James B. Clouser, 89, of Tucson, Arizona, a professor of dance and renowned dancer and choreographer who taught at UNT in the 1990s, died July 31.

While studying composition, theory and French horn performance at the Eastman School of Music, he pivoted and joined the American Ballet Theatre. In 1959 he became the principal dancer with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and went on to serve as ballet master, resident choreographer and acting director of the Houston Ballet, founder of Space/Dance/Theater and artistic director of the Dayton Ballet in Ohio.

James choreographed for numerous dance companies in the United States, Canada and Europe. Some of his noted works included Carmina Burana, Ear to Stone (presented at the Avignon Festival in France) and the Shakespeare-inspired rock ballet Caliban.

His pedagogical studies led him to the Royal Ballet Schools in London and Copenhagen and the Bolshoi and Kirov Schools in Russia. He was appointed to the faculties of the Juilliard School, Connecticut College and the American Dance Festival and chaired the programs in fine arts at Loretto Heights College in Denver and the ballet and modern dance department at Texas Christian University.

He joined the UNT dance faculty in 1993 and taught a broad range of classes, including all levels of ballet technique. His studies in kinesiology and training in both ballet and modern dance gave him a unique approach to teaching that worked for all types of dancers, and his students learned about philosophy, history, science and all the arts along the way. Works he choreographed were performed by UNT students at the American College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as well as in Europe.

After teaching at UNT for seven years, he retired — and then spent 18 years on the dance faculty at the University of Arizona. He received the James R. Anthony Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award from UA’s College of Fine Arts, and in 2015, the CORPS de Ballet International organization presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. At age 84, before retiring a second time, he directed and choreographed a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass at the Tucson Desert Song Festival.

Dr. James Ward Lee, 93, Professor Emeritus of English who worked at UNT from 1958 to 1999, died July 8 in Denton. During his time at UNT he was chair of the Department of English, a founder of the Center for Texas Studies, and an author and editor at the UNT Press.

He served in the U.S. Navy on the destroyers USS Renshaw and USS Radford during the Korean War and later, aboard the Radford, observed above-ground hydrogen bomb tests in the South Pacific.

Jim then used the G.I. Bill to pay for his education, earning a bachelor’s from Middle Tennessee State University and a master’s from Auburn before doing further graduate work at the University of Arkansas. He joined North Texas as an instructor in English, and after a short leave to complete his Ph.D. at Auburn, he returned to move up the ranks to full professor and chair of the department.

In 1986, he became the director for the new Center for Texas Studies, working with coordinating director and resident professor of Texas studies A.C. Greene. The center was the first of its kind in the state, serving as a clearinghouse for Texas literature, art, geography, history and politics, as well as sponsoring conferences and undertaking projects on Texas life and culture. Jim received the President’s Award, then the highest honor bestowed by the university, in 1988.

He was the editor of 1941: Texas Goes to War, published by the UNT Press in 1991 as part of the center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and Texas’ entry into World War II. He also was the author of Texas My Texas, The Girls of the Golden West and A Texas Jubilee, among other books. A well-known folklorist, he would fictionalize colorful characters from his childhood in rural Alabama and reset them in his adopted state.

He was past president of the Texas Folklore Society and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He received the A.C. Greene Award, given annually to a distinguished Texas author for lifetime achievement, during the West Texas Book Festival.

After retiring from UNT, he moved to Fort Worth, working as an editor for the TCU Press and continuing to write. He had just moved back to Denton this year. At his request, no services are planned. He will be interred at the Bold Springs Presbyterian Cemetery in Leeds, Alabama, alongside his parents.

Dr. Robert King Bane (’60, ’65 M.Ed.), 85, Professor Emeritus of education, died June 28. He taught at UNT for 36 years.

Born in Denton and raised in Garland, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at North Texas and a doctorate in elementary education from the University of Florida. He joined the education faculty at North Texas in 1970 and became known for his outstanding support of doctoral students, especially when they were writing their dissertations, and his supervision of student teachers.

He was one of the first professors to introduce computers to the College of Education, and he developed and ran the computer lab for many years. His family says a favorite time of year for him was always Homecoming week, when he would attend the parade with his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed attending football games and Theta Chi alumni functions during the year.

With a passion for computer technology, he formed a company called Schoolhouse Software and developed a gradebook program designed for schools and teachers. He also was a movie buff and owned photography studios that specialized in portrait and wedding photography.

