Wendy Davis '90 wins Darrow Award

It's extra enjoyable to see one TCU alumnus recognize the talents of another Horned Frog. So it was on Nov. 18 when Steven Duble '86, (left) secretary of the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association, presented the Clarence Darrow Award to Texas Sen. Wendy Davis '90. Joining Duble in announcing the honor was former Texas governor Mark White (second from left) and association president Tim Riley (right). 

The Darrow Award, the highest honor bestowed by HCDLA, recognizes a lawyer, public official or advocate who embodies the core principles of famed attorney Clarence Darrow, who was well-regarded for seeking fairness under the law for persons and causes, many of which were unpopular and difficult.

Davis, an honors graduate of Harvard Law School and principal at Newby Davis PLLC, gained wide attention in June for an 11-hour filibuster in the Texas State Senate, in which she unsuccessfully blocked Senate Bill 5 that, when later enacted, created new abortion regulations in the state. 

In announcing the award, Riley said: “Wendy Davis exemplifies the spirit of Clarence Darrow’s commitment to equal justice. ... Senator Davis has repeatedly shown herself to be a highly effective advocate for the public good in the great tradition of Clarence Darrow. She very deservedly joins our select group of award recipients."

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Keeping Frog Fever alive in N.J.!

Col. (Ret.) Albert Brinkman '68 shared this photo of his 2-year-old granddaughter Harper Lopez sporting a TCU football jersey in Williamstown, N.J. "Through the generations, Harper keeps Frog Fever alive," he wrote. 

Brickman is the principal of Brinkman Group LLC working on options education and marketing consulting for exchanges and brokerage firms. 

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Frog in the U.S. Marine JAG corps

Candace Marie Ruocco '09 graduated from U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va. The demanding training program accepted over 70 qualified female candidates. Of those, Ruocco was one of 37 to complete training and commission as a USMC Second Lieutenant. She has a contract as an Active Duty Judge Advocate and is engaged to a USMC Infantry Officer.

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Frog spirit with TCU Cheer

Jim Wicker '78 shared this photo showing off his Frog spirit with the TCU cheerleaders before the TCU-Texas game last month. "Truly an inspiration!!!!" he wrote. 

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Lifetime achievement for law Horned Frog

Dwain Dent '73, founder of The Dent Law Firm in Fort Worth, received a special honor this fall. In September, he was inducted into the St. Mary's Law School Hall of Fame, including a portrait hanging. A 1976 grad of the program, Dent accepted the honor to recognize his career achievements in law. He was named a top attorney and Trial Lawyer of the Year in Fort Worth, Texas magazine in 2012 and selected as St. Mary's Law School Distinguished Graduate. He's also be a finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year for the Public Justice League of Washington, D.C.

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A little Coach P!

Reader Clinton Admire of Mansfield shared this photo of his 2-year-old son, Wyatt, who dressed as Coach Patterson for Halloween. With a belt and Velcro shoes, we're guessing he didn't do a lot of pant-hitching and retying his kicks, but we think he has the look of a winner!

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Frog spirit at Austin City Limits

The quartet of Frog fans celebrated the TCU football team's win over Kansas while attending the Austin City Limits music festival last weekend. From left, Nate Hamontree '10, Mitzi (Jones) Hale '81, Brittany Benditz '11 ('13) and Marie Jones '85.

Thanks for maintaining that TCU spirit in the city that likes keeping things weird. 


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Purple pride at Pier 1 Imports

With purple shirts and frog hand signs, TCU spirit is not in short supply at the Fort Worth offices of Pier 1 Imports! A throng of Horned Frogs from four decades (plus a TCU parent) took time to pose for this photo on Go Purple Friday to show off their support for the Frogs. 

Among the Horned Frogs displaying their TCU pride were: 

Sharon Leite, TCU parent
Angie Harker Cotton '85
Debbie Brown Firestone '90
Tiffany Osborn Barclay '93
Jennifer Thomas '94
Amy Cox Mosteiro '94
Aimee Smith Heimer '97
Shonda Pearson Jobe '98
Russ Phillips '98
Julie Duran '99
Susan Melhart Hudson '99
Tiffany White '99 and '04
Andrea Rodriguez Garcia '00
Krista Selman '00
Duc Pham '00
Masae Naruse Hardwick '01
Jennifer Engstrand '02
Mimi Johan '03
Megan Nolasco Wills '03
Samantha Singleton Workman '03
Kaleena Kristinek Fenno '04
Jaclyn Wilbur Gordon '04
Ron Cason '05
Tiffany Vann Hayden '07
Matt Johnson '07
Lindsay Keller Torlincasi '09
Bridget Tiernan Carruthers '09
Lacey Riley '09
Justin Grice '10
Katelyn Fischer '11
Kaley Bamsch '12

GO FROGS!


