Hall of Fame

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy is President and CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation, the leading commercial aircraft owner/lessor, operating worldwide. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, where he attended elementary school until 1958, when he escaped with his family to Stockholm, Sweden, after the Hungarian uprising and subsequent Soviet occupation. In July of 1958, he emigrated with his family to the United States, where they eventually settled in Los Angeles, Calif.

In 1968, he received a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Economics and a minor in International Relations from UCLA. That year, he also received his private pilot’s license. In 1973, he formed Interlease Group, Inc., which today is International Lease Finance Corporation. In 1980, he graduated from the Stanford Graduate Business School Airline Management course. He holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot license and has more than 6,000 hours of flying time, including 5,000 hours in jets. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Skywest Airlines, Inc., and is on the Board of several foundations, educational institutions and corporations. In 1990, he served as commencement speaker and received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Dixie College. He and his wife, the former Chris Henneman, are the parents of two sons and two daughters.

Nolan D. Archibald was born and raised in Ogden, Utah. He was an all-American basketball player at Dixie College and led the Rebels to the National Junior College Basketball Finals. After graduating from Dixie College, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Weber State University, where he led the Wildcats to their first appearance in the NCAA tournament, and was named an Academic All-American. He then went on to earn his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He was invited to try out with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, but missed the final cut, concluding that “they had now vision.”

Noland is currently Chairman, President and CEO of Black & Decker Corporation, a $5 billion company with 40,000 employees doing business in over 100 countries worldwide. Fortune Magazine named him as one of the “Ten Most Wanted Managers” in the United States and Business Week Magazine named him one of the six best managers in 1987. He was the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company when named in 1986. In addition, he was honored as the 1997 Alumnus of the Year by the American Association of Community Colleges. Nolan is married to the former Margaret Hafen. They have seven sons (a basketball team) and one daughter (cheerleader).

Lionel E. Hollins was born in Arkansas City, Kan., and raised in Las Vegas, Nev. Lionel spent two years as the starting point guard at Dixie College and was named to the all-Conference and all-America teams. He went on to Arizona State University, where he earned his degree and was named first team All-American by the Sporting News magazine.

In 1975, he was the first round draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers and was the sixth player chosen overall in that year’s NBA Draft. After four-plus seasons with the Trailblazers, which included an NBA championship and an 1978 All-Star game appearance, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He also played for the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets. He was named to the NBA’s first team All-Rookie squad (1976), first team All-Defense (1977), Western Conference All-Star (1978), and was the starting point guard in three NBA Finals appearances (1977, 1981 and 1982). He also served as an assistant coach on the Phoenix Suns’ 1993 NBA Finals team and assisted in two All-Star games (1993 and 1995).

He currently serves as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom he also worked as an assistant. He and his wife, the former Angie Dyton, are the parents of three sons and one daughter.

John Ashworth Thompson was born in St. George, Utah, but lived in LaVerkin, Utah. He gained his first recognition as a member of the Dixie High consolation winners in the National High School Tournament in Chicago, Ill. The first game of the tournament was the first time he had ever played indoors on a wood floor. He got the name “Cat” from his quickness in stealing the ball from opponents. After attending Dixie College in 1925-26, he went on to play at Montana State University, where he was named to the all-America team all four years and College Player of the Year in 1929. He also helped lead the Bobcats to their only national championship.

After his graduation, “Cat” played semi-pro ball in California for a year, then coached high school basketball in Montana and Idaho. He was enshrined in the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame and was named “Best Player of the First Half Century.” He was one of the first players inducted into the Naismith Basketball Half of Fame in 1962. He and his wife, the former Lola Dayley, are the parents of two sons and one daughter.

Leland Hafen was born in Santa Clara, Utah, and after a fine athletic career was signed as an athletic coach at Dixie College in 1926. For the next 20 years, Coach Hafen guided the athletic programs at Dixie, 10 of those years (1926-36) coaching both Dixie High and Dixie College squads.

From 1936-46, he coached only at the high school, but was the athletic director and history teacher at the college. He took the Flyers to 13 state meets in his 20-year coaching span. He won a state championship and finished second on three occasions. Coach Lee possessed a wonderful personality, and made friends wherever he went. He took great pride in Utah’s Dixie and enjoyed telling the many people he met about his homeland.

He held many positions of responsibility in both the Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference and Utah Activities Association. He served as Dean of Men, teacher and athletic director at Dixie College. As athletic director he fulfilled a lifelong dream when, in 1957, a modern, multipurpose fieldhouse was built under his watchful eye. He was instrumental in starting the first football programs in Dixie. Coach Lee radiated a spirit so intense during athletic contests, and yet so full of love for the game and his boys, that it created an unusual understanding between not only a coach and his team, but a coach and a community. For three decades, he was known by all as “Mr. Dixie Athletics.” He and his wife, the former Elsie Frei, are the parents of four sons and one daughter.

Stanley W. Watts was born and raised in Murray, Utah. Due to the depression, his college education was postponed for several years, but in 1936, he completed a two-year degree at Weber Junior College and earned his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University.

After three years coaching at Millard High School in Fillmore, Utah, he began his college coaching career at Dixie College. From 1941-45, he was athletic director and head coach in football, basketball and track. His first football team consisted of only 14 players, but they won five of eight games. College athletics were then suspended due to World War II, so in the interim, he coached Dixie High School to a state championship. In 1947, he joined the athletic department at BYU to revive the baseball program that had been missing for 25 years. In 1949, he began a 23-year basketball coaching career at BYU, compiling a 433-258 overall record over that span. His team won the NIT tournament with a 40-9 record in 1966. In all, his teams won eight conference titles and played in seven NCAA tournaments and four NITs.

Among other awards he has been inducted into the Helms Foundation Coaches Hall of Fame, the All Sports Association Hall of Fame, and was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986. He and his wife, the former Emily Kelly, are the parents of three daughters and one son.

Bruce V. Hurst was born in St. George, Utah, and grew up on the “sandlots of Utah’s Dixie.” At age 17, Bruce was the first round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1976 Amateur Draft. He moved step by step from Winter Haven to Bristol to Pawtucket until finally on April 12, 1980, with the famed “Green Monster” wall behind him, he was the starting pitcher at Fenway Park. During the offseason, Bruce played on the Rebel basketball team and continued his education at Dixie College until he graduated.

Bruce pitched 19 years in professional baseball, 15 of those years in the Majors. In 1981, he pitched five innings in the then-longest game in Major League history (8 hours and 25 minutes – 33 innings). In the 1986 World Series, he was the starting pitcher for Boston in three games and posted a minute 1.96 ERA, while winning two of his three starts and was ahead in Game 6 when he was relieved. His 56 victories at Fenway Park are second among lefthanders in team history. In 1988, he led the league with 10 complete games and was member of the American League All-Star team. In 1989, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, for whom he pitched for four seasons. He was later traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1993 and the Texas Rangers in 1994, where he retired due to shoulder problems.

He returned to St. George and coached the Dixie College Rebel baseball team during the 1995-96 season and was the initial manager of the Zion Pioneerzz independent minor league professional baseball team. He and his wife, the former Holly Barton, are the parents of two sons and two daughters.

Sarkis Arslanian was born in Fresno, California, to immigrant parents from Armenia. He graduated from Granite High School in Salt Lake City in 1941, then enlisted with the Naval Air Corps, where he served as an officer in the South Pacific until the end of World War II. In 1949, he graduated from Dixie College, where he played football, basketball and ran track, and was class president. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a master’s degree from Utah State University.

He began coaching at Central Junior High in Salt Lake City, then continued at Union High School in Roosevelt. In 1955, he became athletic director and head coach in football, baseball and track at Dixie College. His recruiting efforts nearly doubled the size of the student body and were a stabilizing factor for the college. He left behind a nationally-ranked team at Dixie to take over as head football coach at Weber State College in 1965, where his teams were nationally ranked. From 1973-82, he was head coach at Colorado State University. He then became a professional scout for the CFL and USFL. He coached professional teams in Milan, Italy, and Tokyo, Japan, and introduced American football in Armenia.

After his retirement, he coached prep football teams in Colorado, Idaho, and at Pine View High School in St. George. Coach Sark is still noted as one of the most successful NCAA coaches, only 13 others had better records. Honors include the Pop Warner National Hall of Fame, Weber State Hall of Fame, Utah Sports Hall of Fame, All-American Football Foundation honoree, and Honorary Lifetime member of the Dixie Colonels Club, which he helped organize. He and his late wife, Verlyn Metcalf, are the parents of three sons and three daughters. Sark is currently married to Barbara Watson.

Walter S. Brooks is a native of St. George, Utah. Walt graduated from Dixie College and Brigham Young University, where he starred in basketball and track. While at BYU he was nicknamed Tarzan.

His coaching career began at Hurricane High School in 1936, where he coached baseball for three undefeated seasons, and six-man football until 1945, when he was asked by President Glenn E. Snow to coach at Dixie High School and Dixie College. Walt’s combined coaching record in high school football was 320-36-4. His football teams won six state championships in six-man football and five championships in eleven-man football. During the 1957-58 school year, Walt coached the Dixie Flyers to state championships in both football and basketball.

His coaching and teaching career of 41 years was spent entirely in the Washington County School System. He has served as president of the Utah Association for Health Physical Education and Recreation, and he received the Distinguished Coach Award from the Old Time Athlete’s Association. With a career winning percentage over 90%, he was often named Coach of the Year by fellow coaches and sports writers.

Walt received the Dixie College Distinguished Service Award in 1991, and was inducted in to the Utah High School Activities Association’s Circle of Fire in 1992. He is also a Southern Utah Honors recipient. He has served as a St. George City Councilman and in numerous civic and LDS Church positions. Walt served as bishop of the first Dixie College LDS student ward. In October of 1993, less than two months after being weakened by a stroke, he earned two gold medals at the Huntsman World Senior Games in the shot put and javelin events.

In addition to serving and LDS mission to Mexico in 1932, Walt and his late wife, Irene Cox, completed four Spanish-speaking missions. They are parents of eight children, including two sets of twin daughters. At the present time they have 49 grand children and 73 great-grandchildren.

Gail Cooper Smith was born in St. George, Utah and raised in neighboring Washington City. She proudly claims to be a seventh generation Dixie-ite. Before graduating from Dixie College in 1961, she was the Women’s Intramural Association President and a member of the College’s first women’s ICAC basketball team. That year she put in the winning foul shot to bring home the championship trophy from the BYU Invitational. She graduated from Brigham Young University in Physical Education. At BYU she excelled in track and field, holding the long jump record for many years. She also played on the varsity volleyball, basketball and softball teams.

Before serving a mission for the LDS Church in London, England, she taught at Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah. Following her mission, she taught at Woodward Junior High in St. George, and then married Hyrum Smith in 1966. In 1982, she moved with her family to Centerville, Utah, where she was instrumental in starting the Franklin Day Planner business with her husband. While in Centerville, she coached basketball at Centerville Junior High for three years. They won the regional championship her third year. She also started the Centerville Basketball Association (CBA), a youth basketball program with emphasis on girls. After a few years, she turned it over to the Junior Jazz program.

Raised in a time when a female athlete was an oddity, she was driven to improve the quality of women’s athletics and how women in athletics are perceived. She has chosen to accomplish this by focusing on the youth. She has coached youth teams (city and church) for over 30 years in California, Oregon, Hawaii and Utah. As a coach, she believes in teaching the fundamentals of any sport in a way that instills important life values and skills in young hearts, as well as joy in the game. She has taught all four of her daughters her two sons to play basketball.

Gail is the author of a book entitled Shadow Fall: Reflections on Nurturing Family Values, plus many short stories that have been published. In 1995, she was given an honorary doctorate degree at Dixie College. In addition, she was a member of the Governor’s Initiative on Family Today (GIFT) Board. She was also a member of a volleyball team that represents St. George in the Huntsman World Senior Games. She and Hyrum are the parents of six children. She says that her children are her claim to fame. Her children say that her family is where her greatest work has been achieved.

Phil Tuckett was born in Eugene, Oregon, and then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he graduated from Olympus High School. He was honored at OHS with the Sanky Dixon Outstanding Athlete Award for football and basketball, and was recruited to Dixie College by fellow Hall of Famer Coach Sark Arslanian. Phil played football for Dixie from 1964-66. He earned first team all-ICAC honors both years and was an Honorable Mention all-American running back in 1966, an honor he shared with future NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson.

Following graduation from Dixie College, Phil played football at Weber State College and was named NCAA Academic All-American. With his bachelor’s degree in English, he began his professional football playing career with the San Diego Chargers, while writing at San Diego State. His first published article, How I Won My Lightning Bolts, appeared in Sport Magazine, was admired by Ed Sabol, President of NFL Films, who offered the first-year Charger a filmmaking opportunity with the pioneering NFL Films. Phil began as a writer and editor. As a cinematographer, he captured some of the most memorable events in NFL and Super Bowl history.

He served as vice president of special projects and has won 30 Emmy Awards for cinematography, writing, editing and directing, and a Billboard Music Award. Tuckett’s ventures outside the sports arena include music videos for such musicians as Santana, Metallica, Def Leppard, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, along with national commercial spots for Sprint and Reebok and documentary films for the TNT and History Channel networks. Tuckett was the first Dixie Rotary Bowl speaker and parade Grand Marshall. He has served as a member of the Dixie College National Advisory Council. While as a student at Dixie, he fell in love with and married the head cheerleader, Judy Oxborrow. They are the parents of three children and seven grandchildren.

Corey Dillon was born and raised in Seattle, Wash., where he attended Franklin and Federal Way High Schools. He was a two sport standout, starring in football and baseball. In football, he was an All-State selection and the All-Metro Player of the Year. He was also an excellent baseball outfielder, and garnered All-Metro honors before being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.

Following high school, Corey played football at Garden City Community College in Kansas where he was introduced to the powerful “Dixie Spirit” when his Garden City Community College team played Dixie College in the 1994 Dixie Rotary Bowl. That spring Corey transferred to St. George and played for the Dixie College football team, leading the Rebels to the1995 WSFL and Dixie Rotary Bowl championships. During his year at Dixie, Corey garnered All Conference and All American honors and was chosen JC Offensive Back of the Year by College Sports magazine after rushing for 1999 yards and scoring 20 TDs.

Following graduation from Dixie Corey played football in the powerful PAC 10 Conference at the University of Washington, where he continued his assault on the record books setting all-time single season records for rushing and touchdowns scored and led the Huskies to the 1996 Holiday Bowl. In 1997 Corey was the 43rd overall pick in the NFL players draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Corey played his first seven seasons of his ten-year NFL career in Cincinnati and the last three with the New England Patriots. During his NFL career Corey set single game and season rushing records for both his respective NFL teams. He was chosen to play in the NFL Pro Bowl four times and won a Super Bowl Championship with the 2004 Patriots. Corey ended his NFL career with 11,241 total yards rushing and 82 touchdowns.

In 2002 Corey established the “Corey Dillon Foundation” to provide inner-city youth with opportunities and resources to go the distance and achieve their goals. Since his retirement from the NFL, Corey’s goals have changed to becoming a Hall of Fame husband and father. Corey and his wife Desiree are the parents of three daughters, Cameron, Carly, and Devan.

Richard Lee Hafen was born in St. George to Elsie and “Coach Lee” Hafen. Reared in the family home located across the street from the original Dixie College campus, Hafen’s participation in sports was to be his destiny and his passion. In 1957, he quarterbacked Walt Brooks’ Dixie High School Flyers to a state football championship, received first team all-state recognition, and was awarded the Thom McAn Trophy as most valuable player. Then-Salt Lake Tribune sports writer Bill Coltrin referred to Hafen as being a “helmeted surgeon.” In that same year, Hafen helped lead Coach Brooks’ Flyers team to a state basketball championship and was named an all-state guard. Upon graduation from Dixie High he received football scholarship offers from Stanford University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and Colorado State University; but opted to stay at Dixie and play under the tutelage of legendary Dixie coach Sark Arslanian. The option offense devised by Coach Sark fit well with Richard’s passing and running talents. In 1958, Hafen garnered honorable mention Junior College All-American recognition, and was named first team quarterback for the Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference. In 1959, he was selected Junior College All-American quarterback for the West team. Richard also played point guard for the Dixie College basketball team, and shortstop for the baseball team. During the 1960-61 football season he quarterbacked at the University of Utah and played shortstop for the Ute baseball team. Once asked if there was one sport he preferred to play over another, he responded: “I love them all!”

Hafen had the privilege of serving in the United States Armed Services, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam. Upon returning to Utah he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Weber State, and then joined forces with Clark County, Nevada’s juvenile justice system working directly with youth as a probation officer, and later serving the court as a staff administrator. After 31 years with the court, Richard retired in 1999. He and his wife Marti divide their time between their residence in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas and restoring Richard’s boyhood home in St. George.

Douglas was born in Ephraim, Utah. Although he didn’t know it then, life would lead him to the ball fields, courts, and classrooms at Dixie College. Here, his hard work, dedication, and leadership laid the foundation for the institution’s rich legacy of athletic excellence.

After graduating from both Snow High School and Snow College, he attended Colorado State University, where he played baseball and basketball and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He then returned to Utah and completed work on a master’s degree in physical education and sociology at Utah State University.

Doug’s career in coaching and education began at Delta High School, where he spent six years on the sidelines and in the classroom mentoring students. He then set his sights on Dixie and relocated to St. George in 1963, when he was hired by President Arthur Bruhn to take over the basketball program and teach sociology.

Over the next 15 years, Coach Allred established the Dixie College men’s basketball program and as player on the national stage – a status the team still enjoys more than 50 years later. Ask him what he is most proud of, and he’ll tell you, “I took the first team from Dixie College to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.”

His Rebel teams won the NJCAA Region One championship twice and won four Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) titles during his tenure. Not only did his players perform on the court, they also got the job done in the classroom. Doug is proud that he never had a student declared academically ineligible.

Doug eventually left the bench and was named Dixie’s athletic director, a position he held for 18 years. He was part of the Dixie fabric for more than 30 years, both as an educator and a coach. In 2009, Doug was inducted into the Dixie State Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Dixie College was unusually good to me,” Allred said. “It provided me with very good experiences. We got great support from the city of St. George and surrounding communities, which left me with a lot of fond memories. My emotional ties to Dixie run deep and my blood runs Dixie red.”

Doug and his wife, Elaine, are the parents of four children, all of whom attended Dixie and still live in the St. George area.

Dave Rose has left an immeasurable impression on his student-athletes, fans, and others throughout his more than 30 years of coaching.

Dave’s love for college athletics began as a student-athlete when he enrolled at Dixie College in 1976. During his two-year playing career at Dixie, Dave was a first team all-conference selection in both basketball and baseball. He fondly remembers learning from his Dixie coaches some of the secrets to his long-term success, such as working hard and depending on people. Dave also met his wife Cheryl while at Dixie. Cheryl has been a constant strength and support throughout their 41 years of marriage. They now have three children and eight grandchildren together.

Following his time at Dixie, Dave returned to his hometown to play basketball and complete his degree at the University of Houston, where he was a shooting guard and co-captain for the famous “Phi Slamma Jamma” team. Along with his teammates and future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, Dave helped lead the Cougars to the 1983 NCAA National Championship game.

Ten years later, Dave returned to Dixie State to serve as head coach of the men’s basketball program. Over his seven years on the Rebels’ sidelines he compiled a 167-57 record, while six of his seven teams were ranked in the top-20 nationally, which included peaking at No. 2 in the NJCAA ranks. He also won three Scenic West Athletic Conference Championships and was named the 1993 SWAC Coach of the Year.

In 2005, Dave became the head coach of the BYU men's basketball program and led the Cougars to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and four Mountain West Conference regular season crowns. He was a two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year honoree and retired from BYU ranked first in program history in career winning percentage (.720) and second in career coaching victories (348-135). Looking back on his career, Dave is most proud of the students he was able to coach. “I was able to work with quality student-athletes. They worked hard and played hard and were fun to coach every day.”

