The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 4, Ed. 1, Tuesday, March 28, 2006 Page: 1 of 6

THE
BRAND
ISSV1S 4 VOLUME 94
HARDIN-SLMMONS UNIVERSITY
MARCH 28 2006
HSU Inducts New Honorees to Hall of Leaders
by Crystal Koe
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ESI
In the mood for ice cream?
coffee? Have both at new
Third Rock.
Read the story on pg. 2.
Dr. Kelly Piggott is HSU's new
chaplain.
More about him on pg. 4
Cowgirls make it to the Final
Four
More on pg. 5
BWSSSS yiiinKSsi ''ski'- JH
George Crane wrote the new
musical "Charlie and Mollie"
His story on pg. 6
staff writer
The Hardin-Simmons
University Hall of Leaders was
established to recognize alumni
who have shown themselves to be
great examples in leadership and
innovation. This year six individ-
uals will be formally inducted into
the Hall of Leaders at the end of
the month.
Frank Juncll
From his early days at Simmons
College Frank Junell was an inspi-
ration to many. While at Simmons
he was vice president of the fresh-
man class president of the sopho-
more class a member of various
clubs and organizations editor
of The Brand and publicity man-
ager for the Texas Intercollegiate
Press Association. He graduated
with a B.A. in 1937 and went on
to obtain his Master's degree in
journalism from the University of
Missouri in Columbia. Continuing
at Simmons as an instructor of
journalism Junell went on to be
the registrar and chairman of the
journalism department of the cur-
rent University of Texas until 1941
when he joined the U.S. Navy and
achieved the rank of Captain in the
U.S. Naval Reserve.
In 1952 he returned to the Forty
Acres as the financial vice presi-
dent and served for two years
before going on to head many
financial institutions. A civic as
well as financial leader Junell was
on the boards of various organiza-
tions; among many others he was
chairman and a trustee of HSU.
HSU acknowledged his hard work
and generous spirit by conferring
upon him an honorary doctorate
of laws degree in 1986. In 1999 he
received the Keeter Alumni Award
the highest Alumni award offered
by the university.
Frank Junell died on October 15
2000 at the age of 85 before he
could see the completion of the
San Angelo State University Junell
Center or his induction into the
HSU Hall of Leaders.
Truett Latimer
Truett Latimer received a busi-
ness degree from the University in
1951 after having served as an offi-
cer of the senior class and entered
a career in insurance. From the
age of 25 he was elected and
reelected onto the Texas House
of Representatives and served as
State Representative until 1962.
During his tenure in the House he
was also the University's alumni
director for seven years.
In 1962 he went on to direct the
public relations efforts of the
Texas Association of Realtors for
three years going on to become
the executive director of the Texas
Historical Commission. After
sixteen years he left to accept
the position of vice president for
marketing and public relations
with Spaw-Glass Construction.
In 1986 he became president of
the Houston Museum of Natural
Science and brought the museum
up to its current world-class stan-
dard making it the fourth-largest
visited museum in the country. He
retired in 2001 but remains active
as trustee emeritus and continues
to travel worldwide to produce
films through his company Truett
Latimer Productions.
He is a lifetime member of the
HSU Presidents Club received the
HSU Distinguished Alumni Award
in 1991 and in 1996 he received an
honorary doctorate of laws degree
from HSU. Truett Latimer contin-
ues to serve as the current presi-
dent of the Board of Development
of HSU.
William Francis McBeth
All his life William Francis
McBeth had been immersed in the
world of music. He began arrang-
ing music while participating in
his high school band. When he
came to HSU McBeth composed
pieces and played the trumpet in
the Cowboy Band receiving the
Presley Medal in 1954 the highest
honor awarded to a Cowboy Band
member.
After graduating in 1955 he entered
military service where he played in
the 101st Airborne Division Band
and in the 98th Army Band. Upon
discharge from the Army he fin-
ished his master's work in the
University of Texas and joined the
faculty of the music department at
Ouachita Baptist College. He took
a leave of absence to pursue his
doctorate at the Eastman School
of Music after which he returned
to become the chairman of the the-
orycomposition department. His
first published work was Second
Suite for Band in i960.
From 1968 to 1972 he conducted
the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
and was then elected conductor
emeritus. When he retired from
Ouachita University in 1996 he was
appointed trustees' distinguished
university professor. Among the
numerous awards he has received
is the ASCAP Special Award that
he has accepted each consecutive
year from 1965 to the present.
HSU conferred upon him an hon-
orary doctorate in music in 1971
and the Distinguished Alumni
Award in 1996. In 1975 he was
appointed Composer Laureate of
the State of Arkansas by the gover-
nor the first such appointment in
the United States.
Betty Pearce Stephenson
Dr. Betty Pearce Stephenson grad-
uated with a B.A. from HSU in
1947 completed a year of graduate
work in chemistry at the University
of Colorado and entered Baylor
College of Medicine. She graduated
in 1953 spent a years' internship in
Missouri returned to Houston for
her residency and practiced there
until retirement.
Throughout her busy career and
family life Betty found time to
participate in numerous civic
religious and professional asso-
ciations. She was president of the
Texas Society of Anesthesiologists
and the Gulf Coast Society of
Anesthesiologists and served
three years on the board of the
Harris County Medical Society
before becoming the first woman
president of the society. She has
held the positions of secretary-
treasurer treasurer and president
of the Texas Medical Association
and has been a member of the TMA
board of trustees and an alternate
delegate to the American Medical
Association House of Trustees.
In 1986 she received the
Distinguished Alumni Award
from HSU and two years later
she received the same award from
Baylor College of Medicine. In 1994
she received an honorary doctor-
ate of humanities degree from the
University. Dr. Stephenson has
distinguished herself by assisting
in paving the way for women to
achieve their goals without ques-
tion from society.
Willis Whitfield
Willis Whitfield graduated from
HSU in 1952 with a B.S. in phys-
ics and mathematics and went
on to graduate studies at George
Washington University before
accepting a position at the Naval
Research lab in Maryland. His work
continued on page 2.
A Look Back at Mission Gulfport
by Jay Patterson
religion editor
I began to re-assess why
I was up on a Gulfport Miss
roof as I stared 25 feet straight
down to the solid ground cov-
ered in grass nails pieces of
wood and rocks. "We're doing
it all for Jesus" I assured
myself as I crept closer to the
button tack that needed to be
nailed in to secure the tarpa-
per on the roof.
Others were catch-
ing up on schoolwork and
enjoying long-awaited and
much-needed rest and relax-
ation. I along with 57 other
students and adults from
Hardin-Simmons University
took a 16-hour drive down
to Grace Memorial Baptist
Church along the Gulf Coast
of Mississippi to serve with by hurricane Katrina.
CBMI Ministries ministering Among the many needs
to the community through the we encountered at Gulfport it
rebuilding of houses affected continued on page 2.
HSU University Queen Shea Sims snaps a chalk line while re-roofing a home.
Photo courtesy ofKristie Stokes.