1970s
Lewis R. Sifford, BA ’71, JD ’72, accomplished trial lawyer and founding officer of Sifford, Anderson & Company PC in Dallas, was honored by Baylor Law as its 2019 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. Baylor Law hosted a May 1 luncheon at the Belo Mansion. He received the recognition from Dean Brad Toben and Ike Vanden Eykel, president of the Baylor Law Alumni Association. Sifford has been a Leon Jaworski Fellow at Baylor Law since 2012, volunteering his time and expertise to help train the next generation of Baylor Law students in its award-winning Practice Court Program. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Academy of the Advocate, Baylor Law’s study abroad program at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Sifford’s practice includes complex commercial litigation and catastrophic personal injury and death cases, where he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants. He has conducted more than 300 continuing legal education presentations, trial demonstrations, and ethics seminars in 26 states and overseas. Sifford has tried more than 150 civil jury trials to verdict.
Thomas A. Forbes, JD ’75, joined the firm of Butler Snow’s Austin office, focusing his practice on government affairs, regulatory matters and business transactions. He frequently represents clients before the Texas Legislature, state and federal regulatory agencies, U.S. Congress, federal executive branch and other state governments. He was recognized as Austin’s government relations practice Lawyer of the Year in 2017.
Keith Herron, BA ’75, of St. Louis published Living a Narrative Life: Essays on the Power of Stories through Smyth & Helwys. This book gives individuals and narrative groups a format for exploring their life of stories from beginning to end.
Marilea W. Lewis, BA ’75, JD ’78, joined Dallas-based family law firm Duffee + Eitzen as a partner. Lewis was again named to the Best Lawyers In Dallas list by D Magazine and named a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. Lewis presented at the second-annual Advanced Child Protection Law course in April. Contact at 4311 Oak Lawn Ave. Ste. 600, Dallas, TX 75219 or marilea@d-elaw.com.
Longtime NFL writer with the Houston Chronicle, John McClain, BA ’75, is among eight writers and broadcasters who will be honored later this year by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. The honorees are the first media representatives selected for induction into the state hall since 2004.
Lifelong church musician Benjamin Harlan, BM ’76, MM ’79, has lived a dynamic musical score for more than 40 years. As the writer, composer and professor reaches his career’s coda, he decided to write in one last crescendo. Harlan organized a May 15 event called The Big Sing. Harlan is minister of music at University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. Harlan has served on the faculty of two Baptist seminaries — New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Theological Seminary.
Retired military chaplain Norris Burkes, BA ’79, who writes a syndicated column offering a hope-filled approach to everyday spirituality, received the 2019 Will Rogers Humanitarian Award sponsored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. The award was presented June 21 at the NSNC conference in Buffalo, NY.
Dr. Lucinda Davenport, BA ’79, is a professor in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. She recently stepped aside as director of the School of Journalism after 10 years. Davenport was awarded Michigan State University’s Robert F. Banks Award for Outstanding Leadership, Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism L.J. Hortin Distinguished Alumna Award and the state of Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s John V. Field Award for the advancement of scholastic journalism. Davenport was previously awarded as Outstanding Woman in Journalism and Mass Communication Education by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and has garnered other teaching and research awards.
Stan Lueck, BS ’79, founded RODI Systems in 1995. As president of the Aztec, NM-based firm, he grew the business, molding the company into a worldwide leader in the design and fabrication of high-performance water treatment systems. Lueck’s efforts are detailed in an April 22 article by Thomas Network.
After 10 years in the business world and another 25 practicing at the Texas clinic he owned, Corsicana Chiropractic, Dr. Frank Means, BBA ’79, and his wife Melissa are adjusting to retired life in Florida. A big believer in “all things in moderation,” Frank says he only plays golf once a day. Contact at 3422 Saginaw Ave., The Villages, FL 32163 or fmeans@thevillages.net.
In May, Jack Sears, BSEd ’79, received his PhD in education from the University of Texas at Austin. He and Mara Boto Sears, BSEd ’80, his wife of 39 years, live in Philadelphia, where Jack is on faculty in the kinesiology department at Temple University. The Searses served 17 years with the International Missions Board in Africa, Europe and Asia, after which Mara taught for 10 years in Conroe [TX] ISD and Jack taught for four years at Sam Houston State University. Contact at: jackvs@pobox.com.