1960s
Robert A. Kittrell, BA ’60, published his first novel, Sundown Over Texas, in February 2018. This western thriller is about a Confederate officer returning home and the son of a prominent rancher near Gainesville who finds himself, as a Texas Ranger, involved with robbers, renegades and the ruthless Bart Slater Gang, which he brings to justice. The book is available via Amazon, Covenant Books and Barnes & Noble.
Tom Powers, BBA ’60, and Pat Powers, BBA ’62, established the Tom and Pat Powers Family Endowed Fund for Baylor Business Fellows to enrich experiences for students participating in this program. They have remained heavily involved in the Baylor community and serve on the Give Light National Campaign Steering Committee.
Douglas P. Hammett, BA ’61, authored a website, Declaring His Truth, which can be found at sites.google.com/view/declaringhistruth/home. The central theme of the newly redesigned website is to help all people of the world in all nations to understand that the only perfect truth comes from knowing Jesus Christ as the only son of the living God. More content to come later this year.
Linda Forbes Mastin, BA ’61, established the Dr. William Hulitt Gloer Endowed Scholarship Fund in Truett Seminary to honor of William Hulitt Gloer, BA ’72, PhD, a longtime George W. Truett Theological Seminary faculty member. Linda and her late husband Robert Mastin, BS ’62, have been avid Baylor supporters throughout the years.
The Colonel Nickey McCasland Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing was established by Col. Nickey McCasland, BSN ’64, MHA ’72, to support Baylor nursing students.
Preston Kirk, BA ’68, and Ronda Kirk, BA ’68, established the Preston and Ronda Kirk Endowed Fund in Journalism, Public Relations and New Media. The Kirks are members of the Old Main Society and the Judge R.E.B. Baylor Society at the leadership level.
Charles “Chuck” Allen, BS ’68, MS ’69, authored his 19th published book. During his time at Baylor, Allen was a graduate assistant football coach and graduate assistant in the history department. This latest novel features his 32 years of coaching and officiating, and former Baylor Football head coach Grant Teaff is certainly in it. Allen officiated Dallas Cowboys practices between 1992 and 1996, during which time the franchise won three Super Bowls. Allen’s football experience shows in the book’s 24 chapters.
Joe Edward Ratliff, BBA ’68, and Margaret Ruth “Maggie” Lee Ratliff, BBA ’69, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2020 with a private party at their home in Arlington, TX. They will continue to celebrate with an anniversary cruise to Alaska in 2022. They were married Aug. 15, 1970, in Three Rivers, TX. Each earned an MBA in accounting from the University of North Texas in 1972. At Baylor, Joe was in Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Psi. He was a four-year letterwinner and captain in track and field. Joe set Baylor records in the 330-yard and 440-yard intermediate hurdles, in which he was a three-time runner-up and all-conference honoree (1966-68). As a CPA, Joe’s career led him to Arthur Andersen LLP; Trammell Crow Residential Companies, where he was a founding partner; JPI, a national real estate development company; and then into practice consulting in his own CPA firm. He is now retired. Maggie was in Delta Alpha Phi (Kappa Alpha Theta), Beta Alpha Psi, and Theta Chi at Baylor. As a senior, she was voted secretary of the Hankamer School of Business and one of Laurel Societies’ 12 outstanding senior women. Maggie’s CPA career started at Arthur Andersen. She later taught at Dallas Baptist College before retiring to raise her children, all of whom are Baylor graduates: Jenni Lee Ratliff Burnfield, BBA ’95, Joe Robert Ratliff, BBA, ’00, and Steven Edward Ratliff, BBA ’04. Joe and Maggie are members of Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, where they are active in the lives of their children and eight grandchildren.