SHERMAN, TEXAS—When Austin College holds Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2015 graduates Sunday, May 17, special tribute will be made to two campus individuals who can safely be identified as “legends of Austin College.” Emeriti professors Clyde L. Hall and Kenneth W. Street will receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the ceremony. Both, of course, hold earned doctorates in their specialization; these degrees honor the men’s contributions to the College, their students, and their ongoing devotion to the College community.
Clyde L. Hall
Dr. Clyde Hall perhaps has some of the longest ongoing ties with Austin College. A native of Sherman, he grew up near the College and recalls playing on the campus grounds at the time of the College’s Diamond Jubilee in 1924. His older brother was a freshman at the College and two uncles were graduates. His brother made him an Austin College sweater and his own Austin College career was pretty well planned. Of course, he had to grow up first, then enrolled at Austin College in 1940. His education was interrupted by World War II and a stint in the U.S. Army in North Africa and Italy, but he returned from military service to complete his education and graduate in 1946.
After earning an MBA at Texas Christian University in 1947 and a doctorate at Ohio State University in 1950, he joined the Austin College Department of Business and Economics faculty in January 1950. He held the John T. Jones Chair of Economics from 1954 to 1976, and in 1976, became the first occupant of the Clara R. and Leo F. Corrigan, Sr., Chair of Business Administration.
While continuing fulltime teaching, Hall was selected in 1976 to head the College’s Alumni Relations program. A fulltime alumni director was appointed in 1980 but Hall continued to work with the Alumni-on-Campus Program he had instituted to bring alumni to campus to interact with students.
Hall served in various administrative roles at the College, including chair of the Department of Economics and Business Administration. He also was instrumental in development of the Social Science Laboratory and the College’s Community Services Program, as well as service on many standing and task force committees of the College.
As a faculty member, he received numerous awards, including the Outstanding Teaching Award, a Minnie Stevens Piper Professorship, a Danforth Fellowships, a Distinguished Service Award, and the Homer P. Rainey Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service to Austin College. He retired as professor emeritus in 1988, though he remains an active member of the College community.
His alma mater also honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Award, as well as honorary induction into the Austin College Athletic Hall of Honor in recognition of his continuing support.
Hall’s involvement goes far beyond Austin College. He and his wife, Virginia,--married nearly 70 years-- have been active in the Sherman community and as members of First Presbyterian Church, which became Covenant Presbyterian Church. For years, Hall served in leadership roles on the Grayson County Historical Commission and the Grayson County Historical Society, Old Settlers Association of Grayson County, and Sherman Preservation League. He also was on the board of Texoma Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America and served as a scoutmaster. He served many years as a member of the Sherman Chamber of Commerce, and in the 1960s, was a member of the Sherman school board.
Though very involved in Sherman activities, Hall was committed to continue individualized study during the summers at programs around the country, including programs at Harvard University, University of Kansas, and Washington, D.C., as well as involvement in professional organizations and several programs with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
In 2007, Austin College and Hall’s former students honored him with the naming of the Clyde L. Hall Graduation Court at Austin College, and Commencement is held at the site each year (weather permitting). Alumni and friends also have established the Clyde Hall Presidential Scholarship at Austin College to recognize the educator.
Kenneth W. Street
Dr. Kenneth Street spent nearly 40 years preparing young men and women for careers in law and government during an Austin College career that included teaching on many topics, with special emphasis on Constitutional law, the presidency, the legislative process, political parties, and political theory.
A Texas native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in geology at Texas Tech University. He and his wife Louise, who died in October 2013, married in 1950 and began their married life as he served as a teacher, coach, and principal in public schools. A few years later, he returned to Tech to earn his master’s degree in government. He spent a year teaching political science at Wichita State University before earning his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Street joined the Austin College political science faculty in 1959. He held the John D. Moseley Chair of Government and Public Policy from its establishment in 1981 until his retirement in 1998, retiring as professor emeritus of political science.
In addition to classroom teaching at Austin College, Dr. Street was a long-time pre-law advisor; regularly arranged student internship opportunities in Austin, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.; and coordinated the College’s Sumners Foundation Scholarship Program. His campus tenure included service as chair of the Political Science Department; chair, associate dean, and dean of Social Sciences; as well as service on various college steering committees and as a member of the College Council. He was chair of the President’s Committee on Institutional Integrity, director of the Community Services Program, and director of the Social Science Laboratory. In addition, from 1968 to 1974, he wrote proposals for six Community Service Grants under the Higher Education Act of 1965 that were funded at Austin College. He also was co-author of a National Science Foundation grant and a joint National Science Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, both of which were funded.
During his teaching career, he kept a hand in government projects, and was one of four political scientists from Texas selected to attend a 1961 seminar of the American Political Science Association. He served as an administrative assistant to Congressman Ray Roberts in work on the Great Society initiative in summer 1965 and served as a legal assistant to Congressman Roberts in summer 1973. For several years, he conducted research on Texas elections for the Institute of Governmental Affairs in Washington D.C., for the publication “America Votes.” In addition, he was chair of a statewide committee to form a new state organization on Community Services and Continuing Education, and wrote the Constitute and bylaws to enact the organization. He then served as a member of the executive board of that organization.
Dr. Street spent three sabbaticals—1978, 1986, and 1992 serving as visiting professor at Stanford University and as a research associate at UC – Berkeley. He also served a summer as a visiting professor at the University of Houston.
Named a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor of the Year, he also received numerous honors from Austin College, including the 1993 Homer P. Rainey Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service and the 1996 Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Street’s efforts in preparing students for internships was recognized with a special commendation from M/A/R/C Inc. of Irving during the company’s annual awards ceremony in 1993.He also was honored at Austin College as Outstanding Organization Sponsor for his work with the Pre-Law Society and received a T. Ellis Lockhart Spirit Award for support of the Austin College athletic teams. He has been honored with the naming of the College’s annual Kenneth W. Street Law Symposium. Alumni and friends also funded the Kenneth W. Street Endowed Presidential Scholarship at Austin College in recognition of his remarkable career.
Dr. Street and his late wife raised their two children in Sherman, where he was active for many years as a consultant to the Goals for Sherman program, serving as a member of the writing team that wrote the city goals. He also served as a delegate to county and state Democratic conventions several times. Dr. Street’s career also included writing for numerous professional publications and presenting speeches at many colleges and universities. He has been active in several professional organizations and honorary societies.
Honorary doctorates also will be presented to the Honorable Wallace Jefferson, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas and the Commencement speaker; the Reverend Patrick McCoy, senior pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church of McKinney and Baccalaureate speaker at the Saturday evening service; and Catherine “Kiki” (Moore) McLean, a Class of 1985 graduate who has made her mark as one of the top public affairs strategists in the country,
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.