Randy Bolen Sr. (B.A. marketing, ’70) 77, Oxford — A member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, he enjoyed his role as a pledge trainer. Following graduation, he accepted a job at Aetna in Birmingham, Alabama, and later settled back in Jackson. His career expanded as he worked several years at Paine Webber. Bolen had an affinity for the commodities market. His job took him across the Mississippi Delta, meeting many soybean and rice farmers. His last job was as a land man for Miller Land, a job that suited him well because he loved seeking land leases in small towns across Mississippi. — Jan. 6, 2025
Donald J. Conkel (B.S. social studies education, physical education, ’57) 89, Pompano Beach, Florida – He was part of both the Bulldog football and the MSU track teams while at State. — Oct. 6, 2024
Billie Miriam Brantley “MaryAnne” Dale (B.S., M.S. music education; ’68, ’70) 78, Brandon — A high-school member of the Mississippi Lions All State Band, the Kosciusko native was first chair flute with the Mississippi State University Symphonic Band. She also sang with the MSU Choir and the Madrigal Singers. She worked for the Mississippi Department of Education’s Disability Determination Services from 1974-80. She was named statewide Examiner of the Year in 1976 and served one term as president of the Mississippi Association of Disability Examiners. — Dec. 8, 2024
Cecil Wayne Grisham (B.S. civil engineering, ’63) 89, Ripley – He attended MSU after working as a lineman for multiple years. Following his graduation, he was a civil engineer with the Corps of Engineers for 32 years until his retirement. — Dec. 13, 2024
Paul D. Hardin (B.S. agricultural engineering technology and business, ’83) 63, Madison – He had a 33-year career with the USDA Farm Service Agency, working with both appraisals and loans. Upon retirement, he focused on furthering his appraisal and real estate broker business, pH Real Estate Services in Madison. He was a lifetime member of the Mississippi Coalition of Appraisers, having served as president of the board of directors and secretary. He was also a member and served on the board of the Mississippi Association of Realtors. A talented musician who played trumpet in the Famous Maroon Band, he played with his church orchestra and lent his vocal talents to the church choir, quartets and solos. — Sept. 16, 2024
Arthur Darwin Holland (B.S. agronomy, ’53) 95, Clinton – For the majority of his career, he worked in sales, enjoying the time spent with customers promoting products and discussing Bulldog sports until he retired at 90. A member of Parkway Baptist Church in Clinton, he taught Sunday school for more than 50 years. — Oct. 18, 2023
John A. Johnson (B.S. management, ’68; MBA, ’72) 80, Madison — A member Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, he served as advisor and supporter of local chapters, as well as in the national organization. He was active duty with the U.S. Army for two years, stationed in Vietnam and San Francisco, California, processing personnel. He continued this commitment with extended service in the Army Reserves. After military service, he returned to MSU, earning an MBA in 1972. He then worked for Shell Oil in New Orleans, Louisiana, before returning to Jackson to work in state government. He earned a Juris Doctor from Mississippi College in 1980 and continued in state government using those skills. He retired from state government and taught computer skills at Horizons in Ridgeland. He was a member of American Mensa and enjoyed their annual conventions for over 40 years. — Jan. 28, 2025
Brian Roy Lockhart (Ph.D. forest resources, ’92) 60, Gentry, Arkansas – He was owner of Hardwood Silviculture LLC and served as chair for the Society of American Foresters D2 Silviculture Working Group. He was also a member of the Biennial Southern Silvicultural Conference Steering Committee. He held a master’s in forest science from Yale in addition to his doctoral degree from MSU. — Nov. 30, 2024
Ed A. “Tony” Montgomery (B.S. animal husbandry, ’69) 79, Canton — A member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, he spent much of his career working in farm management, chemical sales, cotton scouting and cotton farming in Yazoo County, earning a reputation for his work ethic and integrity. — Nov. 9, 2024
John Kent Owens (B.S., Ph.D. electrical engineering; ’65, ’74; Professor Emeritus) 89, Starkville – A native of Laurel, he joined the Marine Corps after his high school graduation and was first stationed in North Carolina. After leaving military service, he and his family moved to Florida where he was an electronic technician, which helped inspire his collegiate plans. After earning his bachelor’s at MSU, he earned a master’s at the University of New Mexico, then returned to MSU for his doctoral degree. He was a member of numerous honor societies including Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi. He started a professional career with Lockhead in Georgia before returning to Starkville to join the faculty at Mississippi State. During his 23 years of faculty service, he earned the Hearin-Hess Distinguished Professor Award and performed noteworthy research for Honda Aeronautics. In 1991, he left academia to begin a career in forensic accident investigation and expert testimony before fully retiring in 2018. – Nov. 6, 2024
William Green Poindexter, III (B.A. political science, ’67) 80, Inverness – While at MSU, he was a member of Sigma Chi and remained involved with the fraternity and the university throughout his life. He served on the staff of Sen. John C. Stennis before returning to Sunflower and Leflore counties to farm. At 27, he was elected mayor in Inverness, the youngest person to hold that office in the town’s history. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives for the 13th district in 1975 and served for 20 years. During that tenure, he was a ranking member of the house and served as vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and chairman of both the rules and peer committees. In 1993, he joined the staff of Gov. Kirk Fordice as a legislative liaison, as well as agricultural liaison. He was executive director of the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association for five years and was serving on the Mississippi Tax Appeal board. Among his many recognitions for civic contributions, he was named Inverness Citizen of the Year in 2018. – Nov. 25, 2024