Dave made a difference in countless ways off the court as well. As a result, he was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches with its Game Pillar Award for Service. Additionally, in 2008, Rose became the 63rd recipient of the Dale Rex Memorial Award, given annually to the person who has done the most for amateur athletics in the state of Utah.

M. Anthony Burns is a native of Mesquite, Nev. After attending Dixie College, Tony continued his education by receiving his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.

He spent nine years with Mobil Oil before joining Ryder, where he became CEO in 1983 at age 42. Today, he serves as Chairman, President and CEO of Ryder Systems, a $7 billion international company headquartered in Miami, Fla. Tony is a great humanitarian and received the American Red Cross Humanitarian Award for his outstanding leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

Although many of his efforts are on the national and global scene, Tony has not forgotten his roots and continues to support the local economy through business and charitable giving. A 5,000-seat multipurpose facility was built as part of his local commitment and bears his name, the Burns Arena. In 1998, Tony was named by the American Association of Community Colleges as one of six national Outstanding Alumni Award recipients. He and his wife, the former Joyce Jordan, are the parents of two daughters and one son.

Jerry C. Atkin, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Skywest, Inc., and its subsidiary companies, was born, raised and educated in St. George, Utah. He graduated from Dixie College in 1969, then obtained his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of Utah. He practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for two years prior to joining Skywest in 1974. He was first hired at Skywest as Director of Finance, then in 1975, was made president and CEO. In 1991, in addition to his other administrative positions, Jerry was elected Chairman of the Board. He has led Skywest from annual revenues of under $1 million to over $400 million.

He is a member of the Board of Directors for Regence Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Utah, The Regence Group of Portland, Ore., Zions Bancorporation, a bank holding company, and the Regional Airlines Association. In 1981, he was named the Outstanding Young Businessman of the Year by the St. George Chamber of Commerce and was the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Dixie College in 1995. In 1999, he was appointed a member of the Utah State Board of Regents of the Utah System of Higher Education. He and his wife, the former Carolyn Jones, are the parents of three sons and one daughter.

Roxey Romney Davis Holbrook was born in Bunkerville, Nev., and later moved to St. George. Her father, Erastus Snow Romney, became the second president of Dixie College. After graduating from Dixie College, she received a degree from Brigham Young University in Elementary Education, Speech and Drama.

She taught two years in Mesquite, Nev., before marrying Al Davis and moving to Los Angeles, where she earned a graduate degree from the Woodbury Business College. After six years of marriage, Al died from pneumonia and Roxey knew she must pursue a career to support herself.

ZCMI hired her as “Miss Margo Manners” – advertising and selecting clothes on a one-on-one basis. She also managed the Mail Order Department and took it from three to 100 employees. The following year she became the buyer for budget dresses and the maternity departments, then went on to buy lingerie and robes for the Bridal Salon. Her greatest challenge came when as a buyer for the better dress department she learned that the fashion houses in New York City refused to sell ZCMI claiming loyalty to two other major department stores in Salt Lake City. It was very discouraging not being welcomed by any fashion houses, but through her persistence ZCMI was soon accepted everywhere in New York. In 1975, she entered into a partnership, taking over the Cameo Room Fur Department and created one of the finest fur departments in the Intermountain West.

Working full time until 1996 and after 52 years with ZCMI, she retired at age 82. She was also married to Merrill R. Holbrook and later to his brother Dr. Von Garn Holbrook. She is the mother of one daughter, Roxanne Holbrook.

Dr. M. Kenneth Bowler is a native of St. George, Utah. After graduating from Dixie College, he served as an LDS missionary to Great Britain. He returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stanford University, and later obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin.

He was an American Political Science Congressional Fellow, served on the board of editors for the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, and is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center Advisory Council. He was an assistant professor in the political science department at the University of Maryland, and published a book and several articles on federal health and welfare policies. He was the Staff Director for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee from 1987-89, and deputy staff director from 1985-87. He holds membership in the American Political Science Association and the Business-Government Relations Council; and has served on the Johns Hopkins Health Advisory Council and the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. He is a member emeritus of the Dixie College National Advisory Council, and is currently a Corporate Officer and Vice President for Federal Government Relations for Pfizer, Inc.

He and his wife, the former Ann Taylor, are the parents of two daughters and two sons.

Garth L. Milne is a native of St. George, Utah. After graduating from Dixie College, he served an LDS mission to Australia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Utah and had the highest grade point average of his class. He obtained an MBA degree from Harvard Business School, graduating with high distinction.

He worked for Chrysler Corporation from 1968-79. His positions included vice president, corporate control and development. He joined Motorola, Inc., in 1979, where he served as senior vice president and treasurer until 1985. He was responsible for managing the financing of Motorola, investments in excess of $4 billion, cash management, foreign exchange, insurance, retirement fund investments of $11 billion, and customer financing. He was also an officer in nearly all of Motorola’s foreign subsidiaries, which have had combined sales of over $22 billion out of total sales of nearly $40 billion.

He is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Corporate Treasurers and the Board of Committee on Corporate Finance of the Financial Executives Institute. He is in the Who’s Who in America. He and his wife, the former Kay Hansen, are the parents of two daughters and one son.

John C. Riding was born in St. George, Utah, and raised in Pioche, Nev., where his family had moved to obtain employment during the Depression. Although registered to attend Brigham Young University, a late decision to go to Dixie to play football was the best one he ever made.

While enjoying the Spirit of Dixie, he met and courted Naomi Merservy, who became his wife after he served a mission to Montana. He graduated from Dixie College in 1959, and served as student body president. After graduation he attended BYU, where he earned a degree in Economics. He then spent two years at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Following graduation, he began a 33-year career within the telephone industry.

His first assignments with Pacific Telephone included the strategic planning of local and long distance networks. He spent four years in New York working for AT&T helping to implement orders by the Justice Department to resolve equal pay issues throughout the Bell System. The next few years were spent directing technology changes that impacted the way customers receive long distance and directory assistance services. He spent the final years of his career working in San Francisco as Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Services for AirTouch Communications. He was also a member of its policy group at the time of his retirement in June of 1998.

His LDS Church responsibilities have included being a bishop in Carmel, Calif., and stake president in Walnut Creek, Calif. Now a resident of Mapleton, Utah, John and his wife have seven children.

Val A. Browning was born in Ogden, Utah. He graduated from Ogden High School in 1913, and spent one year at the Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre at Liege, Belgium, learning the French language and acquiring the rudiments of gun manufacturing. He then studied engineering and law at Cornell University.

During World War I, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army and was ordered to France to teach instructors at three U.S. Army machine gun schools and was placed at the front as a machine gun troubleshooter. He followed the passion of his father, John Moses, in firearms design and production. After the death of his father, Mr. Browning helped to secure the future of the family business by participating in the establishment of the Browning Arms Company and was granted some 48 U.S. patents in the course of his career.

Browning was decorated by King Baudouin of Belgium as Chevalier de lordre de Leopold, the highest order of Belgium, for “outstanding contribution to the Gun Making Art.” He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Dixie State College and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Weber State University. Browning was a major benefactor of Dixie State College, and his generous gifts have made possible the Val A. Browning Learning Resource Center and the Val. A. Browning Library on campus. He has provided scholarship and cultural arts endowments at Dixie State College.

In addition to being a successful businessman, Browning was a broadly cultured man with a deep appreciation of all the fine arts. Val married Ann Chaffin of Farmington, Utah, and they are the parents of four children.

Ken was born in Delta, Utah, and graduated from Delta High School in 1937, where he was commencement speaker. He attended Dixie College in 1938, and played basketball, after which he served an LDS mission to Hawaii. Upon his return he served in the United States Air Corps in World War II, and was called to active duty during the Korean conflict. Ken always affirmed that any success he had in life was a result of his pleasant and eventful year at Dixie.

Wilma was born in Delta and raised in Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah. After graduation from East HS, she worked as a Civil Service secretary to a captain in the Army. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 1982, and received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from BYU in 1990. She has served on the Dixie State College National Advisory Council and received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from DSC in 1993.

Together, Ken and Wilma founded the Electrical Wholesale Supply Company. The first three units were in Idaho, which they managed until they were called to serve as leaders of the Hawaii Islands mission for the LDS Church. Upon their return they opened their first Electrical Wholesale Supply in Utah.

In 1980, Ken was honored as Utah’s Outstanding Small Businessman. There are at least six Electrical Wholesale Supply stores in Utah. Through their generous gift, the Kenneth N. Gardner Student Center on the DSC campus was made possible. Wilma states “I love Dixie and have weathered the storm of adversity through my associations with those inspired with the Spirit of Dixie and their focus on excellence.” The Gardners are the parents of five children.

A. James Lundberg was born in Roosevelt, Utah, and graduated from Dixie High School and Dixie College, where he was student body president in 1950. He received his B.A. from Brigham Young University, and CLU and ChFC degrees from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn.

Jim was a member of the Farmers Insurance Group for 46 years, where he served as district manager and was a member of the Farmers Presidents Council. He chartered Dixie State Bank in 1970, and the American Bank of Commerce in 1973. He served as chairman of the board at both banks. He was also a member of the board of directors of The Village Bank in St. George. Jim has been a member of Lions International for over 50 years and in 1966, was elected to the Lions International Board of Directors.

Jim owns an extensive collection of antique automobiles, busses and trucks, which he generously uses for local parades and car shows. He was a member of the board of directors of the Dixie State College Alumni Association and the Dixie College Foundation, and was a member of the Dixie State College National Advisory Council. He was honored as Dixie State College’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2002. He assisted coach Sark Arslanian in football at Dixie State and is a member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. Jim and his wife, Ila Claire Stucki, are the parents of four children and 15 grandchildren.

J. Ralph Atkin is a fourth-generation resident of St. George. He is a graduate of Dixie High, Dixie State College (AS), Brigham Young University (BS), and Golden Gate University (MBA), and holds a law degree from the University of Utah. Ralph was elected Washington County Attorney, and has conducted a private law practice in St. George for over 40 years. He served as the Director of Economic Development for the State of Utah from 1990-92, and prior to that he served as chairman of the Utah Travel Council for nine years. He also served as a member of the Utah National Guard for 12 years and obtained the rank of first lieutenant. Ralph is the founder and retired chairman of SkyWest Inc., a public company which is the holding company of SkyWest Airlines (St. George, Utah) and Express Jet Airlines (Atlanta, Ga.). His influence has been far-reaching; he has created airlines in Europe (Austria 1995) and West Africa (Ghana 2005). He was a founding member of Café Rio, Inc’s board of directors and currently serves on the boards of SkyWest, Inc. and TruHearing, Inc.

Ralph served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) for the BYU Marriott School of Business 2004-11, and is a current member of the Dixie State College NAC. He is also a long-time member of the Dixie State Athletic Alliance (formerly the Colonels Club). He is the recipient of the 2010 Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. He and his wife Cheri have tirelessly served their alma mater as co-chairmen of the Centennial Campaign Committee and have been instrumental in securing the initial funding for the eight herald trumpets, in addition to securing funds for the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons, the Atkin Tutoring Center, the Udvar-Hazy School of Business building, the President’s Loop and D-Circuit, Dan’s Cove, the Dixie Paver Centennial Project, and seven memory gardens. Ralph was an adjunct business professor at Dixie State College for several years. Ralph played tennis at DSC, and was also an actor. One of his proudest accomplishments was receiving the Dixie State College Outstanding Actor of the Year Award in 1964-65 for his role as father in “Life with Father.”

Ralph holds a private pilot’s license (single/multi engine) and enjoys golf and traveling with family members. He and Cheri are the parents of eight children (all graduates of Dixie State College), and have 15 grandchildren.

Emil Graff had a long and successful life by simply sticking to his motto: “Have interests that make you think about the present and the future – too many people dwell on the past.” Born to Emil and Charlotte Juliet Roulet Graf, Emil’s father tragically passed away when Emil was only six years old. As the oldest of eight children, Emil vowed to elevate the family out of destitution. The extreme financial burdens of his early life propelled him to pursue his education, and in 1914, after proudly serving as class president, Emil graduated from the Dixie Academy, a treasured high point in his life. He attended the Utah Agricultural College in Logan, Utah. Thereafter he moved to Hurricane, Utah where he taught school in LaVerkin and Toquerville and purchased what later became known as Graff Mercantile. It was during this time that he changed his last name from Graf to Graff and preferred to be called E.J., which he felt better personified his business pursuits. Emil’s knack for investing and acquiring properties and businesses was widely known and at one time he was the second largest producer of eggs in the United States. Emil was a financial and management genius, believing in responsibility, accountability, diligence and trustworthiness. He was a veteran member of both the St. George Rotary and Hurricane Lion’s Clubs. He served on the Washington County Conservancy and School Board, the Dixie College Institutional Council, and one term as County Commissioner. Emil and his wife LaVerna felt a deep responsibility to help people in need and participated in civic responsibilities well into their later years. They were especially partial to Emil’s beloved Dixie College, leaving an endowment that was memorialized as the Graff Fine Arts Center. Emil always “kept his eye to the future,” and downplayed his success. “I was just fortunate,” he simply stated. Emil and LaVerna were the parents of three children: Emil Mace, Dawn, and Shirl Ray. Emil’s wife LaVerna passed away in 1985. In 1988, Emil married Nina B. Huish. Emil J. Graff was a great man who contributed enormously to the world he lived in. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 97.

Russell C. Taylor epitomizes the concepts of working hard and serving others. Born in Red Mesa, Colorado, on November 25, 1925, Russell grew up in Provo, Utah, where he worked in the fields, foundry, and ice plant. He went on to work in construction at Geneva Steel before graduating from Provo High School. Russell then joined the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the medical department as a pharmacist's mate.

Following his service to his country during World War II, Russell enrolled in classes at Brigham Young University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. Upon graduation, Russell took a position in New York Life's new group insurance department. After ten years with New York Life and five years as district manager of Crown Life Insurance, Russell teamed up with two business partners and built a successful company of their own.

In 1990, Russell began working in the banking industry and was named director of the Nevada Community Bank. Later, he joined with another group of investors and helped recapitalize Sun Capital Bank in St. George, serving on the bank board until 1997. In 1995, Russell and his colleagues opened Community Bank of Nevada in Las Vegas.

Russell's commitment to excellence extends beyond business to the invaluable service he offers the St. George community. He helped get Sun Capital Bank involved in supporting the restoration of the St. George Opera House and Social Hall as well as the creation of the St. George Art Museum, facilities that improve the community by offering residents a beautiful reminder of their pioneer past.

Perhaps his most well known contribution to the community is his donation to the Russell C. Taylor Health Sciences Center, which was dedicated in September 2008. The 78,000-square-foot facility is home to DSU's School of Health Sciences and opened the door for Dixie State to offer its students a vast array of medical programs.

Russell served for many years on the National Advisory Council for Dixie State as well as on the Celebrity Concert Series Board. In 1994, he was called to Quorum of the Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Russell also has served in numerous other capacities for the church, including as a member of the area presidency of Europe, the managing director for the LDS church headquarters' missionary department, and the president of the Atlanta, Georgia, Mission. Russell and his wife, Joyce, have also served as president and matron of the Denver, Colorado, LDS Temple. They are the parents of six children.

Hyrum W. Smith has been a great supporter of Utah Tech University ever since he married Dixie Alumna Gail Cooper Smith in 1966. However, education has always been an important part of Hyrum’s life. He was born in Centerville, Utah, and spent most of his formative years in Hawaii, where his father was president of the Speech Department at the University of Hawaii and his mother taught sixth grade.

After graduating from high school, Hyrum moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the first congressman from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye. He went on to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in London and then was drafted into the U.S. Army. Hyrum graduated with honors from Officer Candidate School and served as the field commander of a Pershing missile battery in Germany.

Hyrum graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971 and went to work with ADP, a pioneering data processing firm, where he became senior vice president for sales. In 1981, he formed his own sales management training company, Golden Eagle Motivation.

In 1983, Hyrum helped create the popular Franklin Day Planner. He also helped form the Franklin Quest Company to produce the planner and train individuals on time-management principles. Hyrum served as vice chairman of the Board of Franklin Covey Company, Franklin Quest’s successor, until 2004. Hyrum is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and the author of several nationally acclaimed books.

Hyrum and Gail’s generosity and loyal support of Utah Tech made it possible for the institution to purchase the buildings that were constructed on campus as part of the original Dixie Convention Center. Together, these buildings — the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center, Burns Arena, and Smith's Computer Center — were named the Avenna Center.

Over the years, Hyrum has received numerous honors and community service awards. He has served on several boards of directors and national advisory councils and has received three honorary doctorate degrees.

Hyrum and Gail enjoy life at their ranch in Gun- lock, Utah. They have six children and 24 grandchildren.

Arvel Milne (1911) was born in St. George, Utah and attended the Woodward School, Dixie High School, and Dixie Junior College. He married Miriam Bentley, another St. George native, and together they had three children. Arvel’s leadership and community service started at a young age when he was appointed as the second fire chief of the St. George Volunteer Fire Department at age 25. Arvel’s father, Joseph Milne, bought the first truck used in the St. George area in 1916 and began building a family trucking business. Arvel became involved in the business at age 15. The company grew to include freight and gasoline distribution routes throughout southern Utah. Arvel and his brother Willard assumed leadership of Milne Truck Lines in the 1940’s when Joseph’s health declined. A merger with Rocky Mountain Trucking in 1956 gave Milne routes in Nevada and California. While Arvel and Miriam deeply loved St. George, they moved to Salt Lake in 1956 to establish a distribution hub required by the growing company. The company expanded to Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado and was eventually sold to Sun Oil Company. At the time of the sale in 1978 Milne Truck Lines had approximately 1,500 pieces of equipment and employed 600 employees. Through years of service Arvel made an impact on the transportation industry. He served on the board of directors of the Utah Motor Transport Association for 25 years and served a term as president. He was a delegate to the American Trucking Association for 20 years and served a term as vice president. He was also an officer of the Western Highway Institute. Because of his involvement in the trucking industry, Arvel was often on Capitol Hill lobbying and promoting transportation for the State of Utah. Arvel held a number of positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the community. He was appointed by Utah Gov. J. Bracken Lee to serve as chairman of the Building and Transportation Committee, a 60-member committee appointed to investigate the public school system of the State of Utah. He was the chairman of the Explorer Division of the Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts of America and was a member of the Rotary Club. Dixie College was the beneficiary of Arvel’s generosity as he made a number of donations to athletics and fine arts.

Willard Milne (1913) was a lifetime resident of St. George, Utah, an area he referred to as his Garden of Eden. He graduated from Dixie High School and Dixie College. Willard enjoyed a long career in the trucking industry, following in his father’s footsteps. In the beginning, Joseph Milne and his sons would travel in a Garford truck with hard rubber tires, a grub box, a single spring and a bedroll attached to the side of the truck. They would retrieve freight at the rail end in Lund, Nevada and distribute throughout southern Utah. When the rail end moved to Cedar City, Milne became the Continental Oil agent and distributed gasoline as well as freight. Willard and his brother Arvel took over the Milne Truck Lines in the 1940’s when Joseph’s health declined. Under their able management, the business continued to grow, established more routes, and became a true regional carrier when the company merged with Rocky Mountain Trucking in 1956. Following a period of continuing expansion, Milne was sold to Sun Oil Company. At the time of the sale in 1978, Milne was operating in 11 states with over 125 semi tractors. Milne was the largest regional carrier in the states it served and was known in the industry as the “premier carrier.” Demonstrating his love for St. George and the people of the area, Willard was involved in community and church affairs during his entire life. He was appointed as the third fire chief for the St. George Fire Department. He served as chief for 10 years and as a fireman for over 50 years. Willard was also involved in the local Rotary Club for over 50 years and served as president in 1957. He also accepted a number of leadership assignments in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While attending Dixie College, Willard was a good student and also played on the basketball team. He recounted stories of the rivalries with Weber Junior College, Snow Junior College and the Branch Agricultural College in Cedar City. Willard always enjoyed attending athletic events at Dixie College and was a member of the Colonels Club for many years. He made numerous contributions to athletics, general scholarships, presidential scholarships, science scholarships and science and physics equipment. Willard was married to Ruth Cottam for 62 years. They had five children and 16 grandchildren.

