a blessing from an individual or organization, you need to return the blessing."
Gerald D.
Griffin ’56
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Year Awarded: 1985
Fort Worth, TX
Griffin received a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1956 and served four years on active duty in the United States Air Force. In 1964 he joined NASA as a Flight Controller in Mission Control Center and later was Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. He was lead Flight Director for Apollos 12, 15, and 17. During the NASA’s Apollo Program, his real life experience led to Mr. Griffin being a technical advisor for the movie Apollo 13 (Universal), and a technical advisor and an actor in Contact (Warner Brothers) and Deep Impact (Dreamworks). In addition to his Director position, he also served as the Deputy Director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Hugh F. Dryden Flight Research Center in California.
After taking early retirement from NASA in 1986, Mr. Griffin was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Houston Chamber of Commerce, a post held until 1989 when he joined Korn/Ferry International, a worldwide executive search firm, as Managing Director of the firm’s Houston office.
"Whether it is waking up astronauts on the moon to the strains of the ‘Aggie War Hymn’ or advising outstanding high school students to attend A&M, Gerry Griffin is an Aggie who recognizes and attempts to repay every day the debt he owes to his great university."
Billy Pete
Huddleston ’56
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Year Awarded: 2005
Iraan, TX
Billy Pete Huddleston received a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1957. During his time as a student, he was a member of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s “Junction Boys” Aggie football team and served as Team Captain in 1955. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force where he served from 1958-1960.
After beginning his career with Marathon Oil Co., he established Huddleston & Co., Inc., in 1967 where he continues to serve as Chairman. In 1971, he founded Peter Paul Petroleum Co., which manages joint venture and partnership interests in over 2,500 oil and gas producing properties and 525,000 mineral acres. Huddleston’s vast knowledge of petroleum engineering consulting and financial analysis has provided expert testimony to various government agencies and commissions. He is a member of numerous professional societies including the American Association of Petroleum Engineers, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Huddleston has given his time to Texas A&M as a co-founding member of the Texas A&M Letterman’s Association and a member of the Dwight Look College of Engineering Advisory Council. Perhaps his greatest contribution back to the university is his time as Visiting Professor in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering from 1981-1998, for which he received the Robert L. Whiting Professorship for Excellence in Teaching. Huddleston is an ardent supporter of the Corps of Cadets and the Dwight Look College of Engineering.
Born in Iraan, Texas, he and his wife, Flos, have three children, Peter ’80, Paul ’82 and Lisa ’85.
"Texas A&M builds the confidence that you can accomplish just about anything if you continue to push your limits. Current students and new graduates should aspire to the old Army slogan: “Be all you can be.” If a person aspires to this creed, they will be honored regardless of their station in life."
Donald A.
Adam ’57
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Year Awarded: 2012
Bryan, TX
Donald A. Adam, Class of 1957, graduated from the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas with a bachelor of business administration degree in insurance. While a student, he was a major in “A” Composite, 4th Battalion, Regimental Staff in the Corps of Cadets, as well as a member of the Business and Marketing Societies.
After graduating, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and discharged as a captain in the U.S. Army in 1961. The same year he returned to Bryan and became president, owner and director of CRA Company in Bryan. In 1969, he founded The Adam Corporation/Group and became Chairman and CEO of Community Cablevision Corporation, also in Bryan. He then formed and became Chairman and CEO of American Cablevision Corporation in 1971, which served 11 states. During the 1970s and 1980s, Adam founded and became active in several different companies. A few of his other endeavors include Adam Development Properties, a company that provides residential and commercial real estate development; Madison Construction, which provides mainly commercial construction services; Courtlandt Farm, one of Adam’s most enjoyable projects, which is a thoroughbred horse breeding and racing operation based in Ocala, Fl.; and a whitetail deer breeding program and hunting lodge in South Texas. In 1988, Adam formed First American Bank, which he owned until 2005 when he sold it to Citigroup, Inc. In addition, he facilitates aircraft charter operations through Adam Aviation Ltd., L.L.P., owns Reliable Reports, an insurance inspection company, and owns and operates Miramont Country Club, a private golf course and country club community he built in Bryan in 2005. In 2006, Adam returned to banking. He formed American Momentum Bank, which is headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and has a branch in College Station. Also in Tampa, he founded the Donald A. Adam Melanoma Research Center at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Adam is an active contributor to organizations throughout the Bryan-College Station community. He has given time and financial support to Habitat for Humanity of Brazos Valley, American Heart Association of the Brazos Valley, Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, Allen Academy, the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, Boys and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, Bryan I.S.D. Foundation, March of Dimes of the Brazos Valley, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, Health For All Clinic and more.
Adam was a charter member of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, the President’s Council of Advisors and the Chancellor’s 21st Century Council of Advisors. He is a member of The Association of Former Students’ Century Club, the College of Medicine Advisory Council, Texas A&M Vision 2020 Committee, the Texas A&M Foundation and the 12th Man Foundation. He also contributes to the Opera and Performing Arts Society (OPAS) in Bryan, where he served as development chair. Adam is founder and director of The Donald A. Adam Family Foundation, and a member of First United Methodist Church in Bryan.
Adam resides in Bryan with his wife, Donna. Both of his children graduated from Texas A&M.
"Enjoy and participate in every aspect of your college life and seek to identify professor or administrative leaders and study them in-depth and identify those that are truly outstanding in order to mentor yourself. Exercise extraordinary levels of discipline in all facets of your college career as you will be far better to meet the challenges that will lie ahead."