Dawson nominated for induction into Texas Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame

Larry Dawson ’61, a three-time football letterman (1959-1961), is among 12 nominees for induction into the 2013 class of the Fort Worth-based Texas Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Six men will be selected.

Dawson is the only TCU graduate to participate as a contestant in the National Finals Rodeo. In 1976, he qualified for the Finals and finished fourth the world rankings in steer wrestling. He also won numerous championships on the circuit, including San Antonio, Denver, Fort Worth and Houston. He qualified for the Texas Circuit finals in 1976 and 1978 in the Steer Wrestling and served as the PRCA Steer Wrestling director from 1978 to 1981. 

His athletic ability landed him a contract with the Dallas Cowboys after TCU, but rodeo life won his talents.

Dawson spent a lifetime participating in and judging rodeos and encouraging young people in rodeo and ranch life. The Amarillo Tri-State Exposition acknowledged Dawson’s dedication with its 2000 Cowboy of the Year award.

Pictured above on the right with rodeo friends Dr. Ted Alexander ’66 (left) and Eugene Weakley (middle) at Weakley’s 2012 induction into the Texas Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

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Tiny horned lizard in Midland

Kimberly Shelfer Christopher '97 of Midland shared this photo of her children Daniel, 7, and Caroline, 5, who discovered this teeny tiny horned lizard near their home. "We found it in our driveway, and my two big kids put on TCU shirts and took a picture," she wrote. "My daughter is wearing a retro TCU shirt that was either mine for my sister's. 

The Christophers also recently had another little one enter their lives. Kimberly and husband Shane welcomed their third child — Andrew Timothy — back in November.
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Alumna wins Texas teaching award

Nancy McVean Harris ’74 (MA), drama instructor and director of the theatre program at Weatherford College, was selected as the College Teacher of the Year by the Texas Educational Theatre Association. The nomination and vote came from McVean’s colleagues at other Texas colleges. McVean serves as president of the Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association.
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Proud TCU Ranch Management alum in Montana

Ranch Management alum Walker Milhoan '11 of St. Regis, Mont., was featured this week in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association blog Cattle Call. 

Milhoan, who is completing a bachelor's degree in business management at the University of Montana, works part time for the Missoula Livestock Exchange, publishing their online market report and "shaking a paddle at the hind ends of the bovine species."

Originally from Vail, Colo., Milhoan also volunteers on the Promotion and Recruitment Committee for the Young Producers’ Council and is an advocate for the beef industry.

In the blog post, Milhoan gushes about his time as a Horned Frog and learning in the Ranch Management program: "TCU Ranch Management is the most memorable, moving, and beneficial part of my life to date. I can’t say enough good things about that program or TCU in general. Not only did the ranch management program teach me how to think, it taught me more about ranching, and the business of ranching, than any four year university could ever dream of. The information a student draws out of that program is 100% empirical, not theory. Real ranchers with Masters degrees, not academics, teach the classes. The professors go home each and every night to feed livestock, market livestock, bale hay, clean pens, whatever. They are also the most honorable and ethical group of individuals I have ever met and they truly changed my life for the better."

Milhoan was also interviewed by an NBC affiliate in Montana on the historical cumulative effects of the drought on the Treasure State.

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TCU spirit in Mongolia

Matthew Gallagher '90 of Sugar Land, Texas, had taken his son on numerous Boy Scout trips over the years, but he realized time was running out to travel with his 16-year-old daughter Grace.

So when he asked her where in the world she would like to go to learn about another culture, "She said, without hesitation, 'Mongolia,' " Gallagher wrote us. So father and daughter went to Asia this summer and took their TCU flag with them. The photo above shows them in the Gobi Desert.

"What a great world of culture she was able to see. With her photography skills, she was able to capture a lot of it in pictures," he wrote us.

Grace hopes to join older sister Sarah, a TCU sophomore, as a Horned Frog in coming years, Gallagher said.

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Alum opens home to Frog Campers in Washington, D.C.

Tara Sherwin Lang '02 and husband Jeff welcomed a group of about 50 TCU freshmen attending Frog Camp in Washington, D.C., to their home this summer. While learning about TCU traditions in the nation's capital, campers focused on leadership on the national and international level. The group visited Arlington National Cemetery and the Nation Mall and rubbed elbows with some of the university's faculty, staff, alumni and top TCU upperclassmen.