Roger L. Nuttall is president of Camping World, the nation’s largest network of recreational vehicle dealerships. He also is a consistent supporter of Dixie State University and has made numerous contributions to the institution.

Roger grew up in Hurricane and St. George, Utah. He attended Dixie High School and Dixie College, where he was the student body president for the 1973-74 school year. He later completed his undergraduate education at Weber State University, earning a degree in accounting. Roger became a certified public accountant in 1976 and was employed by Grant Thornton, LLC, a national CPA firm. In 1990, Roger and two partners acquired the Grant Thornton CPA firm located in Ogden, Utah, and he continued to practice public accounting until 2003. In the accounting industry, Roger became well known for his expertise in the recreational vehicle sector and this professional skill led to great opportunities.

During his time in the Ogden area, he was a member of the board of directors for the largest RV dealership in Utah, Blaine Jensen and Sons, Inc., which later was acquired by Camping World. In 2003, Roger was invited to move to the Chicago area to take the position of chief financial officer of Camping World at its headquarters in Lincolnshire, Illinois. In 2009, he was promoted to the chief operating officer position and then in 2011 was designated as president of Camping World. He is responsible for more than 140 dealership and retail locations with more than 10,000 employees and $4.5 billion in revenue.

Throughout his life, Roger has remained tightly connected to Dixie State University. He currently serves on the National Advisory Council and makes frequent trips to the area for the semiannual meetings. Through Roger’s influence and guidance, Camping World has become a consistent supporter of the Dixie Foundation’s Fire & Ice scholarship fundraiser and the Dixie Classic Golf Tournament, which supports Dixie State Athletics and general scholarships.
Roger is a recipient of the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from the Boys Scouts of America for his service to the Chicago area’s disadvantaged youth. He is also a director for the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation. Roger has also provided years of service in many civic and religious leadership roles.

He is married to the former Jan Gardiner, an Ogden, Utah, native; they have one daughter, five sons, and 24 grandchildren. On the weekends, you can find Roger enjoying the great outdoors and spending time with the littlest members of his family.

From an early age, Frank Mehdi Habibian had a desire to help those in need. This passion for helping others, combined with a great love for the sport of wrestling, and a very generous donation, inspired the development of the 14,300-square-foot Frank Habibian Wrestling and Athletic Center, which opened on Dixie State’s campus in 2010.

Born in Iran, Frank’s dream from a young age was to be able to come to America. That dream became a reality in 1963. As a newcomer to the United States without family close by, Frank was touched when a wonderful family invited him to join them for Thanksgiving dinner. Today, Frank continues this generous tradition by providing Thanksgiving meals to people in the St. George area. With the help of volunteers and donations from throughout the community, what started with just five people in 1973 has now grown to serving thousands every Thanksgiving holiday.

Frank attended and graduated from Kings High School in San Francisco and then earned an engineering degree from Southern Utah University. While attending SUU, he also met and married Melanie Jensen. He then accepted a job with Page/Northrop Communications Engineers, affording him the opportunity to return to Iran. Working alongside his father, he supervised several hundred employees building high-rise buildings throughout the city of Tehran.

After three years, Frank’s deep gratitude and love for Southern Utah prompted him to return to the area and people he cherished there. Frank also returned to college for a degree in architecture.

As a businessman, Frank has developed many different projects in the St. George and surrounding areas including Las Vegas. Frank has also owned many residential treatment facilities where he helped thousands of struggling youth with life’s journey.

Frank has three daughters and three sons who all attended Dixie State. He also has nine beautiful grandchildren.

Dr. Jeffery R. Holland is a native of St. George, Utah. After graduating from Dixie College in 1963, he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English and Religious Education from Brigham Young University. He then obtained a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Philosophy in American Studies from Yale University.

He is a former commissioner of education for the LDS Church and served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University from 1980-89. He is the author of three books, Christ and the New Covenant; However Long and Hard the Road; On Earth as it is in Heaven; and Trusting Jesus. For his work in improving understanding between Christians and Jews, he was awarded the “Torch of Liberty” award by the Anti-Defamation League of B’Nai B’rith. On April 1, 1989, he was called as an LDS general authority serving as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Part of that assignment included being president of the Europe North Area of the Church and first counselor in the Young Men Presidency. He was ordained a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 23, 1994. He and his wife, the former Patricia Terry, are the parents of two sons and a daughter, and have 13 grandchildren.

Arthur F. Bruhn was born in Parowan, Utah, and grew up in that area. He attended the University of Utah for three years before enrolling at Brigham Young University, where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees, and later continued work towards a Ph.D. at the University of Utah.

In his early education career, he served as principal in Cannonville, Utah, and then taught in Iron County before coming to Dixie. He had a great love for the scenic beauty of southern Utah and during the summer worked as a park ranger in the National Parks system. He was a fine photographer and writer. As a member of the Utah State Parks and Recreation Commission, he was instrumental in getting Snow Canyon designated as a state park. From 1954-64, he served as the ninth president of Dixie College.

Loved by students and faculty alike, perhaps a more devoted president was not known at Dixie. When Governor J. Bracken Lee visited the campus to announce that Dixie College would be closed, President Bruhn showed him the new Dixianna Dormitory built entirely with community funds, presented him deeds for a new campus and told him of his dreams. Governor Lee stated, “If this community wants Dixie College that badly, they should have it.” If it had not been for his presidency and the efforts of key community leaders, Dixie College would not exist today. Despite his great capacity as president, he was first a teacher and though he was known to be a “hard teacher,” he inspired hundreds of students to continue their education and to do their best. He and his wife, the former Lorna Chamberlain, are the parents of three daughters and one son.

Bruce Clark Hafen was born in St. George, Utah, and graduated from Dixie College in 1960. After serving an LDS mission to Germany, he graduated from Brigham Young University, then from law school at the University of Utah. He practiced law in Salt Lake City from 1967-71, and became an assistant to President Dallin Oaks at BYU.

He was a charter member of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and, along with other assignments, spent the next 25 years as a law professor in the fields of family, education and constitutional law. From 1976-78, he was director of research and evaluation in the Correlation Department of the LDS Church. He was president of Ricks College from 1978-85, and Dean of the BYU Law School from 1985-89. From 1989-96, he served as provost at BYU and was president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities from 1982-85.

He is widely published in prestigious law journals, and has served on the accrediting commission of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, and since 1986, serves on the editorial board of First Things: A Journal of Religion and Public Life in New York City. In 1996, he was called to the LDS First Quorum of the Seventy and currently serves as president of the St. George Temple. Elder Hafen’s church writings have appeared frequently in the Ensign and other LDS periodicals. He has published three books – The Believing Heart; The Broken Heart; and The Belonging Heart. Bruce married Marie Kartchner in 1964, and they are the parents of seven children.

Glenn E. Snow was born and raised in St. George, Utah, where he graduated from Dixie College and served as student body president. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education from the University of Utah, then continued his education at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago.

He began his teaching career in Toquerville, Utah, and was a teacher and administrator throughout southern Utah and Nevada until he became the sixth president of Dixie College in 1938, where he served the students and community for 12 years. He served as a Utah State Senator and president of the Washington County, Iron County, Southern Utah and Utah State Teachers Association. In 1943, he was appointed to the executive committee of the National Education Association and in 1947, was named NEA president, becoming the first westerner to hold that position. As president, he represented American teachers in the Post War Education Assistance conferences in France, England and Scotland. He worked with Senator Robert A. Taft and President Harry S. Truman on national legislation for public education. After his term as president of the NEA, he remained in Washington D.C., as executive secretary until he retired in 1965.

He received many national honors given from groups such as the American Legion, the Conference of National Organizations and the Magazine Editors Association. After retiring, he returned to his beloved Dixie, where he continued to serve on the Utah Citizens Advisory Council for Higher Education and as regent for the University of Utah. He and his wife, the former Laura Gardner, are the parents of three sons and one daughter.

Joseph Kelly Nicholes was born in American Fork, Utah. He graduated from Brigham Young Academy in 1908 and served an LDS mission to Denmark from 1909-12. As mission secretary, he had complete charge of the Church’s Scandinavian emigration to the United States. Joseph taught at Dixie High School from 1912-14. He attended classes each summer at Brigham Young University and studied there full-time from 1915-16, to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

He became president of Dixie Junior College in 1919, and continued to teach science and mathematics. In the summer of 1923, he went to Stanford University where he received his Master’s Degree in Chemistry in 1924. He returned to Dixie and again became president of the college in 1926. He loved St. George and served the community as director of the St. George Chamber of Commerce and president of the St. George Building Society. He was also president of the St. George Stake of Zion form 1925-30.

When the LDS Church was unable to continue its support of Dixie College, Joseph spent many hours working for the transfer of the college to the state. After moving to BYU, he retained his interest in and affection for Dixie. Joseph taught chemistry at BYU from 1933-60, and was chairman of the Chemistry Department from 1945-55. During his tenure, it developed into one of the strongest departments at BYU. He inspired many students toward graduate studies in science and medicine.

His honors include the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Teaching Award, the Utah Award from the American Chemical Society, and in 1961, BYU presented him with D.Sc. honoris causa. Joseph also taught LDS church history at BYU for many years and served as a member of the LDS Sunday School General Board from 1938-46. He married Olive Maiben in 1912, and they are the parents of nine children.

R.J. Snow was born in Cedar City, educated in St. George and Washington D.C., and graduated from Dixie College as student body president in 1957. After serving an LDS mission to France, he completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Utah, along with another master’s degree and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University, and post-doctoral work at the University of Oregon and Harvard.

He served on the faculties at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Bordeaux in France, and in 1973, as staff assistant to President David P. Gardner at the University of Utah. In 1975, he was appointed University of Utah Vice President for University Relations and Director of the Hinckley Institute for Politics. In 1985, he was president of the Jacobsen Company, associated with Jacobsen Construction, and in 1987, was president of the South Africa-Johannesburg Mission for the LDS Church. In 1990, he returned to academic administration as Student Life Vice President and then as VP of Advancement at Brigham Young University.

In Salt Lake City and Provo, he served on the boards of many civic and philanthropic associations including the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Utah Symphony. He served on the Utah Governor’s Commission for the Status of Women and the Board of Directors of the Deseret News. Between 1998-2000, R.J. served as Director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Israel. He was also professor of political science at BYU.

He married Marilyn Melville in 1962. They have three daughters and a son. In addition to their own children and grandchildren, the Snows feel particularly blessed to have had very close associations with thousands of outstanding young people through more than four decades of education and church services.

W. Rolfe Kerr was born and raised in Tremonton, Utah. He graduated from Bear River High School, where he served as student body president. After serving an LDS Church mission to Great Britain, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, where again he was student body president and quarterback of the football team. After two years service as an officer in the United States Army, he received a master’s degree from USU and his Ph.D. from the University of Utah.

In 1976, he became the 12th President of Dixie College. During his tenure at Dixie, the Cooperative Education work program was installed and a new Trade & Industries building was built and dedicated. His dream in 1977 of an educational, cultural and recreational facility for the area became a reality 10 years later in the form of the new Dixie Center. President Kerr was known for his keen understanding of the human race and his leadership by cooperation. He has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees form the University of Utah, USU, Utah Valley State College and Dixie College. He is a former commissioner of higher education, executive vice president of Brigham Young University, assistant to the president at USU, associate dean of students at the University of Utah, dean of men at Weber State University, and coordinator of student government at USU.

During his service as Utah commissioner of higher education, he was elected to serve as chairman of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education and as national president of the organization of State Higher Education Executive Officers. He received the 1993 Administrator of the Year Award from BYU’s Institute of Public Management. He was sustained as a General Authority of the LDS Church on April 6, 1996, as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He married Janeil Raybould of Rexburg, Idaho, in 1960. They are the parents of six children.

Hugh McCurdy Woodward was born in Huntington, Utah. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1911, after which he moved to St. George, at age 29, to become the first principal of the St. George Stake Academy. During the summers he completed his graduate studies with an MA from the University of Utah in 1918, and a Ph.D. from the University of California in 1920. In 1914, Hugh became the first president of Dixie Normal College and he became known as the “Father of Dixie.”

During the leadership of President Woodward, the original Dixie College administration building and the gymnasium on Main Street in downtown St. George were constructed. The “D” on the Black Hill was painted and the high scholastic standards of Dixie College were set. His student body government outline for self discipline, including a court system and campus student police, has served as the example for many colleges and universities.

He believed in the phrase “a soft answer turneth away wrath.” After leaving Dixie, President Woodward served as dean of summer session and professor of philosophy at BYU, a Utah State Senator, and a professor of philosophy at the University of California. He married Emily Timothy in 1905. They were the parents of three children.

Ferron C. Losee was born in Panguitch, Utah. He graduated form Provo High School in 1928. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in 1936 and his master’s degree (1940) and Ph.D. (1950) from the University of Southern California.

His career in education began at Roosevelt HS in 1936, and continued at Weber State College and California State University. In 1964, he became the 11th president of Dixie College. During his 12 years at Dixie, he became known as “the Builder of the Dixie College Campus.” He changed the image of Dixie from the small campus downtown with an enrollment of 383 students, to a campus covering 89 acres with an enrollment of over 1,200 students. The name was also changed during his tenure form Dixie Junior College to Dixie College. President Losee oversaw construction of the Obert C. Tanner Amphitheater in Zion Canyon, the fine arts center mosaic and the water fountain on the new campus. He caught and loved the “Dixie Spirit” establishing Dixie’s Program Bureau and hiring fellow Hall of Famer Roene DiFiore (Mrs. D) as its conductor.

After his retirement of 36 years in education, he established and led the Micronesia-Guam Mission for the LDS Church. He married his sweetheart, Faye Greer of Provo, Utah, in 1936 and they are the parents of three daughters.

Dr. Alton Lavar Wade was born in Leamington, Utah, and graduated from Millard High School in Fillmore, Utah, where he excelled in the classroom and was an all-state selection in football and track. After serving an LDS mission to the central states, headquartered in Independence, Mo., he completed his education at Brigham Young University (B.S. 1959), Cal State Long Beach (M.A. 1963), before earning his Ph.D. in Education at BYU in 1973.

His professional career exceeded 40 years in education, with positions as teacher, principal, university vice president, and college and university president. He served as Dixie College’s 13th president, and although he never attended Dixie College, he became the essence of the “Dixie Spirit.” His magic was his ability to communicate with everyone and he is remembered for his magnetic personality. Under his direction, the Dixie Center vision was caught and the ground-breaking took place, the Hansen Stadium and tennis courts were constructed, and Dixie State captured its first NJCAA national basketball championship. Dr. Wade was president of Brigham Young University-Hawaii from 1986-94, and was vice president of student life at BYU (Provo) form 1994-2000. He is married to the former Diana Daniels and they have eight children and 26 grandchildren.

Dr. Douglas D. Alder was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he attended public schools and earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Utah. His doctorate in history was awarded by the University of Oregon and included a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Vienna in Austria. He then taught European history for 23 years and directed the honors program at Utah State University. He was the 14th president of Dixie College, serving from 1986-93, after which he returned to teaching history full time.

During his presidency, the Val A. Browning Learning Resource Center was completed, as were additions to the Browning Library and the Science Building. The construction on the Udvar-Hazy Business Building was begun, as was the Gardner Student Center. In addition, the College Inn was developed for the Elderhostel Program and the DSC National Advisory Council was established. Dr. Alder served on numerous state boards, including Utah Arts Council, Utah Humanities Council, Utah Historical Society, Mesa Creativity Center, Grafton Heritage Restoration, and the Washington County Historical Society.

Since his presidency, he has written southern Utah history and Dixie State College history, and he has served on community boards, including the Washington County Library, Historic St. George LIVE, Celebrity Concert Series, and the St. George Neighborhood Preservation Committee. Dr. Alder teaches history classes for the Elderhostel and ICL programs. He and his wife, Elaine Reiser Alder, are the parents of four children and have 12 grandchildren. Elaine helped in restoring the St. George Opera House and the Pioneer Center for the Arts.

Dr. Ronald L. Garner was born in Ephraim, Utah. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Utah and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Oregon. The 2005 year marks Dr. Garner’s 51st year as a faculty member at Dixie State College, during which time he has contributed greatly to the cultural arts of southern Utah.

He began teaching at Dixie in 1955. He founded the Dixie College marching band and jazz ensemble, and he was director of the concert band, orchestra, chamber orchestra, theater orchestra, and choir, whose combined performances number in the thousands. With Norman Fawson and Irene Everett he established the Southwest Symphony, serving as its first conductor for eight years during its primary development. Dr. Garner founded the Dixie Fine Arts Series (Celebrity Concert Series) in 1958, and has served as president and a board member on several occasions.

A former director of the Division of Fine Arts, he served as music department chair and twice received the DSC Outstanding Teacher Award, and the DSC Life Achievement Award in music. His greatest professional accomplishments can be witnessed by the thousands of students who have gained an appreciation for music under his tutelage. Many of his former students are music educators who continue the fine music traditions of Dixie. In the words of his lifelong friend and fellow Hall of Famer Dan Watson, “A tribute to Ron Garner symbolizes continuity as well as change, and signifies not only hope for the future, but more specifically, gratitude for the past.”

Ron is married to the former Susan Allen Orchard and is the father of six children: Randi Lee, Bruce, Daniel, Michele, Glade, and Scott, and stepfather of three children: Allen, Paul and Chris.

Max H. Rose is from St. George, Utah, and currently serves as Superintendent of the Washington County School District and is a member of the DSC Board of Trustees. He is also a former vice president of Academic Services at DSC, and was a professor of math and chemistry. Max was born and reared in neighboring Garfield County in the small town of Henrieville as one of 14 children. After graduating from Bryce Valley High School, he earned degrees in math and chemistry, receiving his Bachelor’s degree at Southern Utah University, his Master’s degree at Utah State University and his Ph.D. at Brigham Young University.

Max came to Dixie College in 1972, and discovered at the very beginning of his career the terrific nature of the college. He had the satisfaction of seeing the campus expand from the earliest small buildings with exterior entrances to the larger, enclosed buildings and full landscaping. Max said, “Especially wonderful over the years have been the incredible students at Dixie State College!” He caught the famous “Dixie Spirit” and was involved with that mystical force throughout his career. The college relationships he developed over the years will surely last forever.

Dr. Rose was named DSC’s Professor of the Year five times, was honored as Educator of the Year by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, and received an Innovation Award for Education by the United States Congress for work done in the early years of tele-learning. Max has served as a leader in his church in many capacities and in the community in multiple assignments. He served as chairman of both the Dixie Center and the Dixie Regional Medical Center Governing Board. Max and his wife, Kathy, are parents of three children and have three grandchildren. His children are all alumni of Dixie State College.

Dr. Richard G. Whitehead was born and raised in St. George, Utah, and was a graduate of Dixie High School, Dixie College and Brigham Young University. In 1970, he graduated from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska and then completed an oral surgery internship at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He then returned to St. George where he practiced dentistry and oral surgery for 26 years. Dr. Whitehead, a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantology, was one of the pioneers in the field of dental implants and transplants in Southwestern Utah and is credited to have placed some of the first dental implants in the state. In 2001, the Utah Dental Association presented him with their Distinguished Service Award.

He has been active in community affairs in St. George serving on the City Council, as president of the Rotary Club and as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1995, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce recognized him as Man of the Year. He was a found­ing member of the board of directors of Strata Corporation and the Heritage Arts Foundation (Tuacahn) and a member of Zions Bank Southern Utah Region Advisory Board. A strong believer in education, Dr. Whitehead is an emeritus member of the Creighton University School of Dentistry Advisory Board. He is past president of the Dixie College Foundation, the Alumni Association, co-founder and member of the Dixie College National Advisory Council and former member of the Dixie College Board of Trustees. In 1971, he became actively involved in raising funds for Dixie College. Until 1988, he volunteered his time and then was hired on a part time basis to chair the Dixie College Capital Campaign.