Charles H. “Sonny” Shamburger, III (B.S. business administration, ’69) 77, Brandon— A standout football player for the Bulldogs and member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, he found success in the insurance industry and as a pilot, Sunday school teacher and cook. Known for his adventurous spirit and love for travel, he shared countless journeys with his parents and his wife, Peggy Agnew Shamburger. His dedication to sports continued with his unwavering support for Brandon High School football and other athletic events. — Nov. 21, 2024
Peggy Agnew Shamburger (B.S. basic business education, ’73) 72, Brandon — A member of Phi Mu sorority, she was a flight attendant for Delta Airlines before becoming a travel agent and guide. Besides her family and faith, nothing brought Peggy more joy than traveling. She joined Avanti Travel in 1991, and explored the world including not only some of the most popular destinations, but also some of the most obscure. Her last big trip was across several countries in Eastern Europe to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary to her husband, Sonny. — March 20, 2025
Julie Paul Smith (attended) 67, Glen Allen, Virginia – Following her time at MSU, she earned a nursing degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Her career moved with her husband’s across the Southeast, including work in a critical care unit in Louisiana, an open-heart unit in Tennessee and another turn in critical care in Kentucky before settling in Virginia where she spent 22 years with what is now the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. There, she played a pivotal role in developing a medical program for the ER and rose to the position of clinical coordinator. — Nov. 29, 2024
Louis J. “Lou” Venier (B.S. marketing, ’56) 90, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania – Born in Brooklyn, New York, he came to Mississippi State on a football scholarship. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army and was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division “Tropic Lightning” Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in Hawaii. Following his honorable discharge, he became a pharmaceutical salesman in Pfizer’s agriculture division. He retired from the company as a regional manager after nearly 34 years. — Oct. 31, 2021
Jon Enrique Windham (B.S., M.S. civil engineering; ’64, ’67) 82, Ocean Springs – He attended MSU on a football scholarship, playing on the freshman team in 1960 and the varsity squad from 1961-63. He was named co-captain for his senior year during the 1963 Liberty Bowl Championship season. He played in the Blue-Grey Game in Montgomery, Alabama, the next year and went on to serve the Bulldogs as a graduate assistant coach from 1964-66. He began his career at the Waterways Experiment Station, now known as the Engineering Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, in 1966 while completing his master’s thesis. He then went to Texas A&M, where he earned a doctoral degree. He returned to ERDC where he worked until 2009, when he became a consultant for various contractors that support ERDC’s Impact and Explosions Effects Branch. In 2020, he became a retired annuitant for the ERDC-IEEB. He earned the highest ERDC award in 2015 when he was inducted into the Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees. – Oct. 8, 2024
Remembering Wentworth Vail “Winky” Harned
Wentworth Vail “Winky” Harned (B.S. petroleum geology, ’57) 89, Williamsburg, Virginia – The son of Dr. Horace H. Harned, MSU’s longtime head of microbiology whose name is on the building that now houses the Department of Biological Sciences, Wentworth was born and lived on the campus of what was then Mississippi State College. He was a member of Kappa Sigma while at State. Following his undergraduate graduation, he earned a master’s in geology from Ole Miss.
His professional career began in Arlington, Virginia, and he spent three decades in the field of oceanography, which included extensive travel. From 1961 until 1975, he was a civilian scientist with the U.S. Navy working on naval ships, directing marine geophysical surveys. He then relocated to Pass Christian with the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy. He later worked at the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis.
Returning to Arlington, he worked with the Office of Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity before ultimately becoming the U.S. national liaison officer to the NATO SACLANT Undersea Research Centre in La Spezia, Italy. He retired in 1991 to enjoy time traveling with his wife, Marilynn, and other leisure activities. – March 30, 2025
In Memory of Donald Lee “Donnie” Prisock Jr.
Donald Lee “Donnie” Prisock Jr., one of Mississippi State’s most popular and courageous alumni, died Dec. 26, 2024. He was 72.
A native of Starkville, Prisock was the epitome of positivity and kindness. Born with cerebral palsy, he used a wheelchair his whole life and ultimately became the first student with a disability to enter Starkville Public Schools.
He earned a bachelor’s in psychology and social work, and a master’s in guidance education from Mississippi State, where he was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He then earned a doctoral degree in higher education from the Jackson campus of Ole Miss. However, he always maintained his love for MSU and was the consummate Bulldog fan.