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TCU-themed Sport Court at Austin Freshmen Send-off

Earlier this month, TCU alum and parent Craig Flowers '86 and his wife Beth hosted the  Austin Freshmen Send-off Party at their new home which features this very cool Sport Court with a TCU logo. The Flowerses have one daughter Kathleen, a TCU sophomore, here in Fort Worth, but daughters Annie and Julia could be future Horned Frogs. 

The party, which was attended by about 30 students, parents, alums and university staff members, is one of 21 around the country for incoming Horned Frogs. Each gathering is hosted by TCU alums or parents. (Photo by Kenton Watt, Regional Director of Development in TCU Advancement)

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Frog friends with TCU sendoff

Nyembezi Moyo '09 left for medical school at the University of Zambia in June, so some of her fellow Horned Frogs from the African Heritage Organization (classes 2007 to 2013) held a dinner at Genghis Grill as a sendoff. Horned Frogs in attendance were (from left to right) Roland Omene '08, Stephen Holcomb '11, Ash Nyangani '09, Godswill Barrah '08, Jean Mande '11, Patrick Kemboi '07, Sihle Dlamini '11, Bofa Okoro Itombra '12, Yemurai Nhamoinesu '12, Aicon Andah '12, Rosheeda Jolly '11, Nyembezi Moyo '09, Amy Wan Mugambi '07 (and her daughter), Allan James Maclean '13, Stella Wangechi '12, Solomon Yisa '12, Egbadon Udegbe '11, Yannick Emmanuel Simo '11, Kenny Adedeji '1, Ashley Ototo '12 and Diman Mande.

Best of luck, Nyembezi!

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Alum now VP of real estate appraisers association

M. Lance Coyle '74 of Dallas was elected as 2013 vice president of the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers last week in Coronado, Calif. Coyle will begin his one-year term at the Appraisal Institute on Jan. 1, followed by one year each as president-elect, president and immediate past president.

“I am honored and humbled beyond words, and I welcome the opportunity to be of service to the Appraisal Institute, its members and the valuation profession,” Coyle said.

Coyle is principal of Coyle Realty Advisors, a Dallas-based real estate services firm engaged in fee-based investment property valuation, analysis, research, expert witness testimony and counseling. He has been engaged in valuation and counseling of investment real estate since 1985. He currently concentrates on providing support in real estate litigation cases, and has been a guest lecturer and author for several eminent domain conferences.

The Appraisal Institute has nearly 23,000 members in almost 60 countries and aims to advance ethics and best practices in the real estate appraisal industry.
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Alumna's apartment featured by San Antonio paper

Leandra Hernandez '97 and her architect boyfriend John Speegle had their 3,600-square-foot Riverwalk apartment featured in the San Antonio Express-News and the paper's real estate blog last week. The photos are really very cool.

About 10 months ago, the couple bought the apartment next door and combined Speegle's old space into a giant living space with private art gallery. 

Hernandez, who lived in the United Kingdom for 12 years after completing the TCU in London program, used her background in fashion and love of all things Brit to create a glam style space. Speegle likes things more contemporary and sleek. Somehow the two looks pair well together.

The apartment has also been in San Antonio Magazine and a stop on the San Antonio Urban Spaces Tour. [See the magazine spread here - Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5.]

Hernandez is a a freelance writer and owner of Riverwalk Art Gallery in the Alamo City and stays attuned to the city's art scene.

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Alumna crown Ms. British Virgin Islands 2012

Sharie de'Castro '11, a fourth generation native British Virgin Islander, was crowned Ms. BVI 2012 last week, winning from a field of five contestants.

De'Castro captured the majority of prizes on offer including Miss Congeniality, the People’s Choice award, Miss Poised, Best Talent, Best BVI Promotional Speech, Best Personal Interview and Miss Intellect. As the winner, deCastro receives a car, a scholarship, trip with the BVI Tourist Board and $5,000 in wardrobe.

The pageant consisted of a total of six segments: Introduction, Swimsuit, Cultural/Historical Costume, Talent, Evening Wear and Question and Answer, in which each contestant was assessed by a panel of judges.

In the talent segment, de'Castro did what local news channel called "an amazing poetic piece delivered with a great amount of passion and centred around the theme from the Wizard of Oz."

“Oz is not our home,” de'Castro repeatedly echoed, followed by a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on violin.

She concluded with a dramatic poetic piece introspectively asking “How much do I make” about the use of money.