In 1993, he became a full time employee of Dixie College still practicing dentistry one day a week. In 1997, he left dentistry to devote his total attention to Dixie College where he served as the executive director of institutional advancement. During his tenure at Dixie, he headed efforts that raised in excess of $30 million. On May 5, 2000, at Dixie College’s commencement exercises the Utah State Board of Regents awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He, his wife Launa and their six children are all graduates of Dixie State College. Richard currently serves as interim president at Southern Virginia University.

H. Loraine Woodbury was born and raised in St. George as the son of Lawrence and Ina Woodbury. He attended St. George Elementary and Woodward Jr. High School. After graduation from Dixie High School in 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and upon completion of his pilot training he earned the rank of Second Lieutenant. After discharge in 1945, he returned to St. George and attended Dixie College where he served as Student Body President and graduated in 1947. Loraine continued his education at Brigham Young University, receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biological Science.

Following Loraine’s six years of teaching high school science, Dixie College President Arthur Bruhn offered him the position of teacher and department head in the Biological Science Department. While at Dixie he served as Dean of Students from 1958 to 1964, serving as registrar two years during that time. During these years he assisted in organizing and developing the current Dixie College Campus. With President Bruhn’s illness, Loraine was asked to serve as interim President of the college until the installation of the new President in 1964. Loraine served as Administrative Affairs Dean, Professor of Biological Science and Zoology, Dean of the Science Department, and Dean of the Family and Home Living Department at Dixie College. Due to Parkinson’s disease symptoms, he reluctantly had to retire early in 1984. Loraine was always interested in furthering his education. He received an outstanding service award from the Bureau of Land Management. One of his special concerns was teaching students to conserve and care for natural resources.

In 1992, Woodbury was awarded with Distinguished Service Award at the annual Dixie College D-Day banquet. Nina Huish, his long time secretary at Dixie College, has said, “Loraine is blessed with the qualities of a peacemaker among both administrators and the faculty. He spent untold hours helping students resolve their problems, and in return the students respected and loved him. He always went out of his way to be considerate of the needs of all those with whom he came in contact.” Countless are the students who received their Pre-Med, Pre-Dental and Pre-Veterinary biological foundations from Mr. Woodbury. In 1946, he met and married his sweetheart Catherine Carter. They are the parents of six children – Vicky, Brent, Keven, Becky, Mark and Bruce.

Additional details of the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of the these four Hall of Fame honorees will be given at the Founder’s Day Assembly.

The Hall of Fame was introduced at Dixie State College in 1998, at which time 18 individuals were inducted as charter members. The photos and plaques of this year’s inductees will join the past 77 inductees on the Wall of Fame located in the Avenna Center on campus.

Dr. Sydnee Sorensen Dickson has been a proud Utah educator for more than four decades, serving in the role as Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction since 2016. She oversees a public education system of more than 670,000 students and is passionate about developing a system that provides opportunities for each of them to succeed. Her prior education experience includes teaching, school counseling, school and district administration, and state policy work. All this experience helped her lead the Utah education system through the challenges of an unprecedented pandemic.

Sydnee began her education in a two-room schoolhouse in Antimony, Utah, moving to St. George in fifth grade. She is a proud graduate of Dixie High School and Dixie Junior College. Sydnee loved her experience at Dixie, thanks to those who mentored, guided, inspired, and challenged her to do her best work. She was a two-year Rebelette and served on student activity and advisory committees. These leadership opportunities enabled her to receive a scholarship at Utah State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Sydnee went on to earn two master’s degrees in School Counseling and School Administration as well as a doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah.

Some of Sydnee’s most notable accomplishments include the development and implementation of state initiatives including Dual Language Immersion and Digital Teaching and Learning. Additionally, she fostered positive relationships and collaboration with legislators resulting in record education funding and improved education policies. Her expertise in adult learning theory and effective school leadership have led to improved support for educators. She serves on a vast number of state commissions and councils as well as national boards and advisory groups.

Many local, state, and national awards have been bestowed on Sydnee through the years. Most recently, she received the 2022 Educators Rising Champion Award from Phi Delta Kappa, the 2022 Impact Award from International Society for Technology in Education, 2021 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation from Education Commission of the States, 2021 Zion’s Bank Women’s Leadership Award, and University of Utah’s 2021 Founders Day Distinguished Alumna Award.

Sydnee is the proud daughter of LaMaun and Pattie Sorensen of St. George, wife to Jim Dickson, and stepmom to James of Salt Lake City. She has traveled the world, but the views of Pine Valley Mountain juxtaposed against the red rocks of Ivins and Snow Canyon will always be her favorite. When that view is in sight, she knows she is truly home.

Dr. Marion J. Bentley was born in St. George, Utah. After receiving an Associate in Science degree at Dixie College, he completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah, a Master’s degree at Stanford University, and his Ph.D. in Theatre at the University of Utah. Additional studies were completed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and the Webber-Douglas School, all located in London, England.

He spent 13 years as a professor and department chair in English, Speech and Drama and as Chair of the Division of Fine Arts at Dixie College. Marion was responsible for taking theatre to new heights at Dixie College, especially musical theater. He has a talent for taking average students and turning them into incredible performers. His students have performed all over the world, designed sets for major Broadway productions and performed as members of the Metropolitan Opera. While on sabbatical in London, he directed Promised Valley, and then brought two members of that cast back to Dixie College to continue their studies.

He is “Dixie College from head-to-toe” and when he brings performances to St. George to raise scholarship funds for Dixie, they are quickly sold out. He is still involved in musical theater as he serves on Tuacahn Board of Directors. He and his wife, the former Deanna Hawkins, are the parents of six sons.

Earl J. Bleak, a native of St. George, was an incredible music teacher and a virtuoso on the trumpet. He graduated with honors from the Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, Calif.

After his graduation, he returned to his hometown of St. George where for a period of 33 years, he was head of the Band and Orchestra Department at Dixie College. Being accomplished on the trumpet as well as several other instruments, he performed much himself as well as conducting others. His band was featured as the dedications of Zion National Park, Zion Park Lodge and Grand Canyon Lodge at Bright Angel Point. His Dixie College Orchestra played for the Crown Prince of Sweden when he was touring Zion National Park and his band played for United States President Warren G. Harding when he visited Zion Park. When Earl played the famous trumpet solo in the Messiah in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Deseret News noted “The Trumpet Obligato, played by Professor Bleak of St. George, was negotiated more successfully than has been done for many years. It was the striking passage of the performance.”

Earl’s life was a colorful one and one known for his good works and untiring efforts. He and his wife, the former Stella Christian, are the parents of one son and one daughter.

Roene Bilger DiFiore, affectionately known as “Mrs. D.,” was born, grew up in, and attended schools in Nephi, Utah. Upon graduation from Juab High School, she came to Dixie College, where her ancestral roots ran very deep in the red Dixie soil. She loved the “Dixie Spirit” she found here.

After her graduation she received a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music, but due to the beginning of World War II and her marriage, she had to set it aside. Dixie needed a sentimental song, so she responded with our now traditional song, “Just For Now.” Dixie College President Ferron Losee invited her to teach at Dixie, specifically to teach the school songs and patriotism. She came and established the Dixie College Program Bureau, the goodwill ambassadors of Dixie. She expanded the love of country, church, school, home and the love of fellow man in every song.

For the next 20 years, thousands of young men and women performed for tens of thousands of conventioneers, club groups and reunions. All were impressed with the caliber of “Roene’s Kids.” Then the payoff started! Her students began teaching music programs just like Roene had taught them. They wanted her music, not realizing that she played most of it by ear. She wanted, as the song says, “to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.” Today, members of the original Program Bureau send their children and grandchildren to Dixie, hoping to catch a glimpse of that great Dixie Spirit they had experienced with Roene.

R. Kent Cottam was born and raised in St. George, Utah. While at Dixie College, he performed in many theatrical and musical events, including Kiss Me Kate. After graduation and an LDS Church mission to Brazil, he returned to star in Carousel and Kismet. He continued his education in New York City, studying voice, acting and musical theatre with many well know performers at the Herbert Berghoff Studios. At the Bob Collier School, he studied television acting.

Kent has performed on Broadway and Off Broadway, in dinner theatre and children’s theatre, made TV commercials and industrials, and appeared in many concerts and club acts. He has sung major roles in La Boheme, La Traviata, Die Zauberfloete, Cosi Fan Tutti, Die Fledermaus, Lucia di Lammermoor, Les Conte D’Hoffman, Merry Wives of Windsor, Zigeunerliebe, and many other operas. He has also sung in the chorus at the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, performing over 20 operas each season in several different languages.

His marvelous voice has led him to the stages of the Kennedy Center, the Academy of Music, Town Hall, Carnegie Hall, and many others, and, with the Met, he has toured the United States, Canada, Japan, Spain and Germany. He feels most fortunate to have spent so many years singing the world’s greatest music and associating with so many wonderful musicians.

Daniel T. Truman is a native of St. George. Dan attended Dixie College from 1974-75. After serving an LDS mission to Florida and Georgia, he attended Brigham Young University where he received a degree in Music Composition/Studio Production. While at BYU, he was the pianist for the award winning jazz band Synthesis.

He played for the Young Ambassadors and traveled with them to the Soviet Union, Poland, India, and Australia. He was also the keyboardist for the Utah based group Sun, Shade and Rain. From 1983-85, he was a pianist/conductor in Nashville, Tenn., at Opryland, USA. In 1991, his group Diamond Rio signed with Arista Records and since then has sold six million albums, been named the Country Music Association’s Group of the Year four different times, and has been nominated for eight Grammy awards. In 1998, Diamond Rio was honored with one of the greatest achievements in the music industry as they were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

As a composer, Dan has written music in several different genres. He has three songs which reached the top of the country charts. One of those, Norma Jean Riley, was a number one hit and in 1992 was they Radio and Records Song of the Year. He has written songs for three “Especially for Youth” albums and most recently has co-written and produced a contemporary instrumental internet album called This Way That. Dan married Wendee Jensen in 1980, and they have three sons and one daughter.

Alan G. Rounds is a native of Utah, but was raised in Walnut Creek, Calif. He returned to Utah in 1972 and attended Dixie College. He was immediately drawn to the area by the picturesque landscape and majestic red cliffs, an artist’s paradise.

Under the fatherly tutelage and patience of Jerry Olsen, Al flourished. It was Jerry who first introduced Al to photography and watercolor. Graduating from Dixie in 1974, he studied at Brigham Young University and transferred to and graduated from the University of Utah in a BFA in 1977. Determined to make his living as an artist, Al went straight from college to painting full time. His watercolors are renowned for the passion with which he paints and the mastery of his transparent watercolor technique. His watercolors register a beautiful familiarity with the world we all love. They carry us over a distance of miles and years. They speak of pride and history revisited and of lives well-lived. His travels across the United States, Israel, Europe, Mexico and Canada have brought Al’s paintings world recognition.

His first love, though, is spending hours scoring the back roads and countryside of Utah, searching for the past and finding relevance for what is and what used to be. The size, historical significance and accuracy of the architectural landscapes he creates are his hallmarks.

Al finds rest in his home in Holladay, Utah, with his wife Nancy Beck (who he met at Dixie College). They have seven children, six daughters and one son. He spends hours each week donating his time to schools, church organizations, and clubs where he shares his talents with others. Over the years, Al has enjoyed critical acclaim, recognition and numerous awards from both the public and his peers. His beautiful work is reaching increasing numbers of admirers and collectors around the world.

Robert was born in New York City, New York, and graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his BA degree from the University of Utah in 1936 and and an MBA from Harvard University two years later. He was chair of the National Advisory Council and a director of the Utah Symphony Orchestra.

Peggy was born in Bountiful, Utah, and graduated from Davis HS. She enrolled in comptometer school and upon completion of the course work, took a position with Shell Oil. Peggy is a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Dixie State College.

Together, Robert and Peggy have been a major force behind cultural enrichment at Dixie State. Robert, a retired senior vice president and director of Phillips Petroleum, worked tirelessly with Peggy to establish the Robert N. and Peggy Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show in 1987. The event has become one of the most popular, well attended, exhibits in the state of Utah. They organized the first National Advisory Council for Dixie State College, with Robert serving as chairman for the first three years.

Robert and Peggy have been wonderful benefactors of the College. They have created an art scholarship endowment, in addition to donating sculptures and paintings. They also created the sculpture garden on campus, and it is their vision for a museum of fine arts at Dixie. The Sears were awarded the Utah Governors Award for Excellence in the Arts. Their service and professional experience have been great gifts to Dixie State. The Sears have three children and seven grandchildren.

Scott S. Anderson was born in Ogden, Utah. He graduated from Jordan High School in Salt Lake City, where he was student body president, quarterback on the football team, and awarded best actor in the state with a performing scholarship at BYU. He opted for a leadership and football scholarship to Dixie College. After a brief football career, he played tennis and immersed himself in the theater and speech departments. After serving an LDS mission in the Netherlands, he returned to Dixie College, where he received several national and regional honors in forensics for acting as well as speech. He received the Best Actor award for his role as “Oscar Madison” in “The Odd Couple,” the Best Supporting Actor award for “Judd” in “Oklahoma” and in 1978, he received the Most Outstanding Performance award for his portrayal of “Tom Wingfield” in Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” During his summers at Dixie, Scott performed in three seasons with the Pioneer Court House Players, where he played over 16 different roles. After graduating from Dixie, Scott went on to further his education at the University of Utah, where he majored in Theater Teaching with a minor in Communication.

Accepting a job as a professional seminar speaker, Scott traveled the world for 10 years, lecturing and motiviating individuals on a variety of topics, until he founded his own company, the Web Resources Group, in 1997. His company has trained thousands of people in how to utilize the internet for e-commerce. Scott also produced and artistically directed several shows for the Triad Outdoor Summer Theater. Through the years, Scott has acted and directed over 100 productions – from small dinner theater to regional touring shows, feature films, television, and radio commercials. He has also written the play, “The Best Two Years of My Life,” and the musical, “The Best Two Years,” which was critically acclaimed in several national publications and was selected as Best of Festival in the Sarasota International Film Festival. Scott is currently in production on two more films. In 2004, Scott joined the Tuacahn Center for the Arts as artistic director, overseeing such productions as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “South Pacific,” “Peter Pan” (which he also directed), “Cats,” “Tarzan,” and “The Little Mermaid.” Scott lives in Bloomington, Utah, and has three children.

Del Parson is a native of Utah but was raised in Rexburg, Idaho where his father was head of the art department at Ricks College. He graduated with his Master of Fine Arts degree from Brigham Young University. For 31 years he has been painting professionally producing art work for top national galleries; print companies; and public, religious, and private institutions. He was thrilled to be able to come to Dixie State College and considers his 19 years at Dixie a major highlight of his life.

He has received public and critical acclaim and won numerous national and regional painting awards. Millions of art prints have been made of his images. Some of his most well-known images are the more than 200 he has painted for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially those depicting the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He counts among his most fulfilling accomplishment the students whom he has taught, and many have gone on to their own professional art careers. Professor Parson is a popular community and church speaker. He and his wife Lynette have six children.

A New Year’s baby born January 1, 1939, Fawson is a St. George native who while during his two years at Dixie College, was more than the average academic student as he became well rounded and balanced through service to others. He was a member of the Dixie College String Quartet and Dixie College Orchestra under the baton of Dr. Ronald Garner. He played in the pit orchestra for musicals directed by Dr. Marion Bentley, and served as stage manager for Delta Psi Omega. In addition, Fawson served as the X-Club President, sports editor for the Dixie Sun newspaper and business manager for the yearbook. He was also a member of the Dixie College tennis team and was the Valedictorian for his 1958 graduating class.

Following military service and a church mission to Canada, Norman graduated from the University of Utah in Genetics and was a member of the University Symphony Orchestra. In 1966 he graduated from the University of Utah College of Medicine. After his internship and general practice residency in Ogden, Utah, he returned to St. George where he enjoyed a 40-year family medical practice and served as a hospital chief of staff and board member, president of the Southern Utah Medical Society, medical director of the Rocky Mountain Hospice and the St. George Metro Treatment Center, and as a Deputy Utah State Medical Examiner. Fawson has always had a passion for music and orchestra in his life. In 1980, he co-founded the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, and has been a violist with them ever since. He also plays with the Southwest Symphony Strings, and is the director of the annual Bach and Mozart festivals. He is a violin and viola instructor for Washington County School District. Fawson is the father of seven children.

A. Delmont Truman traveled south from his hometown of Enterprise, Utah, to attend Dixie College, where he served as student body president in the 1950-51 school year. After serving his country in the Korean conflict, he attended Brigham Young University, graduating in 1957 with a degree in Agriculture. It was at BYU where he met his wife, the former Karol Kuhn.

Music and entertaining have been an integral part of Delmont's life. He was an avid participant in musicals and choirs at Dixie College. In 1961, Delmont was one of the first to perform the musical “Promised Valley” in the newly constructed Graff Theater on the Dixie State College campus. One of Delmont’s theatrical highlights was performing throughout the western United States in productions of "It's a Miracle" and "March Across Our Land."

A life-changing experience came when Delmont was invited by former St. George “Singing Mayor” Marion H. Bowler and Dixie College Assistant Professor of Music Roene B. DiFiore (Mrs. “D”) to sing the beloved songs of Dixie. This trio formed what eventually became known as the Program Bureau (the PB), which entertained locally, nationally, and internationally. Today, Delmont continues to sing with former Program Bureau members. His signature song “Are You From Dixie” is the highlight of alumni gatherings and class reunions.

For more than ten years Delmont’s rich baritone voice sang the National Anthem prior to each home basketball game in the old Dixie College Gymnasium. Since 1947, he has sung at more than 1000 funeral services. Delmont dedicates his time by serving as a member of the Dixie State College Alumni Board and was a former member of the Dixie College Foundation. The Truman Garden at the DSC Wade Alumni House is a tribute to this wonderful man often referred to as Mr. Dixie Spirit. He and his wife Karol are the parents of four children and have 14 grandchildren.

Additional details of the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of the these five Hall of Fame honorees will be given at the Founder’s Day Assembly.

The Hall of Fame was introduced at Dixie State College in 1998, at which time 18 individuals were inducted as charter members. The photos and plaques of this year’s inductees will join the past 81 inductees on the Wall of Fame located in the Avenna Center on campus.

Sue Stout Cox was born in Cedar City, Utah, in 1948 and moved with her family to Las Vegas in 1955. After graduating from Rancho High School, Sue headed back to southern Utah to attend Dixie College, where she gained an appreciation for the fine arts, family education, and science, thanks to the influence of many members of Dixie’s gifted faculty. While at Dixie College, she traveled with the debate team, was involved in student events, and served as a leader of Lambda Delta Sigma, a social organization that promoted fellowship, spirituality, and leadership. By performing in theater productions as a member of the Program Bureau and the theatre department, Sue developed a deep loyalty and devotion to Dixie and was determined to make a difference.

After earning an associate degree at Dixie, Sue attended Brigham Young University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Education. Shortly after graduating, Sue served a LDS mission in Lima, Peru, where she gained experience that shaped her perspective on the world. Upon her return, she met and married Mervyn Cox, an orthodontist who was practicing in St. George. She started her new life with Mervyn and a ready-made family of four children, eventually adding eight more kids to the family.

Sue, who throughout her life has participated in theatrical and musical performances and has taken on writing and directing projections, firmly believes that the ultimate purpose of the arts is to lift and inspire. So when Dixie College desperately needed a larger facility to meet the needs of a growing cultural audience in the 1980’s, the Cox family was happy to contribute to a cause so important to them. Their generous donation made the M.K. Cox Auditorium a reality.