A celebration of his life is scheduled for July 3 at Mulkey-Bowles-Montgomery Funeral Home, 705 N. Locust St., Denton. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. and the service will begin at 11 a.m.

Luther Paden Neeley, 88, Denton, Professor Emeritus of accounting and founding director of the Professional Development Institute, died May 31.

A native of Arkansas, he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Arkansas State University and was a Distinguished Military Graduate of its ROTC program. He served in the National Guard and on active duty during the Berlin crisis. He then went on to earn an M.B.A. at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and became the first person to earn a Ph.D. in accounting there.

He joined the business faculty at UNT in 1960 and became a pillar of what is now the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. During his more than 40 years with the university, he was recognized for excellence as an educator and wrote numerous accounting textbooks and other materials. He was named a Faculty All-Star Teacher in 1967 and an Outstanding Professor in the business college in 1975.

From 1973 to 1999, he served as the founding director of PDI, a not-for-profit education corporation specializing in continuing education and certification for business professionals. He also served as a vice president for the American Institute of CPAs.

He was a member of the Chilton Society and received UNT’s Honorary Alumnus Award in 2002 for his outstanding devotion, service and support to the university. Former students established The Paden Neeley Professorship for Teaching Excellence in Accounting at UNT in 2006 as a testament to his lasting impact.

A longtime deacon, he was active in churches in Denton for decades, and was known as “Doc” to his grandchildren and many friends.

A funeral service is set for 2 p.m. June 4 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 300 W. Oak St. in Denton. A graveside service will take place at 11 a.m. June 6 at Wiles Cemetery in Ash Flat, Arkansas.

Rollin “Rollie” A. Sininger, 93, Canton, began at North Texas in 1971 as vice president of students and retired as a Department of Psychology faculty member. He served in the U.S. Air Force, teaching pilots to fly fighter planes during the Korean War, and also played third base on the Air Force’s softball team the year it claimed the world championship title. While in the military, he moved to San Antonio where he met his wife, Barbara. Rollie earned a doctor of education from the University of Texas, where he was assistant dean of students prior to joining North Texas. In his free time, he enjoyed improving his home and land and was involved in the lives of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Leslie Rae Roberts, 62, of McKinney, principal lecturer in the Department of Public Administration, died April 30.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and a juris doctorate from the University of Tulsa, she worked in Liechtenstein as an attorney for Hilti Group and then returned stateside to work for Mary Kay Inc. as an attorney and lobbyist. She practiced law for more than 20 years and had more than eight years’ experience working as a mediator in business, probate, employment, education and family disputes.

She joined UNT in 2006 as an adjunct to support and build the alternative dispute resolution program and then joined the faculty full time in 2011, continuing to use her law degree to teach dispute resolution courses while developing and teaching public administration courses in UNT's Coursera B.A.A.S. program. 

Named the UNT Foundation Outstanding Lecturer for 2021-22, she was known for meeting students where they were to help them succeed and excelled in advising graduating students on their next steps. 

A memorial service is scheduled at 10 a.m. May 10 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen.

Dr. Pete A.Y. Gunter, 87, Professor Emeritus and founding chair of UNT’s philosophy department, died March 6 in Dallas. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1958, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Cambridge University in 1960 and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University in 1963. During the 1960s, he taught at Auburn University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and joined Civil Rights marchers in Alabama and Tennessee.

He joined the UNT faculty in 1969 as the first chair of the philosophy department. His work to bridge the gap between philosophy and ecology/environmentalism helped lead to UNT’s graduate programs in environmental philosophy. He also was instrumental in establishing the Big Thicket National Preserve, the nation’s first biological preserve, in Southeast Texas and continued to add to and advocate for it.

Pete was internationally recognized for his scholarship on Henri Bergson and published articles and books about the French philosopher’s work. His last book on Bergson, Getting Bergson Straight, was published in 2023. He also wrote books about the Big Thicket, novels and historical writings, as well as music, including folk songs and classical piano compositions. For the better part of 50 years, he served as chair of the board for the Foundation for the Philosophy of Creativity and its societies. Survivors include his wife, Liz ('85 Ph.D.), and daughter, Sheila ('12 M.A.).

A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m. May 25 at UNT’s Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building, Room 110, and will be streamed on Zoom.

Dr. John Baen, 75, Argyle, a professor of real estate in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business who was the mainstay of the UNT real estate program for close to 40 years, died April 9 in Costa Rica.

