When Felix Madrigal's ('68) oldest brother, Eleno ('58), started at North Texas State College, a UNT family legacy was set in motion that would span over seven decades, three generations and eight family members. Felix, from a large Hispanic family rooted in Hutchins, Texas, met his wife of 59 years, Aurora ('65) in 1964 at North Texas. Aurora's roommate was Felix's older sister, Rose ('66), and they lived together in Marquis Hall.

"Rose did portraits for one of her classes and had one of Felix in our room," Aurora remembers. "I was intrigued and so she arranged a date."

For their first date, they cheered on the football team at the North Texas Homecoming game, and the rest was history. Felix and Aurora married in 1966 and had three children. At the time, Felix was uncertain about marriage due to the Vietnam War, but was not drafted due to a knee injury. He became a CPA, worked for Braniff International Airways, and then moved into the computer industry at Universal Computing Company (UCC).

Felix became a budget analyst for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, retiring at age 73. He also played semi-professional baseball and officiated and coached for 43 years. Another of Felix's sisters, Celeste, graduated from UNT in 1960.

Ranked third in her high school class, Aurora Madrigal was first in her family of five siblings to attend college, encouraged by mentors who saw her potential.

"Back then, women either studied to be a nurse or a teacher, so I studied teaching," she says.

She soon discovered teaching wasn't her calling and focused on raising her family. In 1996, she earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University at the age of 50. Starting in legal aid, she was appointed associate judge in family law in Dallas. She retired in 2013.

"Education in our family has always just been a big deal, and continues to be, no matter how old we are," Aurora says.

The Madrigals' UNT legacy continues with one of their five grandchildren, freshman Sabine Madrigal, who is studying criminal justice. Sabine lives in Maple Hall, where Felix's sister, Juanita Madrigal ('69), lived while attending North Texas. Sabine's mother, Heather Lowry, studied fashion merchandising at UNT from 1999 to 2001.

"I love how diverse it is here," Sabine says. "There's a lot of different cultures."

Reflecting on their time at North Texas, Aurora and Felix cherish the memories.

"Oh, the jazz band -- the One O'Clock! They played every Friday at the old Union building, and I loved listening to them," Aurora remembers.

"I loved the sporting events and the lasting friendships I still have today," Felix says.