Motivated in part by Mervyn’s love for his profession, the couple helped fund the establishment of the dental hygiene program at Dixie and later contributed to the creation of a mobile dental unit. Since opening in 2002, Dixie’s Mervyn K. and Sue Cox Dental Hygiene Clinic has benefited hundreds of students and members of the St. George community. After Mervyn passed away in 2007, the Cox family established the Dr. Mervyn Cox Dental Hygiene Scholarship Fund.

In addition to financially contributing to Dixie, Sue has offered up her time and talents to be a member of multiple campus and community boards. In addition to serving as the co-administrator of the Cox Family Foundation, co-chairwoman of the Jeffery R. Holland Centennial Commons campaign, and chairwoman of the Utah Shakespeare Festival board of governors, she has been a member of the Celebrity Concert Series Board, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for Tuacahn Center for the Arts, the St. George Art Commission, and the Utah Arts Multi-Disciplinary Committee.

Sue’s dedication to preserving her late husband’s legacy is a priority to her and she is grateful for their 12 marvelous children and 10 in-laws who are dedicated to raising their combined 48 grounded, loved, and happy children.

Frank is the son of Franklin D. Richards and Helen Kearns Richards. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lived until he was 14 years old. He attended high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, and college at George Washington University for two years.

He flew in Navy blimps as part of the Lighter-than-Air division of the U.S. Naval Aviation before serving a mission for his church in Uruguay. Frank then completed a degree in banking and finance at the University of Utah and earned a graduation certificate from the School of Mortgage and Banking at Northwestern University.

Frank was involved in the mortgage banking business for 40 years and was a principal officer and board chairman of Richards Woodbury Mortgage Corp. Frank also has been active in real estate development and the breeding and training of cutting horses.

Kathy was born in Salt Lake City to Sherman P. Lloyd and Edith Ann Gunn, who instilled in her an appreciation for politics and fine arts. She developed a love for all kinds of music and enjoys playing the piano and organ. She believes the arts are what make us complete as people, enhance our process of learning, improve our emotional expression, and help us acquire an appreciation for diversity. The Richards have started a collection of Utah art, which they add to yearly from purchases made at the Dixie Art Show.

The Kathryn Lloyd Richards Sculpture Garden, located north of the Dolores Dorè Eccles Fine Arts Center, is the result of the vision and support of the Richards. The garden is a beautiful and peaceful place that complements the existing architecture and surroundings. The sculpture garden provides a refuge from the quick page of everyday life and allows students and visitors to recharge and connect with nature.

Frank and Kathy live on a farm in Park City, Utah. Frank was elected count commissioner for Summit County and both Frank and Kathy served on the bid committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Richards frequent St. George, where they spend time with family and friends and love to ride horses. They have eight children and 27 grandchildren, whom they consider their greatest blessing.

Orval Hafen was born in Santa Clara, Utah. After graduating from Dixie College and Brigham Young University, he earned a law degree at the University of California at Berkeley in 1929. He married Ruth Clark of Provo, Utah, in 1932, and they moved to St. George for a temporary stay that became permanent.

He then practiced law, served in the Utah State Senate for 12 years, and was involved in many local civic and business projects. He was president of the Utah Bar Association in 1943 and president of the Utah State Senate in 1959. From his earliest adult years, Orval felt a deep faith in the ultimate destiny of the Dixie area, a destiny he tried to help realize through a lifetime of public service. Orval served in the LDS stake presidency and President of the St. George Chamber of Commerce in 1933, when the LDS Church announced it could no longer pay the operating costs for Dixie College. He and other local leaders struggled to keep the college open for two years until the state of Utah took control.

Some 25 years later, when the Utah governor at the time felt the state could no longer maintain the school, Orval co-sponsored legislation urging the state to continue Dixie’s ownership. After a public referendum, that state agreed to continue its support of the college. Orval then helped sponsor legislation that created a unified system for Utah higher education, which strengthened the status of Dixie College. Then he worked with his close friend, Dixie College President Arthur F. Bruhn, to secure state funding to create a new Dixie campus. Orval Hafen had many interests, but found service to others his most satisfying experience. He and Ruth are the parents of three sons and two daughters.

Howard W. Cannon was born and raised in St. George, Utah. He graduated from Dixie College and then received his Bachelor’s Degree from Arizona State Teachers College, and then a law degree from the University of Arizona. While at Dixie College, he played and directed his own dance band, “The Lumberjacks.” They played everywhere keeping the players in spending money during some very hard times.

After being admitted to the Utah Bar, he served as reference attorney to the Utah State Senate and as Washington County Attorney. During World War II, his plane was shot down behind enemy lines, but he evaded capture for 42 days and reached allied lines safely. Along with several other awards he was given the Purple Heart and Presidential Citation. He was elected to the United States Senate in Nevada in 1958, a position he held for 24 years. He holds the rank of Major General in the United States Air Force Reserve.

He has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from UNLV and Arizona State University. Among numerous honors, he received the NASA Distinguished Service Award in 1982, the Wright Brothers Memorial Award in 1971, and the American Security Council Coalition for Peach Through Strength Leadership Award. He and his wife, the former Dorothy Pace, have one son and one daughter.

Jacalyn Smith Leavitt was raised in Cache Valley, Utah. She graduated with high honors from Dixie College in 1970, where she was crowned Homecoming Queen and was a song leader. Jacalyn then attended Utah State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Speech and Elementary Education.

Mrs. Leavitt became Utah’s 14th First Lady on January 4, 1993. As a result of her leadership, programs to encourage strong families have increased and volunteer efforts benefitting the state’s youth have grown. She co-chaired GIFT, the Governor’s Initiative on Families Today, which hosted regular conferences to strengthen Utah’s marriages and families. She and her husband, former Governor Michael Leavitt, formed the Governor’s Commission on Marriage – the first in the nation. She founded and served as chair of the statewide Every Child by Two immunization task force and received the individual leadership award from the national Every Child by Two campaign. She served as the spokesperson for Baby Watch, a program for early detection of developmental delay in children. In conjunction with Utah’s Promise, she developed the Read to Me Campaign that encourages parents to read to their children, and authored Read to Me, a children’s picture book that is sent to the parents of every newborn. Mrs. Leavitt also served as chair of the National Governors Association Spouses’ Program, where she led the spouses of the nation’s governors. She and her husband, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services in President George W. Bush’s cabinet, are the parents of five children.

Karl F. Brooks was born and raised in St. George. A graduate of Dixie College, he was student body president and a two-sport athlete, having played football and baseball. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah, he became an educator in California, Nevada and Utah.

For 25 years he served Dixie College as a teacher, director of high school relations, vice president and athletic director. In addition, he was mayor of St. George for 12 years, during which the city grew from seven to 60 square miles in size and from 10,000 to 50,000 in population. Because of his key roles at both the city and the college, he was instrumental in getting the Dixie Center built.

He has been president of the St. George Chamber of Commerce and the Utah League of Cities and Towns, and served as chairman of the Zion Natural History Association, the Dixie Center Control Board and the Municipal Finance Cooperative Agency. As mayor he stressed economic development, the arts, growth in infrastructure (water, power, sewer, roads) and personnel.

At Dixie College he worked to increase major gifts, expand the campus, increase scholarship endowments and obtain funding for the athletic department. Karl is known statewide as “Mr. St. George” and has a great amount of the “Dixie Spirit.” He co-authored A History of Washington County, and is in constant demand as a public speaker and has received numerous education and civic awards. He is married to the former Carla Hoyt and they are the parents of one daughter and two sons.

Truman Bowler was born in St. George, Utah, and raised in Gunlock, Utah. He graduated from Dixie College in 1942, and attended Brigham Young University. During World War II, he enlisted in the Air Force and served in the finance department. After three years, he and his wife, the former Laura Lytle, returned to Gunlock where he became involved in the livestock business and was active as a cattleman until his death. He also announced amateur rodeos for 45 years.

In 1957, the Bowlers moved to St. George and bought a business with Truman’s brother Marion. In 1959, Truman became Washington County Commissioner, spending 16 years as a commissioner (12 years as the chairman). He was active in the Utah Association of Counties and in 1972, was named their Outstanding Career Official. He was a board member of the Washington Water Conservancy District for many years and was instrumental in the water development and infrastructure, which helped facilitate the growth that is enjoyed today. He helped organize and establish Dixie State Bank in 1970, and served on the Board of Directors. In January 1977, Truman became Chairman of the Board of Dixie State Bank until the bank was acquired by First Security.

He received many honors through the years and was among those honored by the Utah Chamber of Commerce as a total citizen of the year in 1984. He was honored as male citizen of the year by the St. George Chamber of Commerce in 1984. He served on the Dixie College Institutional Council under four consecutive college presidents. He was presented the Distinguished Citizen Award by Dixie College in 1992, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Dixie College in 1994.

He spent his entire adult life serving his family, community, church and country. Truman was active in the LDS Church, where he served in many positions including stake president and regional representative. He and his late wife, Laura, have two sons and three daughters.

Sidney J. Atkin was a native of St. George, Utah, and a graduate of Dixie High School and Dixie College. While attending Dixie he was both a scholar and an athlete, competing in tennis and baseball, while receiving an outstanding business award.

Following an LDS mission to the British Isles and military service in the Utah National Guard, Sid, with his father and brother, purchased the Sugar Loaf Café. This investment blossomed into a booming property management and investment enterprise. As president of Sugar Loaf, Inc., Sid has developed and operated the Rodeway Inn and Sugar Loaf Restaurants in St. George and Cedar City.

Sid was one of the founders of Skywest Airlines and later served as vice-chairman. He was also active in civic affairs, he served as chairman of the Washington County Republican Party and served eight years as a member of the Utah House of Representatives, four years as the Republican whip. He was a member of the Utah State Parks and Recreation Board. He has been honored by the Five County Association of Governments for his legislative service, and he was also a Southern Utah honors recipient.

Sid has donated his time and energy to many organizations. He has served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, promotional co-chair of the Dixie Red Hills Golf Course, and on the Boards of the Dixie Regional Medical Center and the Dixie College Foundation. He also served as a member of the Dixie College Board of Trustees and the Dixie Colonel’s Club. Sid married Mary Ann Hunt in 1957 and they are the parents of eight children, seven that are graduates of Dixie College.

Sidney Atkin died in 2018 at the age of 84 after an eleven month fight with Dementia. The Utah Tech University Administration Building proudly displays his name.

Mervyn Cox was born in St. George, Utah, and raised on his family’s dairy farm. He was a graduate of Dixie High School, where he lettered in four sports and was region champion in tennis. He received his associate of science degree from Dixie College, where he served as president of the “X” Club, and was active in sports and a dancer in Marion Bentley’s productions of “Kiss Me Kate” and “Brigadoon.” He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Zoology, and was member of the “Blue Key Honor Society.”

After graduation he chose dental school over a chance to fly with the United States Air Force. He received his DDS degree from the University of California in San Francisco, where he graduated second in his class. He was honored with the Mosby Excellence in Scholastic Achievement Award and was a member of the National Dental Honor Society. Dr. Cox returned to St. George as the first practicing orthodontist in southwest Utah. He is a charter board member of the Dixie College Foundation and has also served a term as its president. He was an original investor in Skywest Airlines in 1972, and served on its board of directors for 28 years.

Dr. Cox and his family are major benefactors of Dixie State College, and his generous gifts have made possible for the M.K. Cox Auditorium, the Dr. Mervyn and Sue Cox Dental Hygiene Clinic, the family fountain sculpture garden, and carpeting for the Browning Library. He married the former Sue Stout and they are parents of 12 children.

Dan C. Watson was born and raised in St. George, Utah, and is a 1941 graduate of Dixie College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. His claim to fame there was winning the BYU song-writing contest with his song, “Waiting For You.” He pursued graduate studies at the University of Utah and Northwestern University. He served in the United States Army from 1943-46, much of that time as secretary to Major General Douglass T. Green, and as a military court reporter.

Dan has composed 130 songs, many related to Dixie State College and his love for the school. He has been published in “A View from the Edge”, “Talents – Poets and Songwriters of Tomorrow” and “Utah Sings”. Dan served as the administrative assistant to five Dixie College presidents and was the DSC commencement chairman for 29 years. He has served as executive secretary for each of the following: the Dixie State College Board of Trustees, the Dixie State College Alumni Association, the Dixie Center Control Board, Leadership Dixie and the Dixie Regional Medical Center Foundation. He has been honored by each of the following: the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce “Special Citizen Award,” BYU “Community Service Award,” and the DSC “Distinguished Alumnus Award.” Dan has served as master of ceremonies or guest speaker for DSC alumni banquets, Rebel Awards, Founders Day assemblies, “D” Week, Homecoming and various State of Utah functions. He has served as the DSC alumni president and on the Diamond Jubilee Extravaganza. Dan is an icon of the “Dixie Spirit.” His service and dedication to Dixie are heartfelt and generous and have spanned over 40 years.

Marion Bowler was born and raised in Gunlock, Utah, the son of Francis J. and Annie P. Bowler. In 1940, he married Jennie Wadsworth and they had five children. After the death of his first wife, he married Etheleen Shell in 1987. He lived his entire adult life in St. George, Utah, and was devoted to his family, church and community. Throughout his life he served and promoted St. George, Dixie College, Washington County and the state of Utah. He graduated from Dixie High School in 1937.

Following graduation he worked for the Southern Utah Power Company, becoming a division manager in 1943. He was drafted into the United States Army in May of 1945. When World War II ended a few months later, he was discharged and returned to St. George, where he began his own appliance business, Dixie Appliance, which he owned and managed for 45 years. He also managed Dixie Theater for 35 years. On three separate occasions, he was honored by the St. George Chamber of Commerce as the outstanding merchant for the success of his Dixie Appliance business. He served on the board of directors of Washington Savings and Loan and he was also a cattleman, who once wrote, “as long as I could ride a horse and work with cattle, I was happy.”

He joined the St. George Lions Club in 1941, and was an active member his entire life. He joined the St. George Chamber of Commerce in 1948 where, over a period of 45 years, served as president and member of the board of directors. He became a member of the St. George Volunteer Fire Department in 1948, was a member of the Elks Club for over 40 years, and was the first Red Cross representative in St. George. He was appointed to the St. George City Council and subsequently served as mayor of St. George form 1966-74. He served on the Mayor’s Council for the State of Utah under Governor Calvin Rampton, and was a member of the board of trustees of Dixie Regional Medical Center. For his many years of service, he was recognized with numerous awards and honors.

Marion was possibly best known in St. George and throughout the state for his beautiful tenor voice. Labeled the “Singing Mayor” by a state newspaper, he sang at literally thousands of funerals, weddings, church, civic and college events throughout Utah. His appliance store would often be closed because Marion would be singing at a funeral, performing with the Dixie Program Bureau, responding to a fire alarm, chairing the Lion’s Club Roundup Committee or the committee raining money for an iron lung, or fulfilling a responsibility as the city’s Red Cross representative or mayor.

Montrue Larkin is one of southern Utah’s greatest treasures. Her love for St. George and its people shined through her lifetime of service. She was the first female president of the St. George Chamber of Commerce and organized the Washington County Historical Society and “Walking Tour.” She also spear-headed the city park gazebo project.

As bookstore manager at Dixie College, she became a career counselor and inter-chapter advisor for Lambda Delta Sigma, where she had a positive influence upon the lives of hundreds of students. She began the Christmas lighting ceremony at Dixie College and actually returned as a non-traditional student where she graduated from both Dixie College with an associate of science degree, and at the age of 69, earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Southern Utah University.

Montrue taught furniture refinishing and personal history classes for 50 years in St. George. She had been a member of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Dixie Sunshiners, St. George Historical Society, City Planning Board, Family Life Services, and on the St. George Library board. She received numerous honors, including Orchid Lady, Dixie College Humanities Award, Citizen of the Year for the Chamber of Commerce and Elks Club, and the “You Make Dixie Great” award. She has also received the State of Utah’s “Carnation Silver Bowl Award.” In 2000, Montrue was the Washington County Fair’s Grand Marshall.

After extensive travel, she penned the “Travels with Montrue” column for the Daily Spectrum for many years. Left widowed at a young age with six children, Montrue is a role model for what can be overcome and built upon. Her service to church, community and Dixie College is a testimony of the positive difference one person can make in the lives of many.

Rulon Iverson was born in Washington, Utah, and attended Washington Elementary, Woodward Junior High, Dixie High School and Dixie College. He graduated from Dixie College in 1947, following his devoted years of service in the Persian Gulf and Soviet Russia during World War II.

After finishing college, he started working for the Utah Parks Company at Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and in Sun Valley, Idaho. In 1941, while working at Bryce Canyon, he met Lois Olds of Toquerville, Utah, whom he married in 1942. For 15 years he served as assistant general manager for these resorts. In 1962, he was hired at the Dixie College Cafeteria and Housing Manager and became the director of housing and food services shortly after.

Soon the Iverson name became unnecessary at Dixie, because students, faculty and staff just called him “Rudy” as they got acquainted with his leadership ability and great personality. All one needed to say was the name “Rudy” and everyone knew who you were talking about. Rudy was at Dixie to stay! He was appointed Dean of Students in 1970, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1984. His contribution to 14 student executive councils is noted by these students’ love and continued devotion to Dixie.

Rudy’s retirement meant channeling his efforts into a new direction, as he began working with the Dixie College Alumni Association, where he continued to raise scholarship funding by establishing the Golden Generation Organization and Scholarship Fund, the Dean’s Scholarship Endowment, the Class of ’41 Scholarship Endowment, and many other private endowments. In 1999, Rudy received the Dixie College Distinguished Service Award and was also honored with the naming of the “Iverson Lounge” in the Gardner Student Center in his behalf.

Rudy believed every student should have the privilege of attending college, and he did whatever possible to see that everyone had that opportunity. Of the many awards and recognitions Rudy received during his lifetime, he was most proud of the 1985 Pro Patria Award from the State of Utah for distinguished contributions to national defense. Rudy and Lois are the parents of three children, and they have nine grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

Randy W. Wilkinson was born in Cedar City, Utah, and is the oldest of five children of Kay and Lail Wilkinson. He grew up in St. George where he graduated from Dixie High School. After attending Dixie College for one year he served a two-year mission to Scotland for his church. After he returned he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Kae Nelson. He graduated from Dixie College and then pursued his education at Brigham Young University, where he received a Bachelor’s of Art Degree and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

After receiving his MBA, he returned to St. George, where he began managing his father’s electrical contracting company. He currently is an owner and CEO of Wilkinson Electric, Inc., and Ace Mechanical Contractors, Inc. He is the managing member of Dixie Sun Ventures, a real estate holding company. Randy served 10 years on the St. George City Council, two years on the Planning Commission, and three years as a member of the St. George Water and Power Board. He was a director of the St. George Chamber of Commerce, served 16 years on the Dixie College Board of Trustees (the final six as chairman), was Rotary Club President, a director on the Tuacahn Board, and was a founder and committee member of the Dixie Rotary Bowl.

He currently serves as president of the Dixie College Foundation and as a director of The Village Bank. Early in his career, he was selected by the St. George Chamber of Commerce as Outstanding Young Businessman. He received the Scouting District Award of Merit and Second Miler Award and the Distinguished Republican Award, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Dixie State College. He has been active in his church, where he served as a bishop, stake president and mission president of the Scotland Edinburgh Mission. Randy and Linda are the parents of six children, three boys and three girls, and have over 20 grandchildren.

Julie Bangerter Beck was born in Granger, Utah, but moved to Brazil at the age of four when her father, Elder William Grant Bangerter, was called to preside over the Brazilian Mission. She spent the following five years in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she learned to speak Portuguese and develop love for people around the world. She is the fifth of eleven children and was taught early on to work hard as part of a family team. She graduated from American Fork High School and from there went to Dixie College.

At Dixie College she discovered the joy of participation: she was a member of Program Bureau under Roene DiFiore, marched with the Rebelettes, was in the cast of Show Boat, was involved in Student Institute programs, and served on the Executive Council under the leadership of Rudy Iverson.

