SAU to honor six alumni at dinner
MAGNOLIA, Ark.,— Six alumni of Southern Arkansas University will be recognized at the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Dinner to be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center located on the University campus.
Harold Jameson will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Jameson earned his B.A. in 1954 from then-Southern State College.
Since graduating from SAU, Jameson worked for the U.S. Postal Service, retiring after 31 years. He was the sports editor for the Banner-News for more than 40 years. After serving as SAU sports information director for seven years, Jameson moved from full to part-time responsibilities. He served in the Army National Guard from 1950-1984, retiring as first sergeant after more than 34 years.
While at SAU, he was the sports writer for the Bray, participated in all intramural sports, was the statistician/scorekeeper for varsity sports, and was a member of the Army National Guard.
Jameson, of Magnolia, is still very involved with SAU. He was inducted into the SAU Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Arkansas Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2007. He has faithfully attended all athletic functions and served as a member of the Alumni
Association. Jameson is also a member of the Rider Club (Blue Club) and contributes to the SAU Sports Hall of Fame and the recruiting of athletes.
Jameson and wife Betty have two children, Jay and wife Tamara, Jill and husband, Marc Anderson, and five grandchildren.
Rodney N. “Rod” Whalen will be recognized as a Distinguished Golden Rider.
Whalen attended Southern State College where he was a dean’s list student, Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference tennis singles champion in both 1953 and 1954, and statistician for the Mulerider football team. He transferred to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Geology.
After graduating from LSU, Whalen entered the U.S. Navy Flight Training Program in Pensacola, Fla. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. He was editor and contributing writer for Approach Magazine, an aviation safety publication for military flight crews worldwide, and for Mech Magazine, a publication for aviation maintenance crews. Whalen retired from the Navy in 1978 after more than 20 years of service at the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Whalen has had a long and distinguished career in tennis, both as a player and a coach. He was named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics New England District, the Mayflower Conference, and the Eastern Section of the U. S. Professional Tennis Association.
He earned a master’s degree in Labor and Policy Studies from Empire State College, State University of New York, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He was employed by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees in Albany, N.Y. as an Industrial Hygienist and was named New York State Director of Occupational Safety and Health for United University Professions.
Whalen authored nine occupational safety and health training manuals, was a member of the National Safety and Health Committee for the American Federation of Teachers, and was honored by the Northeast New York Chapter of the National Safety Council as Safety Professional of the Year.
Whalen and wife Evelyn are retired and living in Tyler, Texas, where he plays tennis several times a week and volunteers his time teaching juniors in Jacksonville, Texas.
Ronald D. Richards will also be recognized as a Distinguished Golden Rider.
Richards graduated from then-Southern State College in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and economics. He was active as a cheerleader, member of Tri-C Business Club and Stagecrafters.
After graduation, Richards studied real estate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and is a licensed real estate broker in Texas.
Richards was an assistant to the vice president of drilling and production at Crystal Oil Company in Shreveport, Louisiana, before joining Hunt Oil Company in 1972, where he managed the Hunt Oil Company employee pension fund’s real estate.
As executive vice president at Woodbine Development Corporation– a wholly owned subsidiary of Hunt Oil Company–he oversaw all aspects of the company’s land corporate developments, from project inception through completion. He retired from Woodbine in 1995, but continues to consult with the company on special projects. In 1998, he was appointed as an advisory board member to Loyal Trust No. 2, a major stock holder of RRH Corporation which owns various corporate entities, including Hunt Oil Company.
Richards, who resides in Dallas, is also an active member and Trustee of Preston Highlands Baptist Church where he has served on various committees.
Ed Choate will be recognized as a Distinguished Alumni.
Choate earned his B.B.A. in Business Management from Southern State College in 1975 and his B.S.E. in Business Education from Southern Arkansas University in 1977. He is president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Arkansas.
Choate credits Coach Rip Powell as having a lasting influence on his life: “Through an athletic scholarship, Coach Powell was instrumental in my getting a college education and, equally important, he provided much needed guidance, support and ‘tough love’ during my years at SAU.”
