Honeycutt Classroom Dedicated

Thomas Joseph "T. J." Honeycutt (1917-2008), Class of '48 and '49 and a former SHSU professor, was honored with a room dedication ceremony at the university on Friday, February 18. The T.J. Honeycutt Agriculture Teacher Education classroom is located in the Thomason building.

Glyn Gilliam, class of ’56 and ’57, said it was Honeycutt’s influence as a professor and life-long mentor that caused him and his wife, Martha, to establish the scholarship and provide funding for the classroom to be named in Honeycutt’s memory. Honeycutt began teaching at Sam Houston in January 1964 and taught for 21 years - many of those years as head teacher trainer - before retiring in 1984 as Associate Professor of Vocational Education.

Plaque at coliseum honors Ron Mafrige

From GoBearkats.com:

A new plaque honoring Sam Houston State University benefactor Ronald Mafrige and the 112 donors who have contributed to the Mafrige Basketball Challenge is now on display on the concourse level of Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

The official presentation of the plaque occurred prior to Sam Houston State's men's basketball home game Saturday Feb. 12, 2011 with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

More than a year ago, the Houston businessman and 1960 SHSU graduate, issued a challenge to Bearkat supporters to help increase the university's men's basketball endowment with an ultimate goal of reaching $1 million. The endowment provides funding for program enhancements such as equipment purchases and recruitment.  Mafrige agreed to contribute $1 of his Share the Vision Campaign commitment for each $2 given by others. As of Dec. 31, 2010, the Mafrige Basketball Challenge had generated more than $350,000 in gifts and commitments for the basketball program.

Bear Bend Cabin Dedication

As part of the dual celebrations for Sam Houston's Birthday and 175th Anniversary of Texas Independence in Huntsville, Today@Sam notes the Sam Houston Memorial Museum will dedicate Bear Bend Cabin on Wednesday, March 2. The cabin is located directly across the parking lot from Sam Houston's Historic Woodland Home on the Museum Grounds.

Bear Bend Cabin is a classic double pen, planked log two-story cabin with a central dog trot. Tradition says Sam Houston often stayed here while bear hunting. It was moved six miles from its original site in Montgomery County and restored by B. Carroll and Mae Tharp in 1987. In October 2010 it was moved again to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds and restored.