Following her graduation from Dixie College, she married Ramon P. Beck and completed her education at Brigham Young University. The Becks have three children and ten grandchildren. As a full-time homemaker, she had the opportunity to be active in many community efforts. She has been a leader in Parent Teacher Associations, School District Advisory Councils, Music Teacher Associations, community celebrations, and local politics. She has worked very hard serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has been a leader in Primary, Young Women, Relief Society and Scouting. She served on the Young Women General Board and as First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency.

She currently serves as the Relief Society General President. As part of her responsibilities, she is a member of the Church Board of Education and the Board of Trustees of four Church universities; she is on the Executive and General councils for Welfare and the Perpetual Education Fund of the Church. Her great love and passion remains her family; any time spent with them is golden.

In a way very different from some students over the years, Patricia Terry Holland “played” her way through grade school then Dixie High School, Dixie College, BYU and beyond. A gifted musician by birth, Pat began playing the piano before starting off to school, accompanying the singing of classmates as early as the third grade in her native Enterprise, Utah. While at Dixie High and Dixie College, she accompanied musical performances of every kind, including one of Professor Marion Bentley’s legendary Dixie College musicals, Kismet. Recognizing her singing talent as well, Professor Bentley cast her in a leading role in his 1960 production of The Boy Friend. It is not surprising that at Dixie College, where Pat served as a class officer, she was voted Dixie’s Outstanding Musical Student.

When her real-life boyfriend, Dixie’s own Jeff Holland, left for an LDS mission, Pat seized the opportunity to stretch her musical wings in New York City, studying under faculty members at the famed Julliard School of Music. When Jeff returned from his mission there was something of a battle for Pat’s loyalty. Her teachers put immense pressure on her to keep the starry prospects of Carnegie Hall and pursue a full-blown musical career in New York. Jeff put equal pressure on her to come back to Utah, get married and see what the rest of their lives might be together. Jess was the more persuasive.

“I made the right decision,” Pat has told literally millions of young women throughout her LDS Church travels. “I love my music and I will always have it. But I might not have had some of the other incredible blessings in my life if I had paid too high a price for schoolgirl fame. God wants us to stay balanced and see the big picture when we face decisions in our lives. I have tried to do that.” In her service as First Counselor in the General Presidency of the Young Women program loved by teenage girls all over the world. In that capacity, as well as being he First Lady of Brigham Young University and the wife of an LDS Apostle, Pat has traveled literally “around the world,” speaking in scores of countries and having her messages translated into dozens of languages. She lived in England for three years and Chile for two, showing Dixie-style love and affection for every person she has ever met and every economic circumstance in which that wide variety of people lived.

Along with many civic duties and educational assignments, Pat found the time to write the award-winning book, A Quiet Heart. She also co-authored with her husband a second book, On Earth as it is in Heaven. She has served on the governing boards of ZCMI, Deseret Book Company, and the Primary Children’s Regional Medical Center, all based in Salt Lake City. One of her most personally rewarding assignments is to have served on the Dixie College National Advisory Council.

Jeannine was born in St. George to Grant and Eleen Harris. After graduating from Dixie High School in 1947, she attended Dixie College where she met and married Stanford Holt. Helping and respecting others were just a few of the traits her parents taught her and which through her extraordinary accomplishments, she has gracefully exemplified. Jeannine has been involved with politics most of her adult life. Professionally, she worked for the United States Senate under Senators Garn and Hatch, serving as Hatch’s Southern Utah Area Director for 27 years. She has worked on many important issues affecting our State including lands issues, private property rights, and health care. In recent years she played a pivotal role in helping southern Utah citizens receive compensation from the government for exposure to radiation. In one of the nine counties receiving compensation, Jeannine was given the title of honorary citizen; something she completely treasures.

Besides her involvement and love for politics, Holt is also an avid advocate for Dixie College, her alma mater, and served as a member of the DSC Board of Trustees for 10 years, including seven years as vice-chair. She has served as a member of the DSC Alumni Board, Dixie Rotary Bowl committee, and is a longtime and current member of the DSC National Advisory Council. In 1994, Jeannine received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the College and in 2007 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from DSC for her service to the school and the community. On October 10, 2008, Dixie State College President Stephen D. Nadauld unveiled the Stanford and Jeannine Holt Wireless Learning Center located in the Udvar- Hazy School of Business building. The center is equipped with worktables, and sofa-style lounge chairs, and serves as a gathering place and work/study area for students.

In the Congressional Record to the Senate on March 11, 2004, Senator Orrin Hatch writes “Jeannine has actively and energetically promoted the tourism industry in Utah’s Dixie and has shared her love for the red rock canyons and sun-drenched lands of St. George and its surrounding areas with people she meets each day. Jeannine Holt is a dedicated public servant, fervently patriotic American, and loyal and cherished friend.” Jeannine’s service to Dixie is immeasurable. Her far-reaching dedication has blessed her with the title Washington County Goodwill Ambassador. Stanford and Jeannine are the parents of Patrice, Steven, and Jeff.

Cheri Bennet Atkin a native of Lehi, Utah, who attended then Dixie College (1963-65) on a music scholarship and was active in tennis, choir, drama, and cheerleading. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University (1967) in sociology and went on to receive her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Utah (1970). Never one to rest on her laurels, Cheri – while raising a large family – taught high school and later taught as an adjunct sociology professor at Dixie College. Her service through the years has been invaluable to both the college and community. Her organizational skills are unparalleled, and, coupled with her determination, have laid the foundation for many vibrant community organizations in existence today.

Cheri’s accomplishments are many. During the early 1990s, Cheri was the operations manager for the Huntsman World Senior Games (HWSG). As a board member of the Quality of Life Task Force, she was instrumental in securing a $25 million dollar recreational bond. Cheri organized and chaired United Way Dixie and was a founding member of Leadership Dixie. Her dynamic energy has resulted in her receiving numerous awards, including the 2003 Dixie State College Distinguished Citizen Award and the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce 1996 Woman of the Year Award. In 1997 she received the HWSG Achievement for Excellence Award, and in 1998 she was inducted into the HWSG Hall of Fame.

For seven years Cheri was a member of the Brigham Young University National Advisory Council (NAC), and since 2000 she has served on the Dixie State College NAC. Most recently, Cheri and her husband Ralph have dedicated their talent and energy to improving the quality of student life on the DSC campus. As co-chairs of the Centennial Campaign, they have transformed the campus through beautifying projects that enhance learning environments and student success. Such projects include the Centennial Paver Project, Atkin Tutoring Center, President's Loop and D-Circuit, Dan’s Cove, and several Memory Gardens.

Cheri has played a significant role in supporting her husband Ralph through the founding and success of SkyWest Airlines. Since 1996, she has been a certified legal assistant in her husband's law practice. Whether spearheading a committee, fundraising or volunteering, Cheri's efforts are incalculable, and include Reading Recovery, PeeWee Tennis, recreational facilities, hiking trails and the DSC track, to name a few. Cheri and her husband Ralph were married in 1966. They have eight children (all graduates of Dixie State College) and 16 grandchildren.

Maureen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ronald and Ruby Haslam. Her family moved to St. George in 1954, and the ‘Red Sands’ of Dixie have never left her shoes since. Maureen is a 1965 graduate of Dixie High School, where she was cheerleader and class secretary. She attended Dixie Junior College, graduating with honors in 1967. It was at Dixie that she was wooed by and wed to Dr. Craig L. Booth. Maureen relished being a stay-at-home mom to their five children, but this didn’t keep her from contributing generously to her community.

In 1991, Maureen was appointed by Governor Norman Bangerter to serve as a member of the Dixie College Board of Trustees. She later served as Chairman of the Board during a critical period in the college’s history, earning her the nickname “The Iron Lady” for her determination and grit. As Chairman she organized a committee of private citizens who by-passed the Board of Regents and went directly to the legislature to establish Dixie as a four-year college. The destiny of the college was foremost in the minds of the committee and they eventually achieved their goal. Maureen credits the legislature and the Lord for their success.

In 1993, Maureen went back to school, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Art and English from Southern Utah University. She was a co-recipient of the English Student of the Year award, graduating with honors. Maureen has served as president of the Southwest Guild and was the founder of the Brushworks Studio in St. George. Art is her passion and she has garnered three People’s Choice awards. Her paintings have been showcased in Art in the Park, the St. George Art Museum, the Zion National Park Show, and the Dixie Sears Invitational Art Show. Maureen has tirelessly served her church and community. One of her most cherished experiences was serving alongside her husband as he presided as president of the Arizona Phoenix Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All five of the Booth children are Dixie College graduates. Maureen is truly a gift to Dixie.

Rodney F. Savage was born in Richfield, Utah , to Lynn and Virginia Savage and graduated from Richfield High School, where he was a champion wrestler. He continued his education at Souther Utah State College (now Souther Utah University), where he double majored in accounting and business management and minored in economics. Rod graduated with honors, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which recognizes outstanding accounting graduates, honored him with the Key Award.

Upon graduating, Rod was recruited by the prestigious Arthur Anderson & Company accounting firm in Los Angeles. After joining the company, Rod was sent to Northwestern University in Chicago for specific tax training. Now, Rod is the president and chairman of the board of Savage, Esplin, & Radmall, PC, and the director and Audit Committee chairman of Heritage Bank.

Rod has been a member of numerous boards, including the National Congressional Business Advisory Board, of which he served as director, SUU Accounting Advisory Board, National Committee on Governmental Accounting, and SUU St. George Center Advisory Board. He is an instructor for the Utah State University Tax School for Continuing Education and director of Dixie Applied Technology College.

A recipient of the Distinguished Citizen award for Dixie College, Rod has been a member of Dixie College Foundation since 1977 and currently serves as its vice president and director. In the early 1980’s, Rod was instrumental in helping Dixie College acquire the property that is now home to Hansen Stadium. He later facilitated the construction of the current St. George LDS Institute of Religion and the college’s acquisition of the former Institute building.

Mentoring young men while serving the Boy Scouts of America for almost fifty years, Rod has helped 22 young men earn Eagle Scout Awards. As for himself, Rod has received the Distinguished Scoutmaster and Silver Beaver awards. For fun, Rod enjoys running marathons and enters a race each time he advances into a new age division.

Don L. Ipson was born and raised in Panguitch, Utah. He had an early interest in automobiles, began working in a local garage when he was 12 years old and continued working at the garage through high school. After graduation, Don married his high school sweetheart, JoAnn Barney, and moved to Salt Lake City, where he began working for Mt. Fuel Supply.

Don went on to graduate with a degree in accounting and business administration from LDS Business College. From there, he spent several years in the banking industry and was eventually transferred to St. George by Zions Bank. A few years later, Don moved to Panguitch to care for his aging father. While there, he purchased a small food distribution company, and thus began his career in the transportation business.

Later, Don was hired by Stan Snow to help dispatch trucks for Host Transportation. Together, they started DATS Trucking in 1988 with one truck. By the end of the year, the company grew to eight trucks. Now, DATS Trucking and its sister company, Overland Petroleum, operate more than 300 trucks, manage regional freight and fuel distribution, and own several convenience stores. Don attributes their success to his partner and the support of their families, tremendous employees, and loyal customers.

Don has also made an impact in Utah through years of public service. He served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016, when he was appointed to the Utah Senate. As a representative, Don was instrumental in convinc- ing education and legislative leaders that Dixie was ready for university status. During the 2013 Legislative Session, he sponsored House Bill 61, which officially changed the name of Dixie State College to Dixie State University and began Dixie’s designation as a comprehensive regional university in the Utah System of Higher Education.

Further demonstrating his commitment to helping the community, Don has held many church and community advisory board positions. He has received the Dixie State College Distinguished Service Award and the Dixie State University Board of Trustees Excellence in Education Award as well as many other awards and recognitions. Don, his family, and businesses have made generous financial contributions to Dixie State University.

Don and JoAnn have four sons, all of whom attended Dixie State along with their wives, and 10 grandchildren.

Thales A. “Tad” Derrick was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. The son of Thales M. and Hattie C. Derrick, Tad graduated from South High School and enrolled at the University of Utah. One year later, he entered the United States Air Force. He later earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Tad graduated at the top of his pilot training class and selected jet fighter aircraft as his choice for advanced training. While a second lieutenant, he was selected as an Air Force fighter pilot instructor.

Over the next 20 years, Tad had a heroic military career with training and operational assignments that spanned 10 states as well as multiple countries including England, Libya, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. While stationed in England, Tad was trained and qualified to deliver nuclear weapons. Tad also had other assignments that took him to the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan.

During Vietnam, Tad flew 129 combats missions in the F-100D aircraft. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals for his efforts in addition to being featured in Supersonic Saints, a book focused on the heroics of Latter-day Saint pilots. As a fighter pilot, Tad logged over 3,100 flight hours and has flown faster than twice the speed of sound.

Toward the end of his Air Force career, Tad was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base as an operational test pilot. He also compiled the classified Air Force manual Fighter Tactics and edited and published the quarterly Tactical Analysis Bulletin. In 1974, Tad retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel and was hired as the director of marketing for SkyWest Airlines. While at SkyWest, Tad traveled throughout the West promoting SkyWest and new flight destinations.

In 1976, Tad was hired by President Alton Wade to implement the first campus-wide cooperative education and career planning programs at Dixie College. A few years later, he was appointed as dean of instructional support services, where he oversaw all student service divisions. Tad’s next assignment at Dixie was associate director of institutional advancement. In this capacity, Tad worked with the legislature and led fundraising efforts to finance Dixie’s successful transition to a four-year college. Tad also carefully documented the history of Dixie’s quest for four-year status in the publication Dixie Has a Destiny. His final project before retirement was designing and managing the construction of the Dixie College Pine Valley Facility.

Tad has held a number of community and church leadership positions, including serving as president of the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tad married Willa Nita Brooks in the St. George Temple, and they reside in St. George. They have five children, four of whom graduated from Dixie with their youngest son graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Several of their 23 grandchildren attended or are attending Dixie State.

Monte and Lisa Holm are a couple with deep roots in the St. George community.

Monte spent his early years on a family farm, later moving to the St. George area where he attended Dixie College. Lisa was born and raised in Murray, Utah. During their college years, they met, married, and began building their life together. The opportunities of life have taken them to many places including Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina, but they always circle back to St. George. Currently they reside at Holmstead Ranch, nestled in the Pine Valley mountains.

Working together, Monte and Lisa built a successful business in the financial services industry. Monte is the co-founder, and former CEO of a world-wide financial services company. For more than three decades, they have been teaching sound principles to help people bring balance to their lives, and Monte’s book, Expect to Win, takes this message to the masses. A lifetime of deep commitment to these principles has led the couple to success in their business and personal lives.

Both Monte and Lisa have strived to lead lives of service in church callings and the wider community. Monte has served as a director for several charitable organizations including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Foundation and the WFGFoundation. Lisa has served as a board member for the Dixie Foundation and Tuacahn Center for the Arts. From 2011 to 2014, Monte and Lisa presided over the South Carolina Columbia Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

During the building of the Holland Centennial Commons, Monte and Lisa helped with the cost of construction. Their generous donation is memorialized by the Monte and Lisa Holm Mezzanine, which is known as the Holm Room. In 2011, Monte was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Dixie State University.

Monte and Lisa continue to serve the community through volunteer positions in the public and private sectors. Their lives have always been focused on faith and family. They have six children and a growing number of grandchildren.

Mary Esther Putnam is a remarkable example of her motto: you are never too old to learn new things.

Author of the book “Descendants of Pine Valley Pioneers,” Mary is currently the chair of the Pine Valley Special Service District. She has also served as a member of the Washington City Council, helped raise scholarship funds as part of the Dixie Scholarship Associates Board, and been a generous benefactor to Dixie State University including providing multiple piano scholarships.

Born at her grandparents’ home in St. George, Utah, Mary grew up playing on the red hill and walking down the street to her elementary school and eventually on to Dixie College, where her grandfather George F. Whitehead was one of the founders.

Mary attended Dixie for one year and then transferred to University of Utah where she served as vice president of Associated Women Students and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Following an intensive six-week study of French in Quebec City, Canada, she accepted a job teaching 6th grade in St. George.

Later, she married Frank Staheli and they became dorm parents at Dixie’s Dixianna Dorm. Shortly afterward, they accepted a position with the United States government and spent two years in Vietnam where two of their children were born.

Returning to St. George, Mary continued her commitment to education. She taught at Dixie Junior College as well as Southern Utah University and ultimately finished a 20-year teaching career in Washington County, along with adding five more children to her family.

In 1980, Mary earned her master’s degree in education from Utah State University. She then returned to Dixie State as a student where she earned a music degree, graduating as the oldest student in the department, and was honored with the Dixie’s Distinguished Citizen Award.

Following the untimely, tragic death of her husband, Mary was a single mother for 12 years before marrying Howard Putnam. Today, Mary and Howard enjoy traveling the world and living in Pine Valley on pioneer property. Between them, they have 16 children and 75 grandchildren with the number of great grandchildren growing exponentially.

Denis and Diane Lyman were both born in Wyoming and grew up developing a love for the outdoors and a lifelong appreciation for learning. As a result, they’ve remained committed to learning, while ensuring that others have opportunities for meaningful educational experiences.

In high school, Denis had a very prescient chemistry teacher, A.J. Barker, who encouraged him to go into the profession of dentistry. Denis graduated from the University of Wyoming, was accepted into the University of Oregon Health Science Center and sharpened his dental skills at the University of Georgia, adding a mastership in Implant Dentistry. Denis earned his DMD and the distinction of Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. Denis practiced his notable dental skills for 42 years, gratified by helping someone every day.

Diane graduated with honors from the International St. Andrews School in Nassau, Bahamas, earned her B.S. degree in Education from the University of Utah, and became licensed to sell real estate in California, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah. Diane taught for six years in the public school systems, then devoted 14 years of her early mornings teaching religious studies for high school students. She also thoroughly enjoyed being a Partner & Broker for Jackson Hole Realty.

Denis and Diane were married on January 30, 1998 in Salt Lake City. They now have homes in two beautiful areas – Jackson Hole, Wyoming and St. George, Utah! They feel blessed to live in two of the most scenic, natural wonder-filled places in the nation. They are the parents of 6 beautiful children, 19 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

In 2003, they retired from their businesses to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving on the islands of Madagascar and La Reunion then in Cape Town, South Africa. At the end of their mission, they drove through the African Continent from Cape Town to Alexandria, Egypt. Their adventurous and courageous spirits have compelled them to travel widely throughout the world seeking education and to experience how other people live in their environments.

The Lymans’ love of learning led them to participate in DSU’s Institute of Continued Learning. Tours with ICL took them to many of Southern Utah’s geological wonders and prompted conversations with DSU leadership about geology, earth and environmental science programs. These conversations led to a generous gift from the Lymans for the creation of the Denis and Diane Robards Lyman Southwest Geoscience Center. Similar exuberance and passion for DSU’s softball program led to a gift for redevelopment of the softball facilities. The generosity of the Lymans has been, and continues to be, transformative for the institution and surrounding community.

Steven Erastus Snow was born and raised in St. George and is a descendant of Erastus Snow, who led the contingent of pioneers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who first settled the area in 1861. For that reason and many others, Steve has always been anchored in Southern Utah, the place he loves.

He attended local schools and graduated from Dixie High School in 1968. Following an LDS mission to Germany, Steve attended Dixie College. While at Dixie, he married his high school sweetheart, Phyllis Squire. Steve later transferred to Utah State University and graduated with a degree in accounting. In the fall of 1974, he began law school at the J. Reuben Clark School at Brigham Young University.

Following his graduation, Steve returned to St. George to work for a local law firm. During this time, he was also a deputy prosecutor for Washington County. In 1979, he partnered with David Nuffer and formed the law firm of Snow Nuffer. Over the next two decades, the firm expanded to twenty-five attorneys with offices in St. George, Salt Lake City, and Mesquite, Nevada.

Steve has a long history of service and leadership in the LDS church. After holding several positions in his local congregation, he was called as the president of the California San Fernando Mission. Following this assignment, he was asked to serve as an Area Authority Seventy and in 2001 was called as a full-time General Authority Seventy for the church. After serving as president of the Africa Southeast Area, Steve returned to Salt Lake City, where he served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. He was called as Church Historian in 2012 and remained in this capacity until his release from church service in 2019.

