Texas Tech Alumni Association Hosts 2008 Homecoming Dinner: “A Matador Evening”

Alumni Highlights

Alumni Bill and Peggy Dean will receive the Lauro F. Cavazos Award for their positive impact on the university.

Bill and Peggy Clark Dean will be honored with the Lauro F. Cavazos Award at the Texas Tech Alumni Association’s 2008 “A Matador Evening: The 48th Annual Homecoming Dinner.”

This year’s event will be held Oct. 10 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

“A Matador Evening” is both a fundraiser and a friendraiser, with proceeds benefiting the Peggy and Bill Dean expansion of the Merket Alumni Center, located on the southeast corner of the Texas Tech campus.

The Lauro F. Cavazos Award is presented to individuals who have made a positive impact on the university through outstanding accomplishments, acts of service and/or financial support.

The Deans have provided both countless hours of public service and unconditional support to Texas Tech University, the Lubbock Independent School District, the City of Lubbock and West Texas as a whole.

Bill Dean, ’61, ’65, ’71, started his tenure at Texas Tech as the director of student publications from 1967–1978. He accepted the executive vice president role at the Texas Tech Ex-Students Association (Texas Tech Alumni Association) in 1978 and continues in that role today. Dean served as an assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communications from 1972–1975. He was promoted to associate professor in 1975 and continues to serve in that role. In 1998, Dean was named an associate dean in the College of Mass Communications and continues in that role today.

Dean is married to the former Peggy Clark, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Texas Tech in 1966 and went on to complete a master’s degree in elementary education in 1969. They have two children and two granddaughters.

Upon graduating from Texas Tech, Peggy taught in Lubbock for 25 years. Peggy has served her community in various capacities through the years. She has been a member of the board of the Lubbock Women’s Club for two years. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Lubbock, a member of the Community Bible Study of Lubbock, Lubbock Symphony Guild, Museum of Texas Tech Association and many other organizations. Peggy says the center of her life is her family and she loves being involved in their activities. She loves bridge and is known to be one of the best bridge players in Lubbock.

The Distinguished Service Award, which will also be presented during the event, recognizes outstanding service rendered to the Alumni Association or Texas Tech University. The Texas Tech Alumni Association is proud to announce the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award is Kitty Harris Wilkes.

Wilkes is the director of the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery and also serves as the co-director of the Center for Prevention and Resiliency at Texas Tech. Her work has led to her innovative programs being actively developed as models for other collegiate environments around the nation. Only three universities in the United States have programs that focus on recovering students who deal with addictive disorders, however no other university has a program as comprehensive as Texas Tech’s.

Tickets for “A Matador Evening” are $50 per person. Table sponsorships are as follows:

For more information regarding “A Matador Evening,” please call (806) 742-3641.