Harold and Rosemary Beaird in honor of the Apache Band

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 who helped recruit the first band members from TJC students, Tyler High School students and returning military servicemen. He was just 16 at the time, and the challenge to form the band shaped his life and put him on the path to success.

Long-time supporters of TJC, Harold tirelessly served as a member of the Tyler Junior College Board of Trustees for 12 years and continues to serve the college. He led the campaign for the Robert M. Rogers Nursing & Health Science Center, the most ambitious capital project in the College’s 89-year history. In 1993, Harold and Rosemary established the Harold C. and Rosemary Beaird Presidential Scholarship in honor of Royce and Petey Wisenbaker and in 2004, they established the Apache Band 1947 Legacy Scholarship. As of 2015, Harold and Rosemary have established 16 endowed scholarships to benefit TJC students, with 14 of those supporting the Apache Band.

In their latest gesture towards TJC, Harold and Rosemary Beaird established eight Presidential Honors Scholarships, funded in part from the estate of their late daughter, Beverly Ann Beaird, a former educator. Beverly graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a teaching degree and taught elementary school in Houston and Tyler for many years.