Another person Choate credits with having a lasting influence on his life is his wife, Marilyn, whom he met while attending Southern State College in 1973. They have been happily married for 30 years and have two children, David and Lauren.
While attending SAU, Choate played football for the Muleriders from 1971-1974, receiving All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference honors in 1973 and 1974. He was also chosen to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All America Team in 1974.
Since leaving SAU, he has contributed to Coach Powell’s scholarship fund, attended Homecoming football games— including reunions of the 1972 AIC Champion football team, and attended graduation ceremonies of family members.
Choate, who lives in Conway, currently serves on several organizations and boards and has been a speaker at numerous business functions, meetings, and board retreats across the country. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Oral Health Humanitarian Award and in 2006, was named Arkansas Business Executive of the Year. Since joining Delta Dental as CEO in 2000, the company has been awarded the 2004 Corporate Philanthropy Award, and in 2005 and 2006, received the Governor’s Family Friendly Award.
Also to be recognized as a Distinguished Alumni is William (Bill) Stringfellow.
Stringfellow attended Southern State College from 1951-1952, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1953-1957, and returned to Southern State College in 1957, earning his bachelor of business administration degree in 1960. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville in 1973, and Education for Ministry degree from the University of the South, School of Theology in Sewanee, Tenn. in 1995.
Stringfellow is a member of the American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association, and American Corporate Counsel Association. He is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Arkansas. He is also licensed by the Arkansas Insurance Department.
While a student at SAU, Stringfellow received many honors. He was in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities (1959-1960), Alpha Chi, the National Honor Scholastic Society (1959), and received the Wall Street Journal Achievement Award for Outstanding Student in the SAU College of Business Administration.
Stringfellow’s wife, the former Betty Jo Davis, also attended Southern State College during this time. Together, they have remained active in supporting SAU both physically and financially for more than 50 years.
They are members of the Tower Society of the SAU Foundation and have endowed two William R. & Betty Jo Stringfellow Scholarship Funds to benefit SAU College of Business students. As members of the Legacy Society, they established the William R. and Betty J. Stringfellow Charitable Remainder Trust with Southern Arkansas University Foundation as beneficiary for the benefit of the SAU College of Business. The Little Rock residents also made substantial contributions to the SAU Foundation for the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center Campaign. In addition, Stringfellow is also a member of the Advisory Council to the SAU College of Business and a member of the Board of Governors.
In a statement to the Banner-News, May 8, 2000, Stringfellow summed it up as follows: “SAU is very special to both of us and we feel strongly that our SAU education and background played an important role in our successful business and professional careers. Consequently, we trust that our gifts, both living and testamentary, will provide deserving and promising students similar opportunities.”
Jordan Babineaux will be recognized as the Young Alumni award recipient.
Babineaux graduated from SAU in May, 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. His emphasis was in broadcast journalism with a minor in print journalism.
While a student at SAU, Babineaux not only showed leadership on the football field by earning second-team All-American honors, but also in the academic field by taking a load of 23 hours his final semester in order to finish college in four years. He was a member of Omega Si Phi fraternity and got a work study job cleaning the business building in the summer to make extra money for the school year.
After graduating from SAU, Babineaux won a place on the Seattle Seahawks roster in 2004. He, along with his brother Jonathan, were inducted into the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s Hall of Fame in June 2007. He has joined the Inspire My Kids network, is part-owner of a restaurant franchise near Houston, Texas, and is one of the key organizers in an annual golf tournament fundraiser for Lupus near his hometown in Port Arthur, Texas.
In September, Babineaux signed a five year contract extension with the Seahawks.
Although his life in Kirkland, Washington is thousands of miles away from Magnolia, he has not forgotten some of his favorite memories about SAU or the lessons he learned while here. For Babineaux, choosing to pursue higher education was an important step in growing up.
“Being away from parents and away from home in an outside environment makes you be able to learn to adapt and start over. It is a great survival skill.”
For more information about the Distinguished Alumni Dinner, please call the Office of Alumni Relations at 870-235-4079.