Steve also has a long tradition of public service and currently is a member of Utah Tech’s National Advisory Board. Early in his professional career, he was asked to serve on the Dixie College Foundation. In 1982, he was elected to the local school board on which he served for eight years. Steve was appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents by Governor Scott Matheson. During his two terms on the board, he served as vice-chair and chairman of the board. During this time, he also served on the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education. Governor Mike Leavitt later appointed Steve to serve on the Board of Trustees for Southern Utah University.

In the early 1990s, Steve served on the Board of the Grand Canyon Trust, an organization that does environmental work on the Colorado Plateau. Later, he became chair of the board. Steve also served on a committee to advise the Obama administration on issues where religion and government could work together to address social issues.

Steve and Phyllis have four sons who bring them joy and laughter. They also have been blessed with 17 grandkids.

Dr. Donna Dillingham-Evans, second child and only daughter of J.T. and Geneva Mai Dillingham, wanted to be an electrician, but she was a girl. Instead, she became a first-generation college student at Austin Peay State University and earned a cum laude Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and Mathematics, despite the death of her father two days after she arrived on campus.

She received a multi-year Alumni scholarship, and at graduation, Director Malone nominated her for a nationally competitive Rotary International Fellowship. During the lengthy selection process, Donna worked in OB/GYN research at Vanderbilt University, and when the door to Germany opened, she stepped through it, with more faith than money in her pocket.

After returning home, Donna joined friends in San Diego, where she worked in cardiology research at University of California San Diego and became licensed as a Clinical Toxicologist. She also met and married her husband of 50 years, the late Keith H. Evans. Together, they eventually parented five remarkable individuals who are intelligent, creative, tenacious, and successful. Grandchildren are her life-sustaining joy.

Migrating north, Donna accepted a temporary assignment as Dixie College’s Student Support Services Math Skills Coordinator. Due to Dixie’s short employee list, she sat on numerous campus-wide committees and gained an immeasurable amount of institutional knowledge. Donna’s desire to help students learn led to a Master Degree in Secondary, Post-Secondary, and Vocational Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a doctorate with Distinction in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. Her education and experience helped focus projects into sustainable programs and foster collaborations that were integral to the work.

Over the years, Donna worked with many public and private student-oriented partnerships. Notable examples include: POST Academy; Concurrent Enrollment provisions addressing content integrity, student access, and revenue sharing; DXATC articulation agreements; Success Academy, on-campus, early college, high school; and Intermountain Health initiatives for health occupation degrees.

After serving with the SSS program and as Director of the Academic Support Center, Donna earned the tenured rank of Full Professor. She took on challenges as Founding Chair of the Mathematics Department and then as Interim Vice President of Academics. With faculty affirmation of her appointment, she became Dixie’s first female Executive Vice President of Academics.

Donna received various recognitions across the years. Although grateful, she was mostly surprised. She simply tried to live what she believed; to do all things joyfully as unto the Lord and to respect others. Thirty-one years of dynamic challenges followed that first, temporary appointment. Donna loved the work, challenges, and problem solving. She loved the teamwork. Donna remained until retirement, because it fit.

Dorothy Grimshaw Orton’s life has been a testament to service, a value deeply rooted in her upbringing in the rural farmlands of Enoch, Utah. As the sixth of nine children born to the late Henry and Hilda Grimshaw, Dorothy was nurtured in a tradition of hard work, unconditional love, and quiet service – principles that have guided her throughout her life.

Dorothy has carried forward her family’s legacy of generosity and humility into her adult life with grace and dedication. Since 2000, she has been an instrumental member of the Dixie College Foundation Board (now Utah Tech University) and played a key role as a founding co-chair of the Fire and Ice Gala, which has raised essential funds for needs-based scholarships since 2005. Reflecting on the thousands of hours she has devoted to this cause, Dorothy finds her greatest reward in knowing that these scholarships not only transform the lives of the recipients but also impact generations of their families. “Education changes people’s lives,” Dorothy says. “We can make a difference whoever and wherever we are. I’m constantly amazed by the generosity of this community when it comes to supporting education, and the recipients are so grateful that it is a joy to be part of this amazing event.”

Beyond her work with the Fire and Ice Gala, Dorothy has contributed her talents to various community endeavors, including serving on the Washington County Fair Board, the Judicial Nominating Committee for the 5th District Court, and the Huntsman World Senior Games. Her leadership has also been felt in countless PTA projects, where she orchestrated memorable Grad Nights for Dixie and Snow Canyon High Schools. In addition, Dorothy has served faithfully in the auxiliaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, embodying the spirit of service in all aspects of her life.

Among her many roles, Dorothy treasures most of her role in preserving the legacy of family unity that she learned in her youth. She and her husband Ray are the proud parents of five children – Jennifer (Tyler) Wilkinson, Amber (Court) Empey, Natalie (Collins) Stuart, Derek, and Tom – and are blessed with 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

During her years with the Fire and Ice Gala, if Dorothy wasn’t staying up late perfecting an auction basket, she was most likely hosting one of her renowned tea parties with her grandchildren, attending their games and concerts, or enjoying a road trip with Ray in their motorhome.

Today, life is a bit quieter, but Dorothy’s commitment to service remains unwavering. She cherishes time spent with her family, hosting Sunday dinners or tea parties with her great-grandchildren. And even in her “quieter days,” Dorothy continues to serve with distinction as the Relief Society President, where she is making an incredible impact on the sisters in her ward.

Marcia Chalk Wade’s life is a testament to the values of hard work, generosity, and community service. Born in Richfield, Utah, and raised in Monroe, Utah, and Mesa, Arizona, Marcia grew up immersed in a nurturing environment where family traditions and a strong work ethic were emphasized.

Her educational journey led her to Brigham Young University, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in education, graduating in 1968. It was during her college years that Marcia experienced a defining moment. While working to support herself through school, she faced the challenge of being unable to work during her student teaching. On the brink of giving up, a generous community member stepped in to cover her expenses with the understanding that Marcia would later “pay it forward.” This act of kindness inspired Marcia to dedicate her life to helping others.

The Wades moved to St. George in 1993, where Marcia’s commitment to community service flourished. She actively participated in various local organizations and events, including chairing “Lights for Life,” serving in the PTA, co-chairing “Fire & Ice” for two decades, and serving on the Dixie College/Utah Tech Foundation board for 17 years. Her work with “Fire and Ice” was particularly impactful, as it facilitated collaboration between businesses and individuals to provide scholarships and support for students, making a tangible difference in many lives.

Marcia’s passion for the arts was evident through her involvement with Tuacahn, St. George Musical Theater, Jubilee of Trees, and the American Cancer Society. Her dedication extended to her faith community, where she served in many capacities within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Young Women President and Stake Relief Society President.

Her enduring love for her husband, Stephen Wade, whom she married in 1972, was a cornerstone of her life. Together, they raised five children—Tyler (Alaina), Corbin, CJ (Sheena), Sheridan (Josh), and Adam (Jordyn)—and enjoyed a family life enriched by their 22 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Marcia’s role as a grandmother and great-grandmother was a source of immense joy for her.

Marcia’s legacy of kindness, community involvement, and love will be cherished by her family, friends, and the many lives she touched through her selfless service.

Joseph Crane Simmons was born and raised in St. George, Utah. He played baseball and basketball for Dixie and after graduating in 1955 he continued his education by receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California, both in Electrical Engineering.

His professional career began in 1957 when he joined then Douglas Aircraft Co. (later became McDonnell Douglas) in their new Missiles and Space Division. He analyzed and designed pitch, yaw, and roll control systems for the country’s first IRBM, THOR, which was deployed in England in 1960. THOR with an upper stage added was also used to put one of the first satellites in orbit for the United States in May of 1960. In 1983 he was appointed as Chief Engineer for the NASA industry competition for the concept definition and preliminary design of the Space Station Freedom (later to be renamed International Space Station). This competition was won by McDonnell Douglas in 1988. In 1992 he returned as Chief Engineer of the Delta II space launch vehicle program. This rocket was used to launch all of the USAF GPS satellites, and over 350 scientific, interplanetary, commercial communication, and weather satellites. The JPL Pathfinder payload named Sojouner was launched 12/7/1996 and landed on Mars 7/4/1997 to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial. In 1998 he was awarded the NASA Public Service Medal from the Goddard Space Flight Center for Outstanding Contributions to NASA’s Missions. He and his wife , the former Shanna Stirland, are the parents of 3 sons, two daughters, 22 grand children and 8 great grand children.

Dr. Andrew H. Barnum was born in Mesquite, Nev. He spent 36 years (1959-95) as a professor and administrator at Dixie College. Since his retirements, he continues to serve as director and curator of the Dixie College Museum of Natural Science and as an adjunct professor. He was valedictorian of his graduating class at Dixie College in 1947, then received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

Dr. Barnum is revered by the hundreds of professionals in the medical and dental fields that he has taught, as the “most difficult, yet finest teacher” they had in their entire careers. His demanding and professional teaching standards, mixed with his quick wit, assured them of their future success. Dr. Barnum turned down several opportunities at very prestigious institutions (Philadelphia Academy of Science, University of Michigan and the Smithsonian Institute) to remain teaching at Dixie.

In addition to his teaching assignments, where he taught every biology course ever offered at Utah Tech (27 in all), he served as division director, Dean of Natural Science, Dean of Administration, Vice President of Instruction and College Vice President, Faculty Association President, yearbook advisor and tennis coach. He and his wife, the former Phyllis Jean Moore, are the parents of four daughters.

Jarvis Edwin Seegmiller was born and raised in St. George, Utah. He was Valedictorian of the Dixie College Class of 1940, then he graduated with honors in Chemistry from the University of Utah in 1942. His participation in a war research project shifted his interest to medical research and the National Institute of Health (NIH). After discharge from the US Army, he entered medical school and graduated with honors from the University of Chicago and interned at Johns Hopkins. He then returned to NIH and became Chief of Human Biochemical Genetics.

In 1969, he became professor for the Department of Medicine at the newly formed medical school at the University of California, San Diego, and was appointed founding director of the Stein Institute for research on aging in 1983. Dr. Seegmiller received both a United States Public Health Distinguished Service Award and an International Geigy Rheumatism Prize in 1969. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for research at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in 1982-83, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1972, and the National Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1982.

He has served on numerous advisory committees at the NIH and private organizations, is past president of the Western Association of Physicians (1979), and has authored over 350 scientific publications dealing with genetic defects that cause human disease. In 1950, he married Roberta Eads, who passed away due to cancer in 1992. They have four children. In 1992, he married Barbara Ellertson

Calvert Watson Whitehead was born and raised in St. George, Utah. Following his graduation from Dixie College, he received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Brigham Young University. While at BYU, Calvert became very adept as a glass blower. Earnings from his talent paid the tuition for his master’s degree. In 1941, he was granted a teaching and research fellowship at the University of Nebraska and in 1944, he was made a junior instructor in chemistry. Then in 1955, he completed his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Nebraska. A position was waiting for him at Eli Lily and Company in Indianapolis, Ind.

He had the privilege of helping develop penicillin for use in World War II. He synthesized two new drugs for the treatment for cardiovascular disease and discovered a new system for pyrimidines. This system is now taught world wide as the Whitehead Synthesis. He has also contributed to many scientific publications and patents. In 1974, he retired from Eli Lilly as a junior executive and became a visiting fellow at Princeton University, and then enjoyed a professorship at the University of Utah from 1975-95.

A new research laboratory at Snow Canyon Clinic will honor Dr. Whitehead and bear his name. Sixty-two years ago, Calvert married his sweetheart, Norma Law, and they have three daughters and two sons.

Everard F. Cox was born in St. George and graduated from Dixie College in 1941. That same year he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet program and was commissioned a Naval aviator in 1942. During a year of combat flying in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, he was credited with destroying nine Japanese aircraft and a direct hit on a Japanese heavy cruiser. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and nine Battle Stars on the Asiatic Pacific ribbon.

Following World War II, he returned home and was recognized as the Outstanding Science Student at Dixie College in 1948. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in 1951, he entered the University of Maryland Medical School. He was class president and president of the Rush Honor Society. He returned to the Navy for internship and received a second Naval commission in the Medical Corps. Upon completion of a surgical residency program at Maryland (1960), he became a senior surgeon at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

During his professional career, he was Professor of Surgery at Maryland, the Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, and the University of Miami, Fla., as well as Director of Surgery at the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medicine. He has been awarded three U.S. Patents for a medical device he created. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lela Sullivan, in 1942, and they are the parents of two sons, both surgeons, and three daughters.

Gregory A. Prince was born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif. He attended Dixie College from 1965-67, graduating as valedictorian. He attended the UCLA School of Dentistry from 1969-73, again graduating as valedictorian. He received his Ph.D. in Pathology from UCLA in 1975, studying respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the primary cause of infant pneumonia worldwide.

Over a period of 15 years at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University, he and his co-workers developed the thesis that RSV disease could be prevented by administering antiviral antibodies to high-risk infants. He co-founded Virion Systems, Inc., to commercialize the thesis, and serves as its President and CEO. In 1989, Virion Systems and MedImmune, Inc., formed a joint venture to conduct clinical trials that ultimately resulted in the licensure by the Food and Drug Administration of RespiGam™ (1996), and Synagis ™ (1998) for the prevention of RSV pneumonia in high-risk infants. Synagis ™ is the first monoclonal antibody ever licensed for use against any infectious agent and its first-year sales made it one of the most successful biotech product launches in history.

In addition to a career in science, Dr. Prince has developed an avocation as a historian. His first book, Power From on High, The Development of Mormon Priesthood, was published in 1995, and he is currently writing a biography of LDS Church President David O. McKay. He and his wife, JaLynn Rasmussen Prince, are the parents of three children.

Dr. Reed McArthur was born and raised in St. George, Utah. After graduating from Dixie College in 1957, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah in 1960, and a Ph.D. in Biophysics and Bioengineering from the University of Utah in 1968. He was professor and Chair of the Department of Medical Informatics at the U of U’s School of Medicine. He was also co-Chair of Medical Computing for Intermountain Health Care’s Salt Lake Valley Hospitals, including LDS Hospital, where he was one of the principal developers of the world renowned HELP Clinical Computing systems.

Dr. Gardner’s primary academic and research interests are hospital information systems, computerized medical decision-making, computerized intensive care data acquisition and the automation of the nursing process. He has published over 320 articles and edited two textbooks in the fields of medicine, informatics, computing and engineering. He has served on the editorial boards of several scientific journals and was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing. He has also served as the national vice president of the American Thoracic Society, a group of physicians and scientists who study lung diseases and critical care medicine. He was recently the national president of the American Medical Informatics Association, a 4,000 member national organization representing his profession. He served on the Dixie College Board of Trustees from 1985-93. He and his wife, the former Jackie Christensen of St. George, are the parents of three sons and two daughters.

LeRoy Nisson was born in Washington, Utah, and graduated from Dixie High School and Dixie College. He attended Brigham Young University until he was admitted to the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, from which he graduated in 1946.

Following graduation he was hired as an instructor at USC in operative dentistry. In 1950, he served as a major in the Dental Corps of the United States Air Force, and this was followed by 12 years of private dental practice. He advanced his career by receiving a degree in orthodontics. After a 40-year career in dentistry and orthodontics, he retired and moved from southern California to the red sands of Dixie.

Dr. Nisson and his family love Dixie State College with its traditions, music and spirit. He was honored as Dixie State’s Distinguished Alumnus, and as a benefactor of the college, his name is seen across campus from the flag pole and Dental Hygiene Clinic to the Nisson Towers residence hall. In 1974, Dr. Nisson invited Hollywood actress Ginger Rogers, one of his dental patients, to be the grand marshal of the Homecoming Parade. He is a member of Dixie State’s National Advisory Council and has served on the Dixie Alumni Board. He is married to Janice Schmutz, a former Dixie College “D” Queen. They are the parents of five children.

Edward Snow was named after his great grandfather who was a founder of Dixie College. He attended St. George Elementary, Woodward Junior High, Dixie High School and Dixie College. At Dixie College, he was student body vice president. Edward then transferred to the University of Utah, where he received a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Physics in 1958, and a Ph.D. in Physics in 1963.

Edward’s employment history took him through a variety of jobs including laborer, draftsman, and technical assistant at Convair Astronautics during the Atlas Missile program. He also worked as a teaching and research assistant in the University of Utah’s Physics Department. From 1963-71, Edward joined the Fairchild Semiconductor Research & Development Lab in Palo Alto, Calif., where he successfully held positions as a member of the technical staff, section head, and department manager.

At Fairchild, Dr. Snow made breakthrough contributions to the understanding of oxidized semiconductor surfaces which made possible the large-scale MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) integrated circuits which have revolutionized electronics and made possible today’s “digital revolution.” For this work, he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Franklin Institute. While at Fairchild, Edward authored more than 20 scientific papers in professional journals and was awarded five patents related to semiconductor devices.

In 1971, Dr. Snow left Fairchild to become co-founder of Reticon corporation with the goal of pioneering the application of the MOS integrated circuit technology to optical image sensors. Reticon technology was used in virtually all of the early OCR and FAX machines, price tag readers, mail sorting machines, and industrial inspection cameras. Reticon also developed specialized devices for scientific instruments, astronomy, and military applications.

Snow also taught master’s degree courses in the engineering department at the University of Santa Clara for 10 years, where more than 200 Silicon Valley engineers learned about semiconductor device physics. 1n 1978, Reticon was acquired by EG&G, Inc., and in 1992, Dr. Snow was made a vice president with responsibility for worldwide optoelectronic operations, which including research and design manufacturing locations in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Germany, the Phillipines, China and Singapore, as well as joint ventures in Japan and China.

At the time of his retirement to California, the Optoelectronics Group had annual sales of $270 million and a range of products as diverse as flashlamps for Kodak disposable cameras, atomic clocks for global positioning satellites, and optical sensors used in gene sequencers and other scientific instruments. Dr. Snow is married to Idonna Eager of Leeds (also a Dixie College graduate). He has three children, Mark, Marcia and Sandra.

Dr. E. Duran McArthur, the oldest of Eldon and Denise Dalton McArthur’s eight children, grew up in St. George, graduating from Dixie High School with honors and Dixie College as co-valedictorian. He subsequently attended the University of Utah, where he received three degrees, culminating with a Ph.D. in Plant Genetics in 1970. After a postdoctoral stint at the University of Leeds (England), he began a USDA Forest Service research career in 1972, as a research geneticist at the Great Basin Experimental Range in Ephraim, Utah.

Since 1975, he has been at the Forest Service’s Shrub Sciences Laboratory on the Brigham Young University campus, in addition to serving as a research leader since 1983, and spent the last three years with research administrative responsibilities in six states for the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station. His research has contributed critically to the understanding of biological resources in the semi-arid Western United States, particularly to the population genetics, ecology, and systematics of the dominant shrubs and associated plants. This work is documented by some 430 publications, more than any other Forest Service scientist. He is noted for his collegiality, ease of working with, and team leadership skills, which contribute to attracting students and visiting scientists from around the world to his research program. By invitation, Dr. McArthur has traveled the world.

As the recognized authority on all aspects of shrubland biology and restoration (after disturbances such as fires and weed infestations) his decisions and recommendations are readily accepted by land managers. He has substantively assisted more than 30 graduate students from more than a dozen U.S. and foreign universities in natural resource studies. His contributions have been recognized by numerous awards from the Forest Service, including the preeminent Chief’s Superior and Distinguished Scientist Award and awards from other agencies, professional societies, and academia. He has served his church in many capacities, including a full-time mission and as a bishop and stake leader. His community service includes activity in Rotary International (including a term as president of the Utah Valley Sunrise Club) and work by professional society leadership and committee assignments. His foundation for success lies, in part, at Dixie College, where he gained a rigorous science and humanities education. While there he was active in student government, the X-Club, and intramural sports. He and his wife, the former Virginia Johnson, have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Gordon was a native of Long Beach, Calif., and also lived in southern Utah and Nevada. Following graduation from high school, he was a missionary for his church in Central America. He married Lori Swainston in 1976, and returned to his formal education. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in 1978, a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Marquette University in 1987, a Bachelor of Professional Development from UNLV in 1994, and a Master of Education from Southern Utah University posthumously in 2007. Dr. Jennings realized his long-term goal of becoming a dentist, and had a private dental practice until a thumb injury limited his ability to practice dentistry.

