Breech Hall of Fame

Beth Pile ’80

Beth graduated from Drury in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  During her time as a student, she was captain of the women’s tennis team and president of Kappa Delta sorority.

Beth started her career as a federal bank regulator for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).  During her 19 years there, she served as a field office manager, a large bank liquidity expert, and Deputy to the Chief of Staff.  She left the OCC over 21 years ago to help start a new business with other former bank regulators. This business, IntraFi, previously known as Promontory Interfinancial Network, is the largest banking network of its kind, with over 3,000 financial institutions participating. It attracts billions of dollars in deposits from thousands of businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals. Billions of dollars have been channeled back into communities through local lending initiatives. Beth started as head of client services, developing the policies and procedures and hiring the staff. Once the business became larger, she moved into a newly created Chief Risk Officer role, in which she continues to serve.

Beth lives with her partner in Woodbury, CT, where she is active in her Episcopal church and serves as a volunteer at New Start Ministry, an interfaith group which co-sponsors refugee families for local resettlement. She is an ardent lover of the arts and enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading. She also loves serving as a Drury Trustee, having joined the Board in 2011.

Diana Bugg ’69

Bob Fox ’68

Robert Cox Jr. ’67

Robert (Bob) Cox Jr is a retired executive with Emerson Electric Co., headquartered in St. Louis. Bob worked at Emerson for 36 years, where he held a number of executive positions. Bob worked at Monsanto Company for six years prior to joining Emerson. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drury in 1967 and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Indiana University in 1969.

Today, Bob is involved in a number of not-for-profit activities in St. Louis. Organizations include the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Missouri Historical Society, Beyond Housing and KidSmart.

Bob has three children, Robert III, Steven and Carolyn. His wife Mary attended Drury from 1962 – 1964. Mary’s three children, Joe Freund, Laura Oesterlei and Daniel Freund, are all Drury graduates.

Dr. Penny Clayton ’83

Dr. Penny Clayton is Professor Emeritus of Drury University. She retired in May 2018 as a Professor of Accounting and Coordinator of the Accounting Program. Her tenure began in 1988 upon completion of her Ph.D. in accounting from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Clayton earned a B.S. in Accounting from Southwest Missouri State University (now MSU) and spent several years in public accounting before pursuing a career in academia. Her primary teaching interest is financial accounting but over the years, she has taught a wide variety of accounting courses including CPA Review. In addition to a PhD in Accounting, Dr. Clayton also holds CPA, CFE and CVA certifications.

Dr. Clayton was an active member of the Drury community as she served on the promotion and tenure committee and from 1988 to 2004 served as the Faculty Athletic Representative, which included serving as chairman of the NCAA Division II membership committee. She is a past president of the local chapter of the Association of Governmental Accountants (AGA) and a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Delta Mu Delta, scholastic honor societies. She is a past recipient of the Missouri Governor’s Award for teaching, the MSCPA Outstanding Educator Award, the Drury Distinguished Faculty Award, and the ABSCP Regional Teaching Excellence Award. She has written several research articles and has publications in Issues in Accounting Education and more recently, an article on including data analytics in the redesign of business curriculum.

While maintaining a career in academia, Dr. Clayton is also the founder of PRC Consulting Group, P.C, an accounting, fraud/forensics and business-consulting firm. As part of this organization. Dr. Clayton operates Clayton Family Office, a firm which manages investments, trusts, assets, and general business activities for high-net worth families.

In 2009, Dr. Clayton was inducted into the Springfield Missouri Sports Hall of Fame while Southwest Missouri State University has selected her for inclusion in their sports hall of fame for recognition of her softball abilities. She is also a member of the Springfield softball hall of fame

Joel Romines ’68

Joel Romines received a BS in Economics and Political Science from Drury University graduating in 1968. From 1969 he worked in New York for Citibank in corporate banking. In 1972 he joined the startup of Orion Bank Ltd, an international investment bank based in London, whose owners were six major global banks from Europe, North America and Asia. As an Executive Director of Orion he developed Eurobond and Eurocurrency bank lending opportunities.

In 1982, Joel founded Knightsbridge Advisers in London to offer institutional investors the opportunity to invest in leading early and growth stage U.S. and international venture capital partnerships. Under his leadership for 33 years as Founder and Managing Principal, Knightsbridge invested in over 130 venture partnerships and in actively managed portfolios of post-venture public securities. He retired in 2015, remaining involved in the older Knightsbridge funds and in special projects.

In his more than three decades as a venture partnership investor, Joel developed relationships with top venture franchises and initiated commitments to emerging funds that went on to achieve top tier status. He successfully introduced several innovations to the venture funds of funds business and built a company that continues to grow its team and its product line in the venture fund and related investment sectors. Knightsbridge’s investment office is in Cambridge, MA and its operations team in Bartlesville, OK.