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Seven studly sons!

Meet the Bates boys — all seven of them! 

Ranging in age from 6 to 3, including a set of twins and a set of triplets, they have enough to spell out GO FROGS, which they did on t-shirts that they wore at the SMU game this weekend. Left to right, they are Tyler, 6, Blake, 4, Luke, 3, Grant 4, Caleb 5, Carter 4, and Matthew, 5.

The boys come from two Horned Frog families: brothers Tim Bates '03 (MBA '08), married to Emily, and Tom Bates '01 and his wife Jennifer '02. 

Tim and Emily have three of the boys Matthew and Caleb, who are twins, and Luke. Tom and Jennifer have four: Grant, Blake and Carter, who are triplets, and Tyler. 


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Discovering mascot pride in West Texas

Chris Harrison '00 discovered this handsome critter at the Price Thomas Ranch in Post, Texas, last week. 

While it's illegal in Texas to capture Texas horned lizards (unless for scientific purposes), it is okay to photograph them. Feisty and fierce, our mascot remains a source of pride for all TCU alums.

Harrison is the vice president and director of business development for McKnight Title Co. in Fort Worth. 


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Time for Frog spirit in Dallas

There's a baker's dozen Horned Frogs working at Fossil Inc. in Dallas, and last week on Purple Friday, they showed off their TCU spirit before the big game against LSU. 

Pictured on the front row (left to right) are Corley Roberts '08, Lara Beth Levy '09, Monique St. Pierre '12, Ellen Kammer '12, Courtney Wood '12. On the back row are Lauren Hampton '10, Anna Kate Watson '10, Addison Moss '10, Jaime Norris '99, Sarah Wetzel '08, Jarrett Shaffer '12, Melissa Styles '02, Justin Paxton '12. 

With foam fingers and jerseys and even a purple sombrero, the Fossil crew took time to flash their frog sign and urge their coworkers to "Fear the Frog."


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Four Day Weekend welcomes SuperFrog on Purple Friday

Now that the TCU football season is mere hours away, Go Purple Fridays are back. Celebrating today are the guys at Four Day Weekend, the improv comedy venue in Sundance Square. 

TCU alumna Jessica Edwards '03 sent this photo to us of SuperFrog visiting some of the cast members, including (from left) Frank Ford, Grayson Howe '09, David Wilk and Ray Sharp. 

"It was a special treat for us when SuperFrog visited our theater," wrote Edwards, the marketing and sales director of the Fort Worth outfit. " Thanks for a fun start to the 2013 season!"

Four Day Weekend, which began in Fort Worth in 1997 at Casa Manana Theatre, was the winner of the 2012 Texas Star Award for "Best Entertainment" and named winner of "Best Entertainment Experience in Texas 2013."


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Flashing the Frog sign at Machu Picchu

Earlier this month, Brandon Seidler '10, Maggi Eidson '10 and Andrew Kangerga '10 completed a 27-mile hike through the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu in Peru.  The trio flashed the frog sign while visiting the ancient Incan ruins, located 7,970 feet above sea level.

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Get-well-soon gift for Frog pastor

Jon Sherman '92, lead pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Willow Park, Texas, received a pretty amazing get-well-soon gift last week as he is recuperating from open-heart, double-bypass surgery earlier this month. 

Pastor Sherm, as he is affectionately known by parishioners in his congregation and by fraternity brothers in Beta Upsilon Chi (Brothers Under Christ), shared the image of the football signed by TCU football coach Gary Patterson on his Facebook page, drawing 130 likes and numerous comments. 

He has been pastor at Trinity Bible Church since 1999 and was a founding member of the BYX chapter at TCU in 1989.

Rest up and be up on your feet soon, Sherm!

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Tim Halperin '10 and the Leaders

Recording artist Tim Halperin '10 visited the North Texas Leadership Academy in Keller this week to talk about the connection between music and poetry. He also shared about how he's used his talents to help Kidd's Kids, a nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of children with special medical needs.

Halperin, who once advanced to among the top 12 on the 10th season of "American Idol," performed the first-ever Concert for Kidd's Kids on Thursday at the House of Blues in Dallas. Later, Halperin tweeted that he met his own hero Ben Folds.  

At NTLA, the rising star singer helped the school kick off its first Project Based Learning unit, according to Holly Megan Thompson '03, head of school. The school is following a yearlong theme "NTLA Unplugged," in which students will study famous poets, different styles of poetry, including music. 

