Range Rider

their children had to work their way through college, it would be unreasonable to expect them to walk to and from HSU as well as to work. After much thought and prayer, they decided that if they could move to within easy walking distance of HSU, and that if they would communicate well and often with their children concerning their college expectations, as a family we might make it happen. In February, 1928, they launched their grand scheme. They sold our home and bought another located two blocks east of HSU. The address was 742 Sandefer St., a street named for Jefferson Davis Sandefer, the sixth president of Simmons College. THE GRAND SCHEME WORKED! All four of us received Bachelor’s degrees from HSU: Aletha in 1945; I did in 1947; Frank in 1949, Magna Cum Laude; and David in 1951, Summa Cum Laude. We boys were honored with membership in Alpha Chi, a national organization for small colleges and universities recognizing academic achievement. When David graduated, Daddy said to Mother something he always said when they accomplished a significant goal (and they considered all four children graduating from HSU among their most significant), “Honey, we put our program across”. It was only necessary for the folks to fund limited expenses for Aletha as the pay rate for girls was so much lower than for boys. Of course, their furnishing free room and board within easy walking distance of HSU made the difference. We have always been grateful to our parents and HSU for providing a wonderful educational foundation and for instilling in us the importance of contributing to the world around us. As we all know, it’s not just the education that counts – it’s also what you do with it. After HSU, Aletha became a Registered Nurse, earned a Master’s degree from the Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth and then, for over sixteen years, served as a Southern Baptist medical missionary in Joinkrama, a very small village in western Nigeria. While there she became fluent in the Ibo dialect. After returning she authored a book titled “More Than A Memory”, a great read for anyone interested in foreign missions. She then earned two more University degrees and became the Assistant Dean of the School of Nursing at Hendricks Hospital. She also served as the Chief Executive of the World Health Organization headquartered in Atlanta, GA, sponsored by Lillian Carter, President Jimmy Carter’s mother. Aletha was named a Distinguished Alumna of HSU in 1981. She passed away in 1992. Even though HSU’s Logsdon Chapel was completed in 1988, Aletha’s funeral was the first to be held there. Both Frank and I became Vice Presidents of Geophysical Service, Inc. (GSI), at the time the world’s largest contractor for oil exploration services, and the genesis of Texas Instruments. Frank also served on HSU’s Development Board for a number of years. Both of us had interesting and productive second careers after retiring from GSI/TI. After becoming a physician with a specialty in Psychiatry, David served as a faculty member at U.T. Southwestern Medical School for eight years. He then helped to found the U.T. Medical School in San Antonio when it began in 1968. After teaching there for 27 years, he retired as a Professor of Psychiatry. Without our parents developing and implementing a 20+ year plan and providing love, a strong value compass, moral support and continuous encouragement, I’m sure our lives would have turned out very differently. Frank and wife Joan live in Dallas. David lives in San Antonio. My wife Pat and I live in Richardson. —Roy L. Fuller, (’47) RANGE RIDER | FALL-WINTER 2017 41