UTA Magazine Online

Portrait of a UTA Family
The Taylor family's association with UTA and its preceding institutions began in 1911. It continues today through Lloyd Clark and his granddaughter, sophomore Alida Eggen.

Hart to Hart
Peggy Hart Lofland, her parents, several siblings, a couple of in-laws and now her daughter have all made UTA their university of choice.

Family Tradition
At least one member of the Latham family has taught at or attended UTA every decade since the 1940s.

Six degrees of education
The Saad siblings–three brothers and three sisters–have used their UTA diplomas to launch international business ventures.

Birth of Nations spawned UTA family affair
With the family home on land now occupied by UTA's South 40 parking lot, it's not surprising that seven Nation siblings attended neighboring North Texas Agricultural College in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Kings of campus
Karen King Borta, the first of four siblings to attend UTA, anchors nightly newscasts on KTVT Channel 11, the Dallas-Fort Worth area's CBS affiliate.

UTA adds four to Walk of Fame

The names of four distinguished University alumni and supporters were added to the Walk of Fame in April. Created as part of the University’s Centennial Observance, the Walk of Fame is located in Centennial Plaza, the historic campus center.

Bill Ross, Thelma Nix, Chris Harris, and Elwood Preiss at the 2001 Walk of Fame induction ceremony. Nix accepted the award on behalf of her sister the late Frankie Stewart Hanswell.

The marble squares forming the Walk pay homage to those who, through their devotion to the interests of UTA, have made an enduring imprint on the life of the University. Year 2001 honorees are the late Frankie Stewart Hansell, Sen. Chris Harris, Elwood Preiss and Bill Ross.

Ms. Hansell earned an associate’s degree in nutrition from North Texas Agricultural College (now UTA) in 1934 and later traveled worldwide as a nutritionist, spending almost 20 years with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She established the Frankie Stewart Hansell Alumni Association Endowment in 1987, and in 1991 received the University’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award.

Sen. Harris has served in the Texas Senate since January 1991, representing District 10, which covers Arlington and much of Tarrant County. During the 77th legislative session, he served as president pro tempore of the Senate and vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Harris, who has consistently spearheaded efforts to increase funding for UTA, received the University’s Honorary Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999.

Preiss came to UTA in 1964 as registrar and director of admissions—and stayed for 34 years, eventually serving in several administrative positions. Known for his meticulous record keeping and voluminous knowledge about the University, he brought historical perspective to his assignment as director of the 1995 Centennial observance. He officially retired in 1998 but continues to lend his expertise to University projects.

Dr. Ross spent 22 years on the UTA Department of Accounting faculty, including nine as chair. Under his leadership, the department received accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business—the first North Texas school to receive that distinction. An avid fan of UTA athletics, he served as the faculty athletic representative to the NCAA and the Southland Conference for more than a decade.