Corps Hall Of Honor To Induct Seven Former Cadets

The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets will recognize the lifetime achievements of seven former cadets during a Corps Hall of Honor induction ceremony on Mar 6.

First Lieutenant Turney W. Leonard '42, Mr. Jarrell Gibbs '60, Mr. Bill Heye '60, Major General Ted Hopgood '65, Mr. Henry Goodwin '66 and Mr. Neal Adams '68 will be inducted. A seventh honoree, not yet notified, will be announced at a later date.                

"The Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor was established to pay tribute to those former cadets who have lived a life that exemplifies the Texas Aggie Spirit," explains Lt. Gen. John A. Van Alstyne '66, Commandant of the Corps. "These gentlemen have led that life. They possess the values upon which the Corps was founded -honor, integrity, loyalty, selfless service, patriotism and leadership. In honoring these men, our current cadets see that by following these examples, they too can achieve their life goals and lead others to achieve theirs."

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Leonard received a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture from Texas A&M. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor -one of seven Medal of Honor recipients from Texas A&M-for his exceptional bravery and valiant leadership in the battle of Hürtgen Forest near Kommerscheidt, Germany.

During the battle on Nov. 4, 1944, Leonard's 100-man tank destroyer company, the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion and over 1,000 infantrymen were trapped between two German divisions when he took command. Knocking out German snipers, using a submachine gun and grenades, six enemy tanks were destroyed. Leonard was last seen at a medical aid station which was subsequently captured by the enemy. His company commander, Aggie Capt. Marion C. Pugh '42 stated that Leonard was "the bravest man he ever saw."

In November 2000, Leonard's Aggie Ring was returned to his family at a ceremony on the campus of Texas A&M by German Army Capt. Obit Volker Lossner, whose father-in-law found the Ring more than 60 years ago. It is now on permanent display, along with Leonard's Medal of Honor in the Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center.

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Gibbs received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in Finance and a Masters Degree in Management and Administration from Texas A&M. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He served in the U.S. Army for over 20 years including assignments in Viet Nam, serving as unit commander on three continents and artillery battalion commander in the First Cavalry Divisions. His last military assignment was with the Army General Staff in the Pentagon working with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for approval of the Army's annual budget.

Gibbs served for 22 years in various executive positions for TXU Corp., retiring as President. He also served as director of Nuclear Emergency Insurance Limited, Penn Virginia Corp., a public oil and gas exploration and production company and Quanta Services, Inc., a utility infrastructure construction and maintenance company.

He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Texas A&M Research Foundation, Chairman for the Aggie Spirit Development Council in the One Spirit One Vision campaign, the Advisory Council for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Development Council and currently serves on the Texas A&M President's Board of Visitors.

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Heye received a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar. He served in the U.S. Air Force for three years and served as project engineer on electronic systems for photoreconnaissance applications at Griffiss Air Force Base in New York.

Heye was with Texas Instruments, Inc. for 20 years, responsible for TI interests in Taiwan and Japan. In Tokyo, he was President of Texas Instruments Asia Ltd. with responsibility for the semiconductor business in Asia Pacific. He was Vice President and General Manager of TI's Industrial Products Division and later the Consumer Products Division where he started TI's electronic watch business. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of SBE, Inc., for 12 years. Located in Silicon Valley, SBE manufactured data communication products for the cellular, wireline, and Internet industries.

He has served on the Texas A&M MSC Enrichment Fund Board of Directors, the Center for International Business Studies' Board of Advisors, the Chancellor's Advisory Committee, is a past Chairman for the Corps Development Council and was inducted as a Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students Distinguished Alumnus in 1991. He currently serves on the Texas A&M President's Board of Visitors.

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Hopgood received a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from Texas A&M and a Master of Education from the University of Virginia. He served a varied career in the U.S. Marine Corps for over 30 years, retiring at the rank of Major General. Hopgood served in Viet Nam as a Platoon Leader, Company Commander and as Aide-de-Camp to the commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division. He subsequently served as an instructor of The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia; Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center at the Pentagon; Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Marine Division and Director of Operations for the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.

Hopgood's military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; the Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; the Purple Heart; the Meritorious Service Medal; the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and gold stars in lieu of a second and third award and the Navy Achievement Medal.

In 1996, Hopgood became the 37th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets and head of the Texas A&M School of Military Sciences, serving until 2002. While a cadet at Texas A&M, he served as a Yell Leader.

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Goodwin received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Texas A&M. He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served as a Company Commander. For over 30 years, he has served as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch including Vice President in charge of investments and is a Perennial Member of Merrill Lynch's Circle of Excellence.

Recognizing a civic need in his community, he established and initialized the first ambulance service in Kingwood, Texas, located north of Houston.

Goodwin has served as former President of the Houston A&M Club, former Chairman of the Corps Development Council, a member of the 12th Man Board of Directors and a member and former Chairman of the Texas A&M Institute of Bioscience and Technology Advisory Board. He supports the Corps as a Sul Ross Scholarship Donor for two cadets and currently serves on the Texas A&M President's Board of Visitors.

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Adams received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M and his Juris Doctor from Baylor University School of Law. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served as Trial Counsel for Headquarters Command in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and earning the Distinguished Service Medal.

He has practiced law in Tarrant County, Texas, for more than 30 years and is President of the law firm of Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. in Bedford, Texas. He was Board Certified in 1983 in commercial, residential and farm and ranch real estate law and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Since 1987, he has been and is currently the General Counsel for the Texas Association of School Administrators and represents superintendents across the State of Texas. In 2001, Governor Perry appointed him as a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, serving as Chairman of the Planning Committee, Vice Chair of the Campus Planning Committee and as a member of the Administrative and Finance, Legal and Legislative Committees on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

As a cadet at Texas A&M, Adams served as Head Yell Leader and has served as a past President of the Texas A&M Association of Former Yell Leaders. He is a past member of the Executive Committee of the 12th Man Foundation and the Corps Development Council and currently serves as an At-Large Representative of The Association of Former Students Leadership Council, the Advisory Board of Directors of the 12th Man Foundation and the Texas A&M President's Board of Visitors.