Baen earned his Ph.D. in real estate from Texas A&M University in 1982 and joined UNT in 1985. He wrote more than 70 articles and five books, and had served the American Real Estate Society as a representative and director of the International Real Estate Society, as well as the Texas Land and Minerals Association as a vice president from 2012 to 2013. He lectured and delivered speeches in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden, South Africa, South America and throughout the U.S. He was a much-sought-after speaker for numerous industry events. His work and views received coverage in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, USA Today, ABC News, and various other national and regional newspapers.

In addition to his academic work, he served as a commercial real estate broker, certified real estate appraiser, certified right–of–way agent, expert witness and consultant. He was a co-founder and principal of Real Capital Investments, a retail investment brokerage firm focused on the sale and advisory of single tenant, net leased properties, shopping centers and sale-leaseback transactions nationwide. He was also the founder and principal of Baen and Company, an internationally recognized oil and gas valuation, lease negotiation, mineral management and expert witness firm.

He leaves behind a legacy of profound impact on his current and former students, colleagues and the real estate industry. He was deeply passionate about teaching, making a difference for his students and maintaining strong connections with industry. He mentored and stayed in touch with former students, many of whom became successful in the real estate industry.

Baen also was known for his deep love of family and boundless energy. He is survived by his four children: Hunter Wood Baen, Jennifer Joyce Baen, Jaxon Spencer Baen and Jaeger Roe Baen. Baen’s love for and knowledge of the great outdoors allowed him to travel widely and undertake many great adventures with his children. Baen most recently was very active in the lives of his youngest children, Jaxon and Jaeger, attending their numerous school activities and football games, while encouraging and developing their hobbies in hunting, chess and archery.

A celebration of his life is scheduled at 10 a.m. April 22 in the Murchison Performing Arts Center on the UNT campus.

Helen Leath (’56, ’58 M.A., ’79 Ph.D.), 92, Denton, who taught English at UNT for more than 40 years, died March 2. She earned three degrees in English from North Texas and joined the faculty after earning her master’s degree in 1958. In 1986, she was awarded a Fulbright and spent two years teaching English in Romania.

As a faculty member, she served as a sponsor of the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society and the Junior Mary Arden honorary literary society for freshman women, both organizations she had been a member of as a student. She also was the editor of Southwest American Literature and known for writing fiction.

Following her retirement in 2000, she created wearable quilted art and was a Bernina designer whose work was shown at various conferences and galleries. She enjoyed knitting, drawing, singing and learning languages including Greek, Hebrew, Spanish and Korean. She was finishing her last novel, which her children hope to publish.

A celebration of life is scheduled at 2 p.m. March 22 at the Denton Good Samaritan Village chapel, 2500 Hinkle Drive.

Dan Haerle (’66 M.M.), 86, Denton, a Professor Emeritus who taught for 35 years in the College of Music’s jazz studies division and brought great innovations to the jazz program, died March 2.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1961. He had been teaching instrumental music at the elementary and secondary levels when he came to North Texas as a graduate student in 1963 — attracted by the jazz program he had heard about by word of mouth. While earning his master’s in music composition, he became a teaching assistant for jazz studies director Leon Breeden, directing a lab band and teaching arranging and improvisation.

After graduating, he taught, wrote music and performed in Kansas, California, Florida, New York and Arizona before returning to join the North Texas jazz faculty in 1977. He taught jazz piano, fundamentals and advanced improvisation and went on to supervise the jazz chamber music program and direct the Jazz Strings. Pioneering the concept of electronic keyboard ensembles at universities, he also formed and directed The Zebras. Among other innovations, he developed weekly meetings called jazz forums for the small jazz groups, created several jazz fundamentals courses, wrote textbooks that became widely used in other universities, established a Jazz MIDI Performance Lab and created the first online course in the college.

He received the ’Fessor Graham award, the highest award given by the student body, in 1990, and was named a Regents Professor in 1992. He retired from full-time teaching in 2002 and served as an adjunct for another 10 years. He was inducted into the International Association of Jazz Education Hall of Fame and received the Jazz Education Network’s LeJENd of Jazz Education award and the Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month Jazz Educator of the Year award.

Also a performer, he toured with the Stan Kenton Band and the Clark Terry Quintet and played with Mel Torme, Al Jarreau and Pat Metheny, among others. He was active as a jazz clinician and guest artist nationally and internationally. In 2015, he received the Sammons Jazz Artist of the Year award.