Alan H. Goldfield, 75, of Corinth, a longtime supporter of UNT, died Oct. 14. He was a member of The McConnell Society since 2010 and supported Mean Green Athletics in many ways, such as contributing to the campaign for a new football stadium.

James L. Danielson, 80, of Moorhead Minn., a former assistant professor of political science, died Sept. 20 in Moorhead, Minn. He worked at North Texas from 1967 to 1988. He finished his career at Minnesota State University. He was a member of the Moorhead City Council and the Fargo-Moorhead Master Chorale and was an avid baker and fisher. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

Rosemary Heffley (’65), 75, of Dallas, who worked as a lecturer in the UNT College of Music, died Jan. 29. She served as lecturer and conductor of the Concert Choir at UNT from 1997 to 2002 after teaching at Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University and Mesquite High School. She founded the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas and the Mesquite Civic Chorus. She served as president of the Texas Choral Directors Association from 1979 to 1981.

Russell Lee Welch, 75, senior lecturer in the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law, died April 19 in Denton. He first taught at North Texas from 1983 to 1988, when he left to open a law practice. He came back as a part-time lecturer in 1997 and became a full-time senior lecturer in 2013. He taught courses on the legal and ethical environment of business, corporation law, international law, and logistics and aviation law. He also served as the announcer at the G. Brint Ryan College of Business commencement ceremonies.

He was active in the Denton arts and music scene. He was a captain in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968, then went on to earn his bachelor’s and law degrees from Texas Tech University and his M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Don Cleveland, 83, of Denton, Professor Emeritus of information science, died April 17 in Denton. During his time at UNT from 1977 to 2004, he was a strong proponent of technology for information sciences. He created one of the earliest computer labs and encouraged his students to use technology and conduct research. He also developed the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in information science and brought the program to Houston.

He received grants from the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine and consulted for organizations such as the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rockefeller Foundation, Texas Library Association, Texas Instruments, IBM and Electronic Data Systems. He also developed a science and technology network for 17 African countries for a project funded by the World Health Organization.

He was a prolific writer, including eight books and a novel.

He served in the U.S. Army for two years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne College, a master’s in library science from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s in computer science and mathematics from Texas A&M University and his doctoral degree from Case Western Reserve University.

With his wife, Ana Cleveland, Regents Professor of information science, he was an active supporter of Denton and UNT and was involved with the Denton Community Health Clinic, which named its Health Champion Award after the couple. He also was a lifetime member of the UNT Alumni Association. Donations may be made to the Donald B. and Ana D. Cleveland Houston Endowed Scholarship and the Donald B. and Ana D. Cleveland Medical Informatics Endowed Scholarship.

A memorial service is planned for the fall.

Ken Ferstl (’63), 78, who taught in library science for 20 years, died Sept. 20 in Denton. He first worked at UNT from 1963 to 1964 as a cataloger in Willis Library. After earning a master’s in library science from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 1967, he began teaching at UNT in 1969. He briefly worked at Emily Fowler Library in Denton and then earned a Ph.D. in library science from Indiana University Bloomington in 1977 before returning to UNT. A member of the 1890 Society, he created the Kenneth L. Ferstl Scholarship in 2005. He received the UNT School of Library and Information Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award in 1989

James Swan, 71, of Denton, professor in health services, died May 30. He was known for his passion for research in public health studies in aging populations. He published numerous articles on the issue, mentored applied gerontology students and was a member of the Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association. He taught at the University of California in San Francisco, California State University in Long Beach and Wichita State University before coming to UNT in 2004. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wichita State University and his doctorate at Northwestern University. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama from 1969 to 1971. Colleagues remember him for his love of puns and statistics.

Peggy A. Richardson, 79, of Denton, Regents Professor of Kinesiology who taught physical education at UNT for 32 years, died July 26. She coached the women's softball and tennis teams, then served as assistant chair for 10 years and interim chair in kinesiology. She authored more than 40 articles in national and international journals, 10 book chapters and co-authored two books. She received the League for Professional Women Annual Award, served on the Women's Sports Foundation Advisory Board, was a certified consultant in sport psychology, was a fellow in the American Association for Applied Sport Psychology and was placed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. She retired in 2002 and established the Peggy A. Richardson Scholarship in Kinesiology. She was a member of the 1890 Society. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, master’s degree from Ohio State University and doctorate from Texas Woman's University.

Charles Jack Cross, Sr., 92, of Denton, Emeritus Professor of Education, died May 12, 2017, in Denton. He worked at UNT from 1955 to 1990 in a variety of positions, including professor of secondary education and chairman of the division of secondary and elementary education. He also served as the first president of the Faculty Senate and received the President’s Service Award. He was a mentor for 19 doctoral students. He also was active in the Denton Rotary Club and American Heart Association. After he retired, he enjoyed traveling, playing golf and spending time with his family. Before coming to North Texas, he worked as a high school science teacher and instructor at the University of Arkansas. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Arkansas and served three years in the U.S. Army Air Corps. 

John Boyd Corbin (’57), 83, of Albuquerque, Professor Emeritus in the UNT School of Library and Information Sciences, died June 3 in Albuquerque. He was a member of the faculty from 1973 to 1977 and from 1987 to 2000. When he arrived in 1973, he was an industrial engineer hired because his expertise in automation, systems design and library-based networks would help libraries adapt to computerization. He also wrote numerous books and publications, and he was named the Texas Library Association Librarian of the Year in 1981. In 1990, he received what is now the College of Information’s Hall of Fame award, and in 1989 and 1990 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award. While a student at North Texas, he was editor of the Call Number newsletter. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959, and later earned his master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma.