Alumni

Franklin Russell Snow

Franklin Russell Snow (’62), Pampa. As a student at North Texas, he ran on the track team under Winton “Pop” Noah and joined the Geezles. After graduating with an administrative management degree, he worked in the oil industry as a technical advisor and administrator for companies and was a private consultant to the oil industry until his retirement in 2016. His hobby was golf.

George ‘Joe’ V. Atkinson Jr.

George ‘Joe’ V. Atkinson Jr. (’76), Victoria. He spent his entire adult life helping people and serving his community as a law enforcement officer for 22 years, a member of the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He was an avid sports fan and supporter of anything UNT. For his last game, he watched the Mean Green’s overtime, come-from-behind victory against Rice in November. He loved the Mean Green and the “Not So Mean Green,” as he affectionately called them during any downtimes.

David Compton

David Compton (’49 M.S.), Athens, Georgia. He taught chemistry at West Texas A&M University, Colorado School of Mines and Prescott College in Arizona, and he also worked as a technical writer and editor. He wrote NASA's official history of Skylab in 1974 and one of the Apollo histories at Johnson Space Center's History Office. He wrote the chapter on NASA and space sciences in 100 Years of Science and Technology in Texas in 1986, published by Sigma Xi for its centenary and Texas' sesquicentennial. He was a writer/editor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory until he retired in 1993. He attended North Texas after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and serving as a Navy Aviation Radioman 3rd Class during World War II. He met the late Jane Walker (’50) at North Texas, and they married in 1950. He then earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin in 1956. He received an M.Sc. in the history of technology from Imperial College in London in 1972.

Elton (Tony) E. Clark

Elton (Tony) E. Clark (’57), Sherman. After graduating with a degree in marketing, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and worked for Pacific Mutual Finance in Denver. He then returned to his hometown of Sherman to work for his family’s business, Clark Equipment Company, for 30 years. He had a lifelong passion for cars, building and racing Formula V racing cars and Lotus sports cars.

George Utley

George Utley (’67), Ellinwood, Kansas. He had a career in oil and gas exploration. At North Texas, he was a lineman for the football team and a member of the Geezles, the fraternity that helped fund the Spiriki statue at UNT Apogee Stadium. He was included on the field for the dedication of Spiriki in the new stadium, and his name is enshrined on a plaque with other members of the fraternity who helped fund the statue.

Terry L. Childers

Terry L. Childers (’76 M.P.A.), Abilene. He was the first Black city manager in the state of Texas when he served as city administrator for the city of Celina. He also was the first Black city manager and, at 34, one of the nation’s youngest city managers for the city of Oklahoma City. Additionally, he worked for the cities of Austin, Tyler, College Station and Amarillo. After he left the public sector, he founded and headed Childers Construction Co., which contracted construction work at federal sites in more than 25 states. He was active on the boards for numerous organizations and served on the White House Minority Business Task Force. He also participated in several mission trips to Africa. He attended North Texas as a Clarence E. Ridley Scholar, sponsored by the Texas City Management Association.

Louise Abt Clay

Louise Abt Clay (’56), Liberty. She served at Texas Instruments as a computer programmer -- back when computers were huge and slow. She then worked at Halliburton in Houston, and also owned her own business, Animal Inn, for 25 years. Louise placed in the National Spelling Bee twice at age 11 and 12. She loved playing violin, piano and bridge. The mother of a child with special needs, she was active in organizations that helped supported living centers. Survivors include sister Sara Hatfield Thompson (’58).

Don Louis Knightstep

Don Louis Knightstep (’70) Plano. Over his 35-year career at Texas Instruments, Don held multiple managerial positions and retired in 2002 as the producibility and fabrication manager. Don married his college sweetheart, Stacy Lee Underwood (’65), in Dallas in 1965.

Daniel Goode

Daniel Goode (’17) Oak Point. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Italian. Daniel was a huge Dallas Stars fan and seldom missed a game. He had a passion for rock climbing, reading, mountain biking, playing video games with friends, snow skiing, karting, soccer and water skiing at Lake Lewisville. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Glen Goode (’55). Survivors include his paternal grandmother, Barbara Goode (’55).

Ronald Jay Redden

Ronald Jay Redden (’76), Kingwood. While at North Texas, he was an officer in Kappa Sigma fraternity, Inter-fraternity Council President and twice NTSU Greek of the Year. Ron graduated from the Baylor College of Dentistry earning his D.D.S. in 1980 and went on to earn a reputation as an unparalleled anesthesiologist and a trailblazer in dental anesthesiology. He practiced in Denton while teaching pharmacology at Texas Woman’s University before switching to the discipline of dental anesthesiology. Ron served his residency at the Medical College of Virginia and graduated in 1990. He taught at the University of Texas Dental Branch and later headed its Section of Anesthesiology in the Department of Oral Surgery. During this time, he also served for 18 years as a staff anesthesiologist at LBJ General Hospital. In 1997, he founded a private practice in dental anesthesia, Anesthesia Alternatives PLLC, in Houston. He continued teaching and published more than 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and authored chapters in textbooks and teaching manuals for the Texas Dental Association specialized courses. He served as President of the Texas Dental Society of Anesthesiology from 1998 to 2000, as an examiner of the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology and as a director of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists. As a leader in their national organization, he was a major contributor in enabling dental anesthesiology to gain specialty recognition by the American Dental Association, finally accomplished in 2019. Ron was honored as an Outstanding Alumni in the UNT Department of Biological Sciences. He was a lifetime member of the UNT Alumni Association. He also was an accomplished trombonist and a certified Peace Officer serving voluntarily as a Deputy in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

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