|
Special to the Avalanche
ALPINE - Funeral services for former Sul Ross State University coach and lecturer W.H. "Jack" Perryman, 89, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at University Baptist Church with burial in Elm Grove Cemetery.
Coach Perryman died Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Alpine Valley Care Center.
Perryman came to Alpine in 1946 to teach and coach at Sul Ross. He was assistant football coach, one of only two through 1952, and helped coach the undefeated 1948 Tangerine Bowl team that included former "Bonanza" cast member Dan Blocker. Perryman also served as head track coach.
In the classroom, he taught nearly every course offered in the department. It was also in the classroom that he gained a lasting reputation as a "tough teacher" who was interested in each student's overall education.
"Mr. Perryman was a very good friend and colleague," said Dr. Chet Sample, former director of athletics at Sul Ross. "He was highly respected by all former students and faculty as a very strict but fair professor.
"He is usually the first faculty member that former students ask me about and usually say that they did not really appreciate it at the time that they were in his class, but they realize that he was one of the best
professors they ever had," Sample added. "Jack usually locked his classroom door when he arrived in the classroom and you 'just missed the train' if you were not in class when he started.
"One of the funniest things that I ever saw was about three or four students standing outside his classroom listening attentively through the door and taking notes," Sample said. "They were late for class and he locked them out!"
As a demonstration of his commitment to the classroom, Perryman established an endowment fund in 1986 to provide scholarships for physical education majors and minors. To qualify for a Perryman Scholarship, a student must also be active in extracurricular activities in physical education and have a top grade point average.
Perryman was born March 7, 1918, in Nocona and graduated from Texas Christian University. He was on TCU's undefeated 1938 football team that finished No. 1 in the nation.
He coached at Munday High School before entering the Navy. He and his wife, Dorothy, were married in 1942. Before moving to Alpine, he was assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Kermit High School, then went to Fabens for three months. He completed his master's of education degree at Sul Ross in 1949.
Mrs. Perryman taught in the public school system for 31 years and coached basketball. She received her undergraduate degree in homemaking from Texas Woman's University and a master's of education from Sul Ross.
Asked why Sul Ross was special, Perryman replied, "It has been my whole life. I like Sul Ross and Alpine and have made good friends. There was a great camaraderie among the faculty."
Perryman retired from the physical education faculty in 1976 after 30 years of teaching and coaching. He was inducted into the Sul Ross State University Athletic Hall of Honor in 1986.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Perryman of Alpine.
Travis Hendryx, Sul Ross State University sports information director, contributed to this obituary.
|