Jim Spangler ’61

Jim Spangler is the CEO and President of Helping Hand Home Health Company based in Grand Blanc, Michigan. For the past 30 years his creativity, drive, and leadership has expanded his company’s reach to offices throughout the state of Michigan.

Jim is a past board member of the Michigan Humane Society, The Detroit Institute for Children, Trustee of Drury College, and The Flint Institute of Music where he was Chairman of the Flint Symphony Orchestra Committee and awarded the Mrs. Dallas J. Dort Award for years of outstanding achievement in 2018.

Jim earned a bachelor degree from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri in 1961. He lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan with his wife and their two grown children.

Jim enjoys spending time at his White Fences Farm in Metamora, Michigan where, as an avid horseman, he was past Master of the Metamora Hunt Foxhounds for many years and is a carriage driving enthusiast.

Edwin “Cookie” Rice ’52

Edwin “Cookie” Rice currently serves as CEO of the Board for Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper where he shares ownership with his daughters and nieces. He is also a member of the Dr. Pepper Bottler Marketing Committee; CCBA Board of Governors; and Manufacturing Advisory Council Supply Chain Committee. He has served on many Boards of Directors and is a founding member of the Missouri Business & Industry Recycling Program (BIRP) and the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. Cookie is very active in the community and has served as Past Potentate of the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine, member of the Royal Order of Jesters, president of Hickory Hills Country Club, Springfield News-Leader Editorial Advisory Committee, founder of the Springfield Better Business Bureau & Mayor’s Commission on Travel and Tourism, among others.

Rex Bright ’62

Rex Bright had held chief executive officer positions in the health care industry for the past 20 years. He was the president & CEO of Seabright Associates, a consulting firm that worked with other chief executive officers to create and develop strong entrepreneurial senior management teams that accelerated operating results. He co-founded SkinMedica and served as president & CEO for eight years and a board member until Allergan acquired it in 2012. Rex had served on the boards of Foamix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., MDRejuvena, Clarify Medical, and the Rotary Club of Fallbrook, California. He was a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Rotary International, China Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Association, International Society of Caricature Artists, and the Chief Executive Officer of Global Leaders Network. Rex passed away January 11th, 2022. 

Claudine Barrett (Cox) O’Connor ’63, ’65

Dr. Claudine Barrett Cox earned a B.A. and an MBA from Drury before going on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Missouri. She taught business courses at Drury and for many years was the portfolio manager for the multiple Cox companies and for CoxHealth, the nonprofit hospital named in honor of her father-in-law, Lester E. Cox. She was a U.S. representative to UNICEF for eight years and engaged in extensive philanthropic and service work, including serving as the president of the Cox Hospital Auxiliary and on the boards of directors for Cox College, Drury University, Springfield Little Theater, and the Missouri State Chamber of Commerce, among others. She passed away in 2014 at age 90.

Tom Kellogg ’58

Tommy Kellogg was a retired executive of the W. R. Berkley Corporation where he had been chairman of its subsidiary, Signet Star Holdings, Inc. Prior to joining Berkley, Kellogg retired in May 2001 after 33 years of service with General Reinsurance Corporation and General Re Corporation, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. He retired as President and Chief Operating Officer of General Reinsurance Corporation and had been Executive Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee of General Re Corporation, the holding company. Originally from Ava, Missouri, Kellogg earned degrees in economics and political science while at Drury. He earned a Master of Arts degree in economics and marketing from Michigan State University and a J.D. of Law degree from DePaul University. Kellogg had been a member of the Drury Board of Trustees since 1990. He passed away March 29, 2021. 

William D. (Bill) Vaughan ’74

Bill Vaughan earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Drury in May 1974 and began his career at the Bank of Urbana in Urbana, Missouri in June 1974. By the age of 25, he had assumed responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the bank, and by age 33, was named the Chairman, President and CEO. This made him the fourth generation of the Vaughan family to lead the Bank of Urbana, which was founded in 1903.

In early 1996, Bill expanded the business from its original location in Urbana by opening branches in Buffalo and Hermitage, a fourth location in Macks Creek followed in 2004. Throughout his career, Bill has succeeded in leveraging technology within his banking practices, proving him a leader in providing technology-related resources to the banking public. His entrepreneurial spirit within a mature company guided the bank’s growth from $11 million to $185 million in total assets during his tenure at the bank.

In September 2016, Bill led a merger of the Bank of Urbana with OakStar Bank, and will retire in February 2017 after a 43-year career with the bank. When counting his part-time employment at the bank during summers and on breaks from school, his time at the Bank of Urbana spans 50 years. He served as Chairman, President and CEO for 30 years. Following his retirement, he will serve as a consultant to OakStar Bank and serve as an advisory director.