Fondly known on campus as “Doc,” Prisock began his 31-year career at MSU as an academic counselor with the athletic department before moving into the “job he was meant to have”—working with students with disabilities as coordinator of Student Support Services.
In 1977, MSU mechanical engineering students and faculty built a customized “Bulldog Buggy” that gave Prisock newfound independence. With his custom wheels, he was able to navigate Starkville and go to work with no assistance.
Throughout his career, he received many awards including one for leading Mississippi State through a transformation into one of the most accessible campuses in the Southeastern Conference. He also was named one of President George H.W. Bush’s “Heroes” during his MSU commencement address in 1989.
The Prisock/Bailey Endowed Scholarship was created in 1999 in honor of Prisock and others. It is used to help students with disabilities to attend MSU. In 2003, his accomplishments were recognized during the state’s first Celebration of Achievement sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Mississippi Society for Disabilities. In 2014, the Donnie Prisock Diversity Award was established in the MSU College of Education. It honors graduates who have “demonstrated leadership and commitment to promoting diversity and are considered role models and advocates for diversity at MSU.”
Bulldog family mourns leading ladies Lee, Ruby
The Mississippi State University community has lost two dedicated and passionate supporters of all things Maroon and White with the passing of former first lady Patricia Pittman Lee, 83, and Patricia Randle Ruby, 84.
The wife of Charles Lee, the 17th university president, Patricia Lee died Aug. 28, 2024. A native of North Carolina, she worked tirelessly to support her husband and children as Charles earned his degrees and pursued a career in higher education through institutions including the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M.
While at A&M, with her children grown, Lee joined the dean’s office in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as coordinator for the college’s development council. She later became executive director of the International Stockman’s School, a partnership between the Department of Animal Sciences and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In 2002, she became the First Lady of Mississippi State University, where she used her knowledge and experiences to advance the university’s numerous internal and external interests.
In 2006, in her acceptance speech for being selected by the President’s Commission for Women to receive the Outstanding Woman’s Award, she said, “As women, we always have been society’s nurturers and caregivers, and I for one have no wish to see women relinquish that role, even as our horizons grow broader. Instead, I hope you will use your gifts of empathy and compassion as you exercise leadership to help make our society more caring and just.”
Patricia Ruby, wife of longtime university leader Roy H. Ruby, died April 21.
Born in Ecru, Ruby graduated in 1961 from what is now the Mississippi University for Women with a degree in elementary education. As a student, she was a member of the Mam’selle and Masker Social Clubs and the school’s representative to the Maid of Cotton contest in Memphis, Tennessee.
Upon graduation, she accepted a position as a first-grade teacher in the Natchez Public Schools. After marrying Roy Ruby in 1962, she moved to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where the couple lived while he completed military service. They ultimately returned to Starkville which became their permanent home. She was active in the First United Methodist Church and the Starkville Women’s Club. For several years she delivered Meals-on-Wheels and participated in other charitable organizations.
Remembering Robert E. “Ed” Smylie
Robert Edwin “Ed” Smylie of Crossville, Tennessee, who was best known for his innovative solution to help Apollo 13 astronauts return safely to Earth, died April 25. He was 95.
Born in Lincoln County, Smylie served in the U.S. Navy before graduating from Mississippi State with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 1952. He then served as an instructor for the university while pursuing a master’s in the field, which he earned in 1954. In 1967, he added a master’s degree in management from the Sloan Fellowship program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Smylie began his career with Douglas Aircraft Company, but when President Kennedy announced plans for a manned mission to the moon, he applied to and was accepted for a position with NASA, where he was appointed as head of the Environmental Control Section. For the next 11 years he worked at the Houston, Texas, Johnson Space Center where he designed the environmental control systems for the Apollo program, including the spacecraft and suits to be used on all Apollo Lunar Missions.
In 1970, Smylie made one of his most famous contributions to NASA when he found a solution and talked Apollo 13 astronauts through a life-saving, mid-flight repair.
When the flight crew moved into their lunar module, its carbon dioxide scrubbers lacked the capacity to provide breathable air. Smylie and two colleagues had to engineer a solution using only what was available to the crew, which included among other things a sock, flight-plan binder, hoses from their suits and duct tape.
Smylie later said that once he learned duct tape was available, “I felt like we were home free. One thing a Southern boy will never say is, ‘I don’t think duct tape will fix it.’”
In 1973, Smylie moved to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. before moving to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland as the deputy director. In 1980, he returned to NASA headquarters as associate administrator for space tracking and data systems, where he was responsible for NASA’s worldwide satellite tracking network. He was recognized at the White House for his integral contributions to NASA during the early phases of the shuttle program.
Following his retirement from public service, he held administrative roles with RCA, MITRE and Grumman Corporation until 1995. Though semi-retired, he continued to be involved in the space program as an independent consultant until his full retirement in 2010.
For more about Smylie and his historic Apollo 13 work, see the MSU Film’s produced documentary “XIII” at https://www.films.msstate.edu/film/xiii.