2006-2007 Alumni Awards

Grady S. “Mack” McCarter ’67 (MDiv ’71)
Distinguished Alumnus

Mack is founder and coordinator of Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal. Under McCarter’s leadership, the organization has received national and international recognition for its life-changing impact.

Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal brings caring partners from all walks of life together with “one dream and one hope for one community.” The organization is based on the premise that “true community renewal changes the world — one neighbor at a time.”
As a result, in neighborhoods where violence and fear once reigned, there is now safety and trust. Playgrounds are replacing battlegrounds. Former gang members and drug addicts are renewing their lives, returning to school and giving back to the community instead of taking from it.

The group has been recognized by the White House and distinguished national groups such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Manhattan Institute and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. McCarter has garnered a variety of honors and awards, both state and national.

J.J. Henry III ’98
Frog O’Fame Award

Last year, PGA Tour pro J.J. solidified his place among the top golfers in the world when he earned his first PGA Tour victory, the Buick Championship, in his home state of Connecticut at the tournament where he made his tour debut as an amateur in 1998.

He then represented the United States at the 36th Ryder Cup Matches in Ireland, becoming the first Fort Worth golfer since Ben Hogan to participate in the Ryder Cup. He finished 29th on the money list for the 2006 season with earnings of more than $2.3 million qualifying him for his first Tour championship. During his first season on the PGA Tour, he finished 49th on the money list, becoming only the seventh PGA Tour player in history ever to earn more than $1 million in his rookie season.

J.J. also founded the Henry House Foundation, which makes donations to fund specific, tangible projects initiated by children’s medical and support services and organizations in Fort Worth and southern New England. The Henry House recently made a leadership gift for TCU’s golf program.

Vicki Vinson Cantwell ’78
Valuable Alumnus/Alumna Award

Vicki Cantwell has served her alma mater at every corner of campus, from AddRan College and chairing class reunions to advising her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, and serving on the Greek 50th Anniversary Planning Committee.

She is a founding member of the Board of Visitors of AddRan College of Humanities & Social Sciences and a participant on the search committee for a new dean of AddRan College. She also serves on the steering committee for AddRan’s Center for Texas Studies.

Cantwell serves on the board of the Addison & Randolph Clark Society and has chaired the benefits and activities committee and is a former board member of Fort Worth’s Imagination Celebration. In addition, she is a corporate secretary for Threshold Development Company, a private oil and gas company.

Chad E. ’81 and Brenda Almes Cline ’82
Royal Purple Award

Brenda is executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Kimbell Art Foundation, a member of the TCU Board of Trustees, a member of the Fine Arts International Board of Visitors and has served on the National Alumni Board, the Fort Worth Alumni Board and the Young Alumni Board. She also was a participant in The Commission on the Future of TCU. She is active in leadership with University Christian Church, Cook Children’s Health Foundation and the Trinity Valley School Board of Trustees, among others.

Chad is president and founder of Tarrant Technology Partners. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of AddRan College and the steering committee for the Brite Divinity School capital campaign. He has served on the Clark Society Board, the board of directors of the Fort Worth chapter of the TCU Alumni Association, and Class of 1981 reunion committees. He also was a member of the Leadership Council Advisory Board and led seminars with his wife for the Leadership Institute for several years. Chad is also active in leadership positions at University Christian Church.

Janet George Hearld ’74
Alumni Service Award

Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education, Janet has served on every class reunion committee and led her 25th reunion. Add chairmanship of the Addison & Randolph Clark Society and service on the 50th Greek Anniversary Planning Committee, The Commission on the Future of TCU and Vision in Action, and you’ll get a sense of Ms. Herald’s involvement with her alma mater.

Herald was an admissions counselor from 1974 to 1976, director of freshman admissions from 1976 to 1980 and associate dean of admissions from 1980 to 1989. Then with Neeley School of Business as a client, she worked as vice president of Sequitur Corporation for five years, where she also designed software for college and university admissions offices. That software is now owned by the College Board and is used by more than 100 colleges and universities in the United States.

She also has been an active volunteer leader of Delta Delta Delta sorority, serving as treasurer of the alumnae chapter and a member of the Phi Lambda advisory board for seven years.

William E. and Kathleen K. Mercer
Honorary Alumnus/Alumna Award

As Centurions of the Addison & Randolph Clark Society, the Mercers are among TCU’s most generous donors. Thanks to the Mercer’s generosity, an entering freshman taking TCU’s basic speech communication class makes his or her first speech in an executive boardroom. The boardroom is located in the state-of-the-art Mercer Presentation Showcase, a versatile learning lab that gives students hands-on experience with the most advanced presentation technology available.

Kathleen, a Houston civic leader and volunteer, has served on the Ascension Episcopal School Board since 2004 and is now its president-elect. She also has held a number of volunteer positions at St. Francis Episcopal Church and St. Francis Episcopal Day School, where she was a member of the school board.
William, a cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois, retired as chairman and CEO of National Fiduciary Services, N.A, in 2006. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of TCU’s College of Communication and has held a number of other significant volunteer positions at the University as a member of the Clark Society Board, the Houston Regional Council and the Professional Advisors Network.

Neal Morris Jackson ’07
Distinguished Student Award

Neal graduated with honors in May with a major in neuroscience and a minor in history. His senior thesis for the TCU Honors Program explored American healthcare policy, reflecting his plans for a career as a physician in the public policy arena, striving to solve the nation’s healthcare problems.

A representative and later chief justice of the Student Government Association, Jackson’s interest in politics and leadership led him to internships with both Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Louie Gohmert last year. He participated in the Chancellor’s Leadership Program and served as a delegate to leadership conferences in both Italy and Scotland. He was a student member of the Clark Society Board of Directors.

Jackson served as a student rep for Push America’s national board of directors in conjunction with the philanthropy of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. He also volunteered with TCU’s KinderFrogs School, and received the 2005 Thomas H. Sayre Award as a leading student advocate for people with disabilities in America.

Jackson was a Dean’s List Scholar, a member of the Mortar Board, and pre-health, history and psychology honor societies. He has been a Frog Camp facilitator, orientation student assistant, Student Foundation tour guide and Monday at TCU keynote speaker. In the fall, he will enter medical school at the University of Texas or Louisiana State University.