He then ultimately became a high school science teacher and basketball coach for three years. Subsequently, he made another major career change by accepting the position of Director of the Dental Hygiene program at Dixie College in 1998. Since it was a new program, he had to build it from the ground up. Initially there were very few resources available, but his “can do” attitude allowed him to believe that anything was possible. This attitude was quickly adopted by his co-workers and students as they developed together what came to be the premier dental hygiene program in the country. Dr. Jennings’ commitment to making the program move forward often found him working at night with builder’s tools to support the construction of the first clinic and lab.

Unwilling to rest on his laurels, he pressed for the establishment of a bachelor of science degree in Dental Hygiene at Dixie State College. His passionate concern that all children and immobile patrons receive dental care, regardless of income, led to the establishment of the Dixie Mobile Dental Clinic in 2006. Dr. Jennings’ moral, social and academic values continued to be an influence within DSC’s Dental Hygiene program as demonstrated by the success of its faculty, staff and students. After a valiant fight with cancer and his untimely passing, Dixie State College established the Gordon D. Jennings Dental Hygiene Scholarship to ensure that his spirit and love for the Dixie students would be ever present. He and his wife Lori are the parents of two sons, Jared and Jacob.

William is a native of Murray, Utah, who graduated from Dixie College in 1965. While at Dixie College he served on the Associated Men Students Council, was President of the X-Club, was selected as the Outstanding Biology Student, and graduated with honors. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the University of Utah in 1967 and 1969, respectively, and returned to Dixie College as Assistant Professor of Biology from 1970-71. In 1971 he received his Doctor of Entomology Degree from the University of Georgia. From 1971-2011 he was employed as Professor of Entomology & Director of the Entomological Research Collections at Purdue University.

McCafferty has published over 400 scientific articles and monographs on the taxonomy and ecology of aquatic insects. As an internationally known aquatic entomologist, he has regularly acted as a freshwater environmental consultant to both government and private agencies. McCafferty has published three books; his first, Aquatic Entomology, defines the sub-discipline of aquatic entomology and its applications, and through the integration of science and sport, has fostered scientific angling for the catching of trout by fly fishermen. McCafferty has authored the description of 312 new species and the comprehensive understanding of approximately 800 mayfly species. He and his wife Nadine are the parents of three children and have eight grandchildren.

Dr. Craig Lang Booth is the son of Fred and Marie Lang Booth and a fifth generation resident of St. George. As a youth, he shined shoes and passed papers to many of his future patients. Craig is a graduate of Dixie High, Dixie Junior College, the University of Utah, and the University of Utah Medical School. After a two-year residency at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital, he returned to St. George where he served the community as a general practitioner, delivering over 2,500 babies and 200 gall bladders and affectionately earning him the nickname “Doc Booth.” He later became the first medical director of Dixie Regional Medical Center and president of the medical staff.

Craig served as president of the Utah Medical Association and the Great Basin Physician Corporation, and in 1994 was named Utah Doctor of the Year. He served on the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s governing board for 20 years and the Intermountain Healthcare board for three years. Craig was a founding member of The Village Bank, the St. George Exchange Club, the Virgin River Land Preservation Association, and the local United Way. He also found time to serve on the St. George Water and Power Board and the Spirit of Dixie Committee. For 18 years he taught physiology—or rather the “facts of life”—to nearly 1,300 students at his beloved Dixie College. Craig served a two-year mission in the North Central States for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife, Maureen, later served as president of the Arizona Phoenix Mission from 2002-05.

For more than 40 years “Doc Booth” has practiced medicine in Washington County and currently works in Acute Rehab and the Wound Clinic at Dixie Regional Medical Center. He was awarded the first “Giant of the Medical Center” by the hospital. He loves his work and most of his patients, and plans to die in the halls of the hospital. Craig holds a private pilots license, has hiked “The Subway” in Zion National Park more than 120 times, and inadvertently forced the park service to install a lottery system to control the crowds. He is married to the former Maureen Haslam. They have five children (all graduates of Dixie College) and 14 grandchildren.

Dr. Antone L. “Tony” Brooks has made an impact internationally through his writing, teaching and consulting as one of the most prominent experts on the effects of low dose radiation. While serving as the chief scientist for the Department of Energy Low Dose Radiation Research Program for nearly ten years, Dr. Brooks gathered information for his book “Low Dose Radiation: The History of the U.S. Department of Energy Research Program.” He has also published more than 200 articles, won the 2017 Silver Telly Award for his video “Fallout Man with Tony Brooks,” and served as a consultant to NASA on the effects of space radiation.

Born in St. George, Utah, Dr. Brooks was the youngest child of Will and Juanita Brooks. As a young boy, he often stood outside the family home and watched mushroom clouds approach St. George due to atomic bomb testing fallout. That experience sparked his lifetime of study.

Dr. Brooks began his educational journey at Dixie College and then earned his bachelor’s degree in experimental biology and master’s degree in radiation ecology from the University of Utah. He continued his education at Cornell University where he earned his doctorate in physical biology with a focus on chromosome damage from radiation.

A research professor emeritus at Washington State University Tri-cities, Dr. Brooks spent twenty years at the Lovelace Inhalation Toxicology Research Institution, ultimately becoming the director of cell and molecular research. He also worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and was a member of the National Academy of Science team that produced the “Biological Effects of Radiation” report on health effects of radon. He has served on numerous boards and committees, including the National Council for Radiation Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board.

Dr. Brooks and his wife, Janet Poulsen, currently reside in Kennewick, Washington. They have six children and 23 grandchildren.

Melzie and Ray met as juniors in high school in 1950. Since that time, their romance has continued to flourish, establishing the foundation of a partnership that has focused first on sharing their lives together, with a mutual love of family, the Southern Utah community, and their storied business ventures.

Married in June of 1955 in their beloved Southern California, Mr. and Mrs. Ganowsky noticed changes to the greater Los Angeles area, due in part to exponential population growth. When Ray graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Northrop University in the late 1950’s, the beautiful state and city they grew up in had changed. After a few years, and with a young family in tow, they decided to move to upstate New York when an opportunity presented itself to produce products against the 31 electro-mechanical patents Ray had secured. One of his patents included a rotary solenoid design that would later play a key role in the establishment of RAM AS&D in 1975.

After ten years in New York state, the couple decided to move their family west in the early 1970’s. They chose to settle in St. George, Utah, at the time, a small community with only 8,000 residents and one stoplight. They had passed through St. George on their honeymoon and liked the fact it was situated close to LA, where their parents still lived.

After a couple of years, Ray’s reputation as an innovative leader in electro-mechanical design caught up to him. An opportunity presented itself to design and produce a thermal-automatic choke for Kohler Company. A short time later, RAM was founded, with the name “RAM” serving as an acronym for Ray and Melzie. Along with their two teenage children, Julie Knowlton, MD (deceased) and Kevin Ganowsky, Mr. and Mrs. Ganowsky began manufacturing in their Bloomington garage, with just a single lathe, and Ray’s father Bill machining parts.

From its modest beginning, RAM AS&D has made its mark in the aviation and space industries while operating solely out of its headquarters in St. George. RAM’s products can be found on nearly every major platform in the sky and space, serving both military and commercial markets. In 2018, Mr. and Mrs. Ganowsky made an initial investment in Intergalactic, a novel thermal management company with impressive technology. In 2019, they made the decision to purchase a controlling interest in Intergalactic and moved the business to St. George from Washington state.

RAM AS&D and Intergalactic continue to enhance their collective presence in the Southern Utah community and in the industries they serve. In addition to staying involved with the expanding operations of their businesses, Mr. and Mrs. Ganowsky also remain committed to the education and development of young engineers, skilled craftsman, and business professionals, with an emphasis on STEM education and careers in Southern Utah.

Melzie and Ray have made their home in St. George. In addition to their two children, they have five grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren (one deceased).

Robert W. Prince, DDS grew up in St. George with ancestral roots that stretch deep into the red sandstone of Dixie. Bob is part of five generations that have studied or graduated from Utah Tech University, although it was known as Dixie Jr. College during the time of his attendance. He and his wife, Diane Larson Prince, were married while students at Dixie. Diane was the Rebelette president and has been equally engaged in University activities.

Dr. Prince holds degrees from Dixie as well as the University of Southern California where he received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and a post-residency certification in Orthodontics. He maintained a private practice of Orthodontics with offices in St. George, Beaver, and Kanab from 1983-2020, and is a past president of the Utah Association of Orthodontists. He also served for eight years on the National Council on Orthodontic Health Care for the American Association of Orthodontists prior to his retirement. Dr. Prince was involved with the approval process and establishment of the Department of Dental Hygiene at Utah Tech, including the temporary donation of his dental office. The Prince Orthodontics building was used for several years as part of the hygiene school’s clinic until construction of the new permanent facility was completed.

While a student at Dixie, Bob was active in student affairs, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He is also a past board member of the Dixie College Alumni Association. In 2011, he was appointed by Governor Gary Herbert to serve on the Utah State Board of Regents, the governing body of Utah System of Higher Education. During his nine year tenure as a Regent, he served on the Regent Executive Committee and chaired the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board. His Regent duties included the searches and hiring of 10 presidents of Utah colleges and universities. Dr. Prince was also appointed to the University of Utah Dental School Advisory Council and served from 2020-2022.

Bob and Diane are the parents of three children who have all followed him into the health professions. They have 11 grandchildren, one that is currently a member of the Trailblazer Football team.

Juanita L. Brooks was born and raised in Bunkerville, Nev. She was the last of 10 children and an early marriage suggested she would follow a predictable course in the small community. However, the death of her husband from cancer 15 months after their marriage left her with a young son to raise. A great passion for learning guided her life. With perseverance, sacrifice, personal stamina and intellectual courage, she pursued an education, graduating from Dixie College and Brigham Young University, and then receiving a Master’s degree from Columbia University in New York City.

After returning to Dixie as Dean of Women, she married William Brooks, combining her son with his four sons and then adding one daughter and three sons of their own to complete her “compound-complex” family. In addition to being a successful wife, mother, teacher and community member, she was an outstanding historian and author. She published 15 books and 36 articles. Her best known work was the Mountain Meadows Massacre. She received honorary doctorates from the University of Utah, Utah State University and Southern Utah University. She is a member of the Utah Beehive Hall of Fame. With occasional time off to raise a family, her influence as a teacher was felt at Dixie College from 1925-1965.

She is recognized by scholarly consent at Utah’s foremost historian. Her approach to Mormon history changed the way that Mormon history was written. Her great love of Dixie College prompted her to purchase the first set of Carillon bells for the Dixie campus.

Andrew Karl Larson was a teacher, author, poet and artist. He spent 42 years teaching in Utah’s Dixie. He taught literature, art, drama, band, history, science and anything else he was asked. He was principal of Washington Elementary School. After his move from Hurricane to Dixie College, he served as head of the History Department until his retirement in 1965.

Karl devoted his later life to recording the history of the Dixie area. His first book was Red Hills of November, which was published in 1957, for the centennial celebration of his native Washington City. Other books that followed were I Was Called to Dixie, published in 1961; Erastus Snow, 1971; Erastus Beman Snow, 1974; The Education of a Second Generation Swede, 1979; Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, 1981; and his last book was entitled Lines to Judith, his collection of poetry written for friends and family.

Karl loved Dixie College with all his heart, mind and soul. Andrew Karl Larson and his wife, Katharine Miles Larson, were truly part of the wonderful “Dixie Spirit” that they espoused. They have one daughter.

Otto F. Jones came to Dixie College from Panaca, Nev. After two years of service in the United State Marines, Otto was recruited to play football at Dixie College. Later he attended Weber State College and then completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Psychiatric Social Work at the University of Utah.

He organized and directed Camp Roughout, a survival training camp for under-privileged youth and established the INSIGHT program, a counseling program for employees at Kennecott Copper Company. In 1973, he established Human Affairs, Inc., and Human Affairs International, counseling programs for alcohol and drug dependent employees. His timing was perfect and many of the nation’s major business corporations became clients for this much needed service. In 1988, Otto sold Human Affairs International to Aetna Life and Casualty Company and used the proceeds to begin Sagewood Ranches, a large buffalo ranching enterprise in Colorado and Wyoming.

In 1990, he received the Distinguished Career Award from the University of Utah Graduate School of Social Work. He has served as a consultant to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Mental Health and the Presidential Commission of Mental Health under President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife, the former Amy Lu Savage, are the parents of four sons and two daughters.

Arthur Knight Hafen was born and raised in Santa Clara, Utah, and spent his early years on his father’s farm. He attended Branch Normal School (SUU) in Cedar City and later received A.B. degree (1912) and a master’s degree from Brigham Young University. He also did graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Southern California, and the University of New Mexico.

As superintendent of schools in Washington County in 1914, in addition to his teaching duties at the St. George Stake Academy, he visited every school in the county, traveling in a black-top buggy pulled by two bay mares. During his term, schools in Utah were consolidated, which meant he had to choose between the position of superintendent and teacher. He chose to teach and subsequently taught 40 years, 39 of them at Dixie College. He served as head of the English and Modern Languages Department, director of the Division of Humanities, and teacher of English, German and Spanish.

His contest-winning school song was published in 1924, and remains the official Dixie College song today, bringing a lump to the throat of every alumnus who hears its rousing introduction and nostalgic melody. He married Orilla Woods in 1912 and they are the parents of 14 children.

Blair Wellington McDonald was born and brought up in Salt Lake City where he graduated from East High School as senior class president.

After high school he went to work for his father, J.G. McDonald at the J.G. McDonald Chocolate Factory on West 3rd South. The work ethic was strong in the McDonald household and Wellington often found himself working 14 hour days, first as an employee and then as manager of the Factory, and after he sold it, he became president of the Western Nut Company, which he built from a “hole in the wall” to a modern, successful factory. Wellington recalls that period in the 1950’s as "the best part of my life" – to start from nothing and build up.

Community service has been as much a part of his life as hard work. As vice president of the Salt Lake City JCs, he was one of those who organized the Christmas Parade that multitudes have enjoyed the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Wellington was also president of the South Salt Lake JCs and served vigorously in the Kiwanis and the Sentinel Clubs. After years of work and service and raising their kids in Salt Lake, the McDonalds moved to Bloomington when the fields were beautiful with wildflowers and lots of small creatures, and there were only eight homes. Wellington remembers with fondness that he was #3 at the Golf Club. The McDonalds’ allegiance to St. George is especially evident in their gifts to Dixie State College, where the McDonald Center – the building housing the studies of Social Science, Humanities and Composition – bears their name.

Margaret Brockbank McDonald was born in Holladay and schooled in Salt Lake City. Although she and Wellington knew each other in high school, they didn’t start dating until after her graduation from East High School and her studies at Choinard Art School in Los Angeles. Their marriage in 1938 was just the beginning of a life time of love, service and delight in learning from this remarkable couple – traits they have passed on to their two children.

Margaret can tell many stories of her volunteer services with the Blind Center and the Red Cross. During World War II, she drove a Red Cross Blood Bank truck, but her most poignant stories have to do with the blind and deaf children she drove to the Primary Children’s Hospital. Before their move to St. George, Margaret was president of the JC Auxiliary and active in the Mother’s Club at the University of Utah.

Her love of art and beauty is apparent in her home and garden, and her love of people – a love shared by Wellington – is evident in the many who call Margaret and Wellington friend. Their daughter says they “love life, beautiful things, their family and their friends and they express this love through doing nice things for people.”

Dona Parkinson was born and raised in Lehi, Utah, and graduated from Lehi High School. She received her bachelor of arts degree in Clothing and Textiles from Brigham Young University, and a master’s of science in Education and Counseling from UNLV.

Dona was a member of the Dixie State College faculty for 33 years, during which time she worked for eight different college presidents. She served as president of the Dixie State College Faculty Association and the DSC Women’s Association. She founded the outstanding DSC pre-school and the weaving program. During her tenure at the college, she served on city, county and state boards and committees, addressing a wide range of community interests including education, women’s issues, art and music, seniors, civil defense, health and civic beautification. “Mrs. Parkinson,” as she was known to her students, has been recognized as Outstanding Educator by Delta Kappa Gamma and by the St. George Chamber of Commerce, and she received the Distinguished Service Award from DSC. Dona has been a professor emeritus at DSC since her retirement in 1988. She is known for her hard work ethic and as a survivor, having won a battle with cancer. Dona and her husband Ken have four children and seven grandchildren.

Lyman Hafen is a native of St. George, Utah. He grew up on the southern edge of what was then a small town and as a boy developed a strong sense of place, roaming the broken landscape and listening to the stories his father told. He became a horseman on the family ranch in Clover Valley, Nev., and was the 1973 Utah State High School Rodeo All-Around champion. He graduated from Dixie High School in 1973, and from Dixie College, where he was also a member of the rodeo team. He served an LDS mission in Argentina from 1974-76. He credits his English professor Ed Reber and his mentor Karl Brooks at Dixie College with turning his focus from riding to writing. In 1977, the most important event in his life occurred when he married Debbie Frei of Santa Clara, Utah. Debbie has been a violin teacher and member of the Southwest Symphony since 1983. Lyman graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication in 1979. Since 1980, he has been a writer, editor, publisher, and active volunteer in community, state and national organizations. He was co-founder of the St. George Magazine in 1983, and was its editor for 16 years. He continues to write a monthly column for the magazine, chronicling the history, culture and personality of his fast-changing hometown. He has written eleven books of fiction and nonfiction and his writing has been honored on several occasions by the Utah Arts Council. In 2005, he was appointed by Utah Governor Jon Huntsman to the board of directors of the Utah Arts Council. Over the years he has written numerous articles for regional and national publications, and has served as publisher of important books, including “Portraits of Loss – Story of Hope,” which sparked the multi-million dollar fundraising effort for victims of the 2005 Santa Clara-Virgin River Flood. Since 1998, he has served as executive director of the Zion Natural History Association in Zion National Park. He founded the Zion Canyon Field Institute in 2003, and the Zion National Park Foundation in 2007. Lyman looks back at his time at Dixie State College as a turning point in his life. The same institution where his grandfather, Arthur K. Hafen, taught English, German and Spanish for more than 40 years, is the place where he discovered a love for learning and literature, and came to terms with the idea that he would spend his life telling the compelling stories of this place to the world. He and his wife Debbie have six children.

Antone R. Bowler was born in nearby Gunlock, Utah, and was a 1933 graduate of Dixie College. While at Dixie, he was on the boxing team, and Captain of the Debating Team, winning the Cox Outstanding Debator Medal three times. With an admitted penchant for living on the edge, and in the depths of the Great Depression, he took his bride on a bus to start their new life together in Washington, D.C., arriving with $90 in his pocket. He found work with the Federal Housing Administration, newly created by the U.S. Government to radically change home ownership and create a new mortgage banking industry. Antone was instrumental in formulating loan approval and housing standards for the nation, eventually becoming Senior Underwriting Supervisor.

Bowler served on the War Productions Board, where he and other national leaders determined where scarce resources were to be allocated during World War II. After moving his family to Denver, Colo., in 1944, he co-created a mortgage banking company, which he ultimately owned and presided over. This marked the beginning of a stellar career in the private mortgage lending industry, where he labored until his retirement some 30 years later. Antone served as President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Denver, and was recognized in 1975 as the Mortgage Banker of the Year. He was truly one of the local and national pioneers in that industry. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and golfer, and was the constant companion and husband to his dear wife, Cola, for 62 years. He and Cola were the parents of one daughter and two sons.