"Tim was great with the students," Thompson said. "He's an inspiration to them as they write the poetry and as they choose what organizations they want to assist with their quarterly service projects this school year."

The students will showcase the final product of their first unit on Aug. 29, when they turn the school into a coffee house for a community reading.

Founded in 2012, NTLA is a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade private school dedicated to serving bright and gifted students. The school's innovative and rigorous curriculum challenges each student individually as they progress.

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SuperFrog Fun Page success!

Recent grad Clara Garcia '13 wrote us and shared this photo of her younger brother Kevin Aguilar after he created a SuperFrog index card animator, the project from our Summer 2013 issue's SuperFrog Fun Page. 

Outstanding job, Kevin! Go Frogs!

Parents and kids can find all our SuperFrog Fun Page activities on our website under the Fun Stuff tab.

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TCU edge while cycling in the Pacific Northwest

Luis Rodriguez, Jr. '92 recently joined angelMD as Vice President, Physician Investor Relations. The Seattle-based crowdfunding company is launching a medical device and health technology platform that allows doctors and dentists to invest in early stage companies. He is excited to draw upon his 15-plus years of working in health care to develop this new innovative space.  

Rodriguez also was very excited to report that during his visit to the company, he completed the 204-mile Group Health Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Event, finishing in a single day. He credits training in the Texas heat, a la, Coach Gary Patterson style, which gave him an edge over competitors used to the less-harsh climate of the Pacific Northwest. Rodriguez  added that he finished ahead of some University of Texas jerseys in the process. 

Nice.

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U.S. Army Frogs in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Maj. Diana Loucks '96 (third from left) is the Space and Special Programs Chief for the newly established Combined Joint Task Force 4 (4th Infantry Division) of the serving in Afghanistan. 

Loucks wrote to us and shared this photo of her and members of TCU's Horned Frog Regiment, Army ROTC alumni from the classes of 1996, 2006 and 2011, who linked up while serving their country at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. 

From left, they are Lt. Col. Steven Tabat '96, who currently serves as the Executive Officer for 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Ready First Combat Team; Capt. Alexander "Zan" Morningstar '06, who serves as the Chief of Operational Law for the outgoing Combined Joint Task Force 3 (3rd Infantry Division), Regional Command (South); Maj. Diana Loucks '96; and 1st Lt. Michael Fernandez '11, who just started his tour serving as the Comptroller, Combined Task Force Dragoon, 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

Not shown is Lt. Col. Paul Weyrauch '94, who is currently commanding 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Please join us in saluting and supporting the proud Horned Frogs serving the United States of America abroad. 

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Homecoming treasures from the 80s

Lynn Drury Allen '88 of Fort Worth is moving to a new house and had some TCU treasures she thought we'd like to have. "I realize most items people donate are from way back, but are you interested in more recent items?" she asked us. 

Of course we were! 

Allen (shown at the bottom of this photo) had yearbooks from three of her four years at TCU (1986, 1987 and 1988), plus the 1984 Freshman supplement book and the 1985 Feature. She also had a copy of the comic book printed by TCU Daily Skiff editor and cartoonist Todd Camp '88. As a Tri Delt, she was often the butt of many of Camp's bow-hair jokes in his regular strip The Campus Underground. 

But some of the most precious items are various memorabilia from several mid-80s Homecomings. Allen was the Homecoming chair for the Programming Council and had kept a scrap book of personal photos, fliers, Skiff articles, even meeting notes. Also among her donation were a 1987 Homecoming poster, 1987 Homecoming t-shirt and various spirit buttons from the mid-80s.

"They were great memories, and I hope other Horned Frogs can enjoy them too," she said.

Here are some photos of other items Allen donated.

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Yearbook gifts from the Palmers

Dr. Ralph Palmer '48 and Rev. Mary Maxine Jones Palmer '47 of Fort Worth shared a heaping helping of TCU yearbooks and Horned Frog treasures.

The couple, which has been married since 1949, gave the magazine Horned Frogs from 1943, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951, plus Maxine's freshman beanie from 1946.

The Palmers had two daughters who became Horned Frogs, too. Elder daughter Angella Palmer Branch '85 contributed her old TCU Wrangler uniform shirt and purple hat to the donation. Younger daughter Carol Celeste Palmer '86 joked that she wasn't yet ready to part with her TCU memorabilia. 

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Limitless in Italy

Senior history major Chris Powers of Dallas was studying abroad in Florence, Italy, during the Spring 2013 semester, and he decided to take to the streets for the Maratona di Roma in the country's capital city. With "Limitless" written on his arm and a triumphant pose, it looks like Chris handled the 26.2-mile test with relative ease. We just wish he'd had a TCU flag instead of a Texas one. 

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