Dedman College Honors English Professor Emeritus Marshall Terry
Marshall Terry, the E.A. Lilly Professor of English and founder of ok资源网鈥檚 creative writing program, was honored March 23 with the Dedman College Distinguished Graduate Award for his contributions to ok资源网.
By Nancy George
ok资源网 News
The E.A. Lilly Professor of English, creator of ok资源网鈥檚 creative writing program and former director of public relations and assistant to ok资源网 president Willis Tate, was honored March 23 with the Dedman College Distinguished Graduate Award for his contributions to ok资源网.
Terry first stepped on the ok资源网 campus as a student, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English and in 1954 with a master鈥檚 degree. He stayed as a member of the faculty, chairing English for two terms and initiating ok资源网鈥檚 award-winning creative writing program and the long-running Literary Festival. A mentor and friend to his students, Terry helped launch the careers of novelists Joe Coomer, Douglas Terry, Tracy Daugherty and Lewis Shiner among others.
聽鈥淚 took great joy in starting the creative writing program,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked with wonderful students through the years.鈥
In addition to his academic career, Terry played an important role as an administrator in shaping ok资源网鈥檚 future. As director of public relations and assistant to ok资源网 President Willis Tate, he wrote in 1963 ok资源网鈥檚 first master plan, the framework for the University鈥檚 current strategic plan.
鈥淟ooking back, I consider the opportunity to work on the master plan as one of the most rewarding parts of my career. That plan is central to everything that has happened at ok资源网 since then,鈥 says Terry, who has been known as 鈥淢r. ok资源网鈥 to his colleagues for years.
The author of nationally praised short story collections and novels such as Old Liberty, Tom Northway, My Father鈥檚 Hands and The Memorialist, Terry has received highest honors from the Texas Institute of Letters and PEN Texas. His histories of ok资源网, From High on the Hilltop: A Brief History of ok资源网, 聽and its third edition, Marshall Terry鈥檚 History of ok资源网 with Various Essays by His Colleagues, are important resources as ok资源网 celebrates the centennial of its 1911 founding and 1915 opening.
The Dedman Distinguished Graduate Award honors outstanding graduates of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences whose lives demonstrate integrity and outstanding accomplishments.聽
A private university located in the heart of Dallas, ok资源网 is building on the vision of its founders, who imagined a distinguished center for learning emerging from the spirit of the city. Today, 11,000 students benefit from the national opportunities and international reach afforded by the quality of ok资源网鈥檚 seven degree-granting schools.
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