BY CONNIE HARSHMAN

HERALD DEMOCRAT

Sherman ISD's Ex-Students Association will honor several distinguished alumni and former faculty members Saturday during their annual meeting and awards luncheon. The winners are nominated by the association members. Members send in information about their nominee and then the ex-teacher or ex-student to be reviewed and chosen by the Board of Directors.

"(Being honored) creates a sense of pride and also motivates and inspires you to be the best you can be," said Community Relations Coordinator Bootie Terrell. "It gives credit to our faculty and staff and the successful students. It shows how far you can go with a Sherman education. There are so many more students and teachers that we hope to honor in the future."

Some of those honored as Distinguished Teachers include, L.T White. White graduated from W.T. High School in   Texas in 1946. White retired from Sherman ISD in 1987 after spending four years teaching fifth and sixth grade. He served as an elementary school principal for 30 years and was honored by Austin College with a Master Teaching Award. White has also received numerous awards, including Grayson County Rotary President with perfect attendance.

Kenneth McCord graduated from Sherman High School in 1956. McCord served as president of his class for two years and vice-president of his senior class. He belonged to the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.

McCord graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in math and physics from Texas Tech University in 1960. McCord began teaching in Albuquerque, N.M. in 1960. He has also served as coach at Dillingham Junior High in the early '60s, head coach and athletic director at S&S CISD. McCord returned to SISD at the Piner as the head coach in 1982, retired in 1983, continued to teach math at Grayson County College until 2006. Also dedicated to community service, McCord also holds several members in local organizations including Lions Club of Whitesboro, Grayson County Child Welfare Board and the Sherman Ex-Students Association Board.

John M. Dennis graduated from Whitesboro High School in 1954. During his high school career he was a Lone Star Farmer, a member of the student council and participated in football, basketball and baseball.

Dennis received his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University in 1958 and his master's degree from Texas A&I in 1964. He attended 14 other colleges and four foreign language institutes in Mexico, Costa Rica, Oklahoma, Texas and California.

Dennis taught in Palo Verde and Hudson Districts in California, Odem, S&S CISD and Sherman. Currently teaching in Durant, Dennis is also a member of the American Association of Educators and was active in community activities as a volunteer fireman, rehabilitating homes for the elderly, interpreter for Hispanic families and councilor for Youth Conservation Corps.

Opal Scoggins Barr graduated from Tioga High School in 1944, earned a bachelor's in 1963, and received her masters of arts in library sciences from the University of North Texas in 1968.

She began her teaching career in Whitesboro, where she taught five years. In 1968 she became the librarian at Jefferson Elementary School in Sherman. Barr became a teacher two years later at the same school. When Perrin Elementary School reopened in 1976, Opal transferred there as a first grade teacher.

Retiring in 1989 after teaching 26 years, she was elected Educator of the Month in 1989 by the Rotary Club, Contemporary Women's Club in 1993 and the M.B. Lamar Award for Educators in 2001 given by the Masonic Lodge. Barr is also a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Kappa Gamma Society and the Grayson County Retired Teachers. She helped establish the Whitesboro Public Library and the school library at Chalmers Elementary in Gainsville -- where she is also a volunteer teacher.

In her spare time she sings in the Red River Valley Chorus of Sweet Adeline's and delivers Meals on Wheels.

The four distinguished students include:

LuAnn Morgan, who graduated from Sherman High School in 1973. During that time, she participated in numerous extracurricular activities including Future Homemakers of America, Pan American and home economics.

Morgan graduated from Texas Tech University in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising, and a master's degree from University of Texas and a Ph.D. from Kennedy Western University.

Professional associations include the vice president of economic development at Texas A&M extension service, mayor pro-tem for the city of Midland, president of Region 4 of the Texas Municipal League. She also has served on the Buffalo Trail Council of Boy Scouts, Commemorative Air Force American Heritage Museum Board, Vice President of Midland Kiwanis Club and founding member of Communities in Schools.

A avid community service volunteer, Morgan belongs to many organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Diabetic Association, Habitat for Humanity, the March of Dimes, Keep Midland Beautiful and United Way campaign.

Theodore Vestal graduated from Sherman High School in 1952. While at SHS, Vestal was the Texas winner in the Voice of Democracy Contest, district title winner in tennis and president of the International Key Club.

Vestal graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelors degree in 1955 and master's degree from Yale University Law School in 1958. Vestal received a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University in 1962. He received the outstanding professor award from Oklahoma State University in 2001, the Hambrug University Endowed Professorship of Ethiopian Studies in 2005 and the Alumnus of the Year in Political Science Award from North Texas University in 2006.

Currently, Vestal is a professor of political science at OSU.

Gary DeAtley graduated from SHS in 1967. During his high school career, he was president of the his sophomore class, member of the National Honor Society and Who's Who.

He graduated form Austin College in 1971 and Harvard Business School Advance Management in 1973.

DeAtley joined California Sun Dry Foods in 1992 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and assumed the title of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1997. Currently DeAtley lives in Danville, Calif. and received the Citizen of the Year award from the San Ramon Valley Times.

Other awards include the Governor's Historic Preservation Award, Businessman of the Year from Danville Chamber of Commerce. DeAtley also was the owner of the Black Box Theatre Company and received recognition by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Community.

He has served on the Danville Business Task Force, Chamber of Commerce, the Tri Valley Community Fund and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

James Pickins graduated from SHS in 1973, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Junior Classical League and Key Club.

Pickins is a 1976 graduate of The University of Okahoma with a bachelor's degree in zoology. He went to the University of Texas graduate school in 1977-78. In 1979, he studied at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston until 1983 when he received his M.D. degree.

His internship was served at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin and he completed his residency at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Lubbock in 1986.

At present, Pickins is a partner in Family Practice Association in Waxahachie. He is a member of the AMA, TMA, Dallas Chapter of Texas Family Practice, Diplomate of American Academy of Family Practice and Ellis County Medical Society. He served chief of staff at Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie in 2000.

Pickins is active as a volunteer with the YMCA and serves as the physician volunteer for the Waxahachie ISD Indians. He is a board member of Friends of the University of Oklahoma Biological Station and attends St. Michael's and All Angels Episcipal Church in Dallas.

The SISD Ex-Students Association will hand our a posthumous award to Brigadier General John Hilger.

Hilger graduated from SHS in 1926. After graduation, Hilger went to Texas A&M and received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1932.

Following graduation, Hilger began his military career as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.

In 1933, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flying cadet, and received his wings in 1934.

In 1942, Hilger was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned as deputy commander and pilot with Col. Jimmy Doolittle Squadron. He participated in the raid on Tokyo and was promoted to colonel.

In July 1943, Hilger commanded the Chinese-American bomb group in the China, Burma, India theater of operations.

Hilger also served as Commander of the U.S. Air Force group in Turkey and Chief of Staff for the Allied Forces Northern Europe in Norway. During his service Hilger was awarded the Silver star, Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and others citations.

Hilger died in February 1982.