Kimberly Russell began her career at TJC in 1999 as executive director of the Tyler Junior College Foundation. Over the course of her tenure, the Foundation greatly expanded program and grew assets tremendously. Because of her significant accomplishments and...

The Ellen Matthews Presidential Honors Scholarship honors the life of Ellen Matthews, a long-time TJC employee who served as Executive Assistant to the Presidents during the majority of her tenure. As of 2015, she was in her 41st year of service to the College. In...

Preston Haynes graduated from TJC in 1949 and was a member of the first Apache Band in 1947. He was a long-time pupil of Doc Witt, the founding director of the band. He played trumpet in both the Tyler High School Band and the TJC Apache Band. In 2015, Harold and...

Tyler Junior College’s Apache Band and the Apache Belles were born in the summer of 1947 as a result of the devoted efforts of legacy leaders of the college including Doc Witt, Mildred Stringer, Al Gilliam and a TJC student, Harold Beaird, among others. It was Beaird...

Thomas H. “Tom” Mensch, III served as director of the Apache Band at TJC for 11 years. When he joined TJC in 2003, there were 35 students participating in the band. The next fall, there were 130 members. By 2009, the band had grown to 2016 members. He now serves as...

Beverly Ann Beaird graduated from Pierce High School in Richardson, Texas and Stephen F. Austin State University with a teaching degree. She taught elementary school in Houston and Tyler for many years. She enjoyed teaching history and exposing her students to the...

The Hibbs Family Foundation, through the generosity of Billy and Tisa Hibbs, established this scholarship in memory of Alton B. Melton. Alton was a naturally gifted musician who played the steel guitar with legendary performers including Bob Wills and Charlie Pride....

In 1992, Ina Brundrett established the Ina Brundrett Presidential Honors Scholarship in memory of her loving husband Jesse Brundrett. The scholarship is just one of the many ways that Ina Brundrett has touched TJC over the years. Her love of horticulture and...

Brenda Wallace was born in Dallas in 1943. She was the loving wife of Charles Wallace and loving mother of Jerry James Beasley and Brenda Sue Berry. She passed away at the age of 58 in 2001. This scholarship was established in 2001 by an anonymous donor to honor the...

Matt’s interest in computers started in his high school years. He obtained his CompTIA A+ certification at the end of his junior year. His first job as a computer technician at Sky Ranch started at the beginning of his senior year and continued through his graduation...

Ivan Graper was born in 1913 in Kansas. He married Elinor in 1978 and they lived in Tyler for a period. He established this scholarship in memory of his sister Ruth Cooper. The scholarship provides awards to TJC students participating in performance groups or...

The J. W. and Estelle Hunt Presidential Honors Scholarship was estabolished in 1998 by James (J.W.) and Estelle Hunt. The endowment provides enough funding to be able to award several scholarships every year. The Hunts shared a passion for education and were often...

James and Virginia Gatewood have created numerous endowed scholarships at TJC funded through them personally, or through their Gatewood-Hawkins Foundation. Over the years, nine endowments have been established to support TJC students. They have chosen to honor each...

Upon graduation from Lindale High School, Amy Bobo Tucker was the recipient of a Presidential Scholarship and appreciated the boost for her educational objectives. Following her graduation at TJC, Amy graduated Summa cum Laude from North Texas State University. Amy...

Cynthia L. Sanders Bartos was born in 1929 in Bryan, TX and attended school in Bryan-College Station. She then attended Tyler High School and graduated from TJC in 1948. She went on to graduate with a BS in Education in Rehabilitation Services from Stephen F. Austin...

Joseph and Louise Ornelas are generous supporters of TJC and the East Texas Community, having provided funding for the Ornelas Health and Physical Education Center on TJC’s main campus, and establishing several endowed scholarships for TJC students. Joseph and Louise...

Linda Adams Ellis established this endowed scholarship to honor her children, Amanda and Matthew Ellis, in 2005. Now that her children are grown, Matthew has begun to contribute to this scholarship as well, ensuring its legacy for years to come.

Mack Pogue is an alumus of TJC and founded Lincoln Property Company in 1965. Mr. Pogue develops residential, commercial and retail properties throughout the United States and Europe. In 2003, Mack established ten Legacy Scholarship endowments with a signficant gift...

The Honorable Mastin G. White was born in Van Zandt County, Texas. He was a Harvard and Columbia educated lawyer who was a judge in the U.S. Claims Court, as well as an attorney in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. He served in the Roosevelt Administration...

The Honorable Mastin G. White and Mr. Jack White were born to the Reverend J. E. White and Minnie Gentry White in East Texas in the early 1900’s. The brothers were both successful in East Texas and in Washington, DC. Mastin White served as a commissioner for the U.S....

Clorinda “Petey” DiPietro Wisenbaker was born in Sparks, Nevada to parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Lucca, Italy. After High School, Petey left home to attend nursing school at St. Mary’s in San Francisco, California. While working at a hospital there, Petey...

Richard and Carrie Tucker established this legacy scholarship in 2006, to honor Richard’s parents, Andrew Lyon and Mary Jeannette Tucker. Richard is a TJC alum and has fond memories of playing basketball while attending. After college, Richard went to work in North...

In 1984, Royce Wisenbaker established the Mrs. Royce Wisenbaker Presidential Scholarship, in honor of his beloved wife Clorinda “Petey” Wisenbaker. Mr. Wisebaker was instrumental in establishing the first Presidential Scholarships at Tyler Junior College and can be...

Jeryl Story grew up in Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He served as an Executive Officer of Southside Bancshares, Inc. at the time of his death in 2013. He loved the outdoors and music. Both in...

Dr. Jim Vaughn was educated in Tyler and attended TJC before heading to UT Austin and UT Galveston. He was an EENT Physician for 50 years. He was married to Bonna Bess for more than 70 years. Dr. Vaughn served on TJC’s board of directors for 46 years. He passed away...

When an Apache Belle was seriously injured in an autombille accident in 1979, her Apache Belle Director Anna Carpenter, and fellow Belles provided much-needed support and friendship. They planned a community performance to honor their disabled friend and help with...

Patsy Kittrell Clyde was born in 1921, in Hamburg, Arkansas, to parents John Cabeen Kittrell, Sr. and Patsy Hankins Kittrell. Her family moved to Tyler in 1930, so that her father could pursue a career in the home building and lumber business. While a student at...

Dr. Ben Fisch and his wife Maytee were outstanding members of the community. Dr. Fisch founded the Allergy Clinic in Tyler in 1960 and Maytee worked diligently to improve the lives of others through service. Though both have since passed, the legacy of Dr. Ben and...