But according to the news channel report, de'Castro clinched the title with her answer to the Q&A portion. When asked about how the Olympics affects ongoing international relations, she replied, "I believe that it is imperative that we understand that in going to events such as these, as well as hosting them, we open a new era and realm of relationships that are built."

According to the station, the crowd screamed its approval even before she was able to finish her answer.

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More license plates

Laura Chance Hopkins ‘91 of Dallas wrote to tell us that she loves her plate.

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TCU-themed license plates

According to myplates.com, an estimated 269 TCU alumni have bought new Texas Christian University official Texas license plates since they became available for purchase on May 1, 2011.

These sales have resulted in about $4,113 in contributions to TCU. You may recall that myplates.com donates a portion of each plate sold to each school's general scholarship fund.

There are some TCU-famous plates many in the Horned Frog community know about. Chancellor emeritus William E. Tucker '56 has had the plate 1873 for many years, a nod to the year the university was founded. We also wrote about some license plates seen during TCU tailgating scenes, including Platt Allen '88 and his TCU BBQ plate and Tom Gibbons '84 and his TL-G8N.

We also wrote about Aaron Benton ’96 of San Antonio, who got a set of plates when he got a new car a summer ago.

Even longer ago — in our Winter 2007 issue — we did a spread of TCU plates from all over the country. Then readers wrote in many letters about their own plates.

If you think these plates aren't a big deal, try telling that to the fanatics on Killerfrogs.com which have a semi-famous discussion thread that is now 137 pages long.

Do you have a TCU-themed plate? Tell us about it, and send a photo to tcumagazine@tcu.edu.

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On the Web:
Order a TCU-themed plate

Former TCU swimmer competes for Venezuela

Former TCU swimmer Alejandro Gomez '07 made his 2012 Olympics debut this morning at the Olympic Park Aquatics Centre in London. Gomez represented Venezuela in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle. He finished in 23rd place in a time of 15:27.38, missing out on the eight-man final that takes place tomorrow night.

Gomez spent the first 700 meters of his eight-swimmer heat in seventh, but was able to make a move into sixth and began to target his nearest competitor in fifth. However, South Africa’s Heerden Herman passed Gomez in the last 100 meters to put him back into seventh for the heat.

Gomez was a two-time All-Mountain West honoree during his career in Fort Worth. He finished his career with the school record in the 1,000 free. Gomez had represented Venezuela on many occasions, earning gold medals in the 800-meter free and 1,500-meter free at the 2010 Caribbean and Central American Games. He is a national record holder as part of the 4x200-freestyle relay, set at the 2009 World Championships.

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Purple polka dotted frog wedding cake

A fun surprise awaited Steven Lombardi '06 at his wedding reception — this fun horned frog cake, which Jennifer Turner Lombardi  '08 asked Creme de la Cream to create. The Lombardis, married June 30 in Fort Worth, had lots of real Frogs there too:

Katie Cruz Schumacher '08, Susan Miller Gruppi '08, Jessica Miller '08, Stacy Barton '08, Laura Soben Gonzales '08, Maggie Emge '08, Reagan Smith Simmons '08, Adrienne Lombardi '05, Liz Lombardi Wallace '09, Andrew Lombardi '03, Christopher Geggatt '06, Gregg Donnelly '06, Russell Jones '06, Michael Buono '06, Perry Phipps '06, Matthew Humphrey '06, Thomas Purcell '06, Brian Wallace '09.

The couple live in Fort Worth, where Steve is an assistant vice president at Bank of Texas and Jennifer works in medical billing.

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Super Frog shirt

The summer issue's Super Frog Fun Page inspired Jennifer Crump, wife of Michael Crump '09 MBA, to create this cute t-shirt for son Mason.

Jennifer writes: "We were looking through the TCU magazine we receive in the mail while playing outside and came across the Super Frog fun page. We already do a different craft every day being that I was an elementary school art teacher, so this was right up our alley.

I babysit my niece sometimes and she did one as well with a heart and arrow. This is the TCU frog shirt we made for Mason. I was hoping to find a purple long sleeve shirt for when we do tailgating this fall at the TCU football games but it's hard to find the right size/color shirt in his small 18 month size. I can always stick a purple long sleeve shirt underneath if I ever find one."

To download a pdf of the Super Frog Fun Page, which includes directions and a pattern for the Frog logo, click here to go to our magazine website, then click on the Super Frog Fun Page link.

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