Alumni Association

Events, Programs & Awards

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI GALA

Distinguished Honorees are selected by the Tarleton Alumni Association in five categories (Distinguished Alumnus or Alumna, Distinguished Friend, Distinguished Faculty, Distinguished Staff, and Outstanding Young Alumnus or Alumna). The first Distinguished Alumnus was selected in 1966, Faculty & Staff in 1969, Friend in 1976, and Outstanding Young Alumnus in1984. They are presented each year at the Distinguished Alumni Dinner sponsored by the Tarleton Alumni Association and the Tarleton Alumni Relations Office. Historically, the Dinner was held on homecoming Saturday but has now been changed to a "stand alone" event rescheduled for January 30, 2010.

• Distinguished Alumnus: Bill Casner ‘72

Setting aside a life-long dream, Bill Casner left the Thoroughbred industry in 1979 and with partner, Kenny Troutt founded Excel Communications.  After taking the company public in 1996, he and Troutt reaffirmed an earlier commitment to each other by re-entering Thoroughbred racing in 2000 and establishing WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

• Outstanding Young Alumnus: Mark Smith ‘92

Mark Smith was an outstanding basketball player at Tarleton from 1988-1992. After graduating from Tarleton, he attended Law School at Ohio State University and now serves as the General Counsel for Delivery Agent, Inc. in San Francisco, California.

• Distinguished Staff: Donna Haynie

Donna Haynie joined the staff of the Student Activities Department in 1990 and assisted in developing many of the student programs which continue today. In 1995 she transferred to the Administration and Planning Department of Physical Facilities where she was instrumental in the development of construction projects and master plans until her retirement in 2009.

• Distinguished Faculty: Dr. Weldon Newton

Dr. Newton joined the Tarleton faculty in 1974 as Head of the Department of Agriculture and in the 1970's and 1980's was responsible for adding new courses, developing new graduate programs, and dividing the Agriculture Department up into three updated departments. He retired in 1996 as Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and was recognized as Professor Emeritus of the Texas A&M System.

• Distinguished Friends: Dwain and Carolyn Bruner

The Bruners have been in the automobile business in Stephenville for more than 40 years beginning with the establishment of Bruner Chevrolet in 1969 and continuing with the addition of other dealerships over the years. They have supported many of the academic, fine arts, and athletic programs at Tarleton and have been especially generous with the funding of the Dwain and Carolyn Bruner Endowed Scholarships.

ALUMNI ACADEMIC FORUM

The Alumni Academic Forum was initiated in 1993 by the Tarleton Alumni Association with the support of Tarleton's then President, Dr. Dennis McCabe. The goal of the program was to recognize the outstanding graduates of each of the University's academic colleges and allow them the opportunity to interact with current students in a classroom setting. Each academic college is represented by two alumni who spend their morning in the classroom and are introduced at noon at the Alumni Academic Forum Luncheon. Individual plaques representing the honorees are on display in the offices of the academic deans.

O.A. GRANT EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

The O.A. Grant Excellence in Teaching Award was created in memory of Dr. O.A. Grant, who was a Tarleton Social Sciences faculty member from 1948 until 1987. Former student and colleagues created the award bearing his name in recognition of his decades of service in the classroom. Grant was honored as an Outstanding Educator in America, selected by the Tarleton Alumni Association as a Distinguished Faculty member and was named as Professor Emeritus by the Texas A&M University System.

CLYDE H. WELLS/TARLETON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GOLF CLASSIC

The Clyde H. Wells/Tarleton Alumni Association Golf Classic will be celebrating its 20th year in the spring of 2010.

TARLETON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Scholarships are presented to the Tarleton students based on evaluations by the Tarleton Alumni Association Board of Directors.

SILVER TAPS CEREMONY

The Silver Taps Ceremony is a long-standing tradition held to honor any faculty, staff, students and alumni who have passed away during the previous year. The ceremony is a joint effort between the Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Tarleton Alumni Association.