Bill graduated from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 1983. In 2004, he received the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone Award for lifetime service. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Missouri Independent Bankers Association, is a past president of the Ozark Bankers Association, and served as an alderman for the city of Urbana. He joined the Drury University Board of Trustees in 2008.

Bill and his wife Kathleen met at Drury and have been married for almost 43 years. They have two children, Allen and Kaitlyn, who graduated from Drury in 2001 and 2010, 2014 respectively. They have four grandchildren.

S. David Gohn’64

S. David Gohn graduated from Drury University in 1964 with a degree in Economics.  He began a management training program at Union National Bank in Springfield in September 1964 before accepting a position in 1966 with the West Plains Bank.  Gohn has been a leader in community banking for 52 years.  Gohn has served as a Trustee on the Drury University Board of Trustees from 1988-2009.  Gohn is also the Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Currently, Gohn serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of West Plains Bank and Trust Company.

Dr. William (Bill) Rohlf

Dr. Bill Rohlf received his bachelor’s degree from Baker University in 1967 and completed his Ph.D. in economics at the Kansas State University in 1972.  He came to Drury University shortly thereafter, where he has since served as a distinguished member of the faculty at the Breech School of Business Administration. In his tenure as professor of economics, Bill has been honored as a recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award, and the Burlington Northern Outstanding Faculty Member Award. His very successful basic economics textbook is widely recognized for its emphasis on the application of economic reasoning in the analysis of current economic events. Affectionately, known to his students, as “Dr. Lovable,” Bill Rohlf is indeed a caring but demanding teacher, who is highly respected for his innovative methods and teaching style.

John William (Bill) Ricketts ’71

Bill Ricketts graduated from University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology) in 1961 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation Bill joined the Junior Executive Trainee Program at Southwestern Bell and worked in this program both before and after serving two years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After returning from active duty, he held several positions in operations management with Southwestern Bell and graduated from Drury with an MBA in 1971.

Ricketts was convinced his future lay in a more entrepreneurial direction and this led to a 40-year career in the management of manufacturing companies (30 in private or closely held companies and 10 in public companies). He joined TAMKO in 1966, serving in many positions, including vice president of manufacturing and senior vice president. In 1984 he became president of Lunday-Thagard Oil Company in California. He then joined St. Gobain Corporation (Paris, France) as vice president of operations of its CertainTeed Corporation in 1990 and moved on to St. Gobain’s Norton Abrasives Corporation in New York in 1992. This assignment included full bottom-line responsibility for Mexico, the United States, and Canada as well as worldwide exports from Canada and the United States, providing marketing, research and development, product development, and engineering services to the company’s seven other regions worldwide. In 1995, he became president of EMCO’s Roofing Products Group in Montreal, Quebec and was promoted to president of its parent, EMCO Building Products, in 1997. Ricketts gained a reputation for being able to restore an organization to record returns in a short period of time by focusing on the development of leadership and entrepreneurial skills at each company.

In addition to his degrees from Missouri S&T and Drury, Ricketts participated in the Executive Development Program at the University of Michigan and has an honorary Professional Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri S&T. He has a long record of leadership and service in a wide variety of industry and community organizations and is also involved with higher education organizations. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Drury since 1995.

Since his retirement from EMCO in 2005, he remains busy with consulting and volunteer work. Bill and Camille (Drury ’65) have been married for 47 years and have two married daughters and three grandsons.

Andi Solaiman ’84, ’86

Andi Solaiman graduated from Drury University in 1984 and received his MBA in 1986. He began working with the Salim Group, a highly diversified group of companies with worldwide operations and businesses in Australia, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Middle East, Europe, the United States and Africa.

Solaiman began his career in marketing, was appointed to head the Comptroller Department of the Chemicals Division in the Salim Group and ran the operations of 11 companies before age 32. Solaiman serves the group in his various capacities as a commissioner, chief executive officer, finance director and executive director. He has had a significant role in the development of Salim Group as a global competitor, including mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. He has established mentoring programs within Salim Group to identify and encourage future leaders within the corporation.

Solaiman and Imelda, his wife, have two sons, Reginald and Terrence, both of whom are students at Drury University. They reside in Singapore, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Despite his hectic schedule of business meetings and travel, Solaiman is actively involved in various social and church activities particularly those in support of pastoral services and congregational needs.

John D. Beuerlein ’75

John Beuerlein graduated from Drury in 1975 with a degree in Business Administration and went on to receive a master’s degree from Washington University in 1977. John joined Edward Jones as an intern in the Equity Research department in 1976, and three years later he became a limited partner in the firm. Just one year later, in 1980, John became the youngest person ever to be made a general partner of Edward Jones.

Over his career he has been responsible for the firm’s Research department, the Equity Trading Desk, the Syndicate department, the Equity Marketing department, Sales Management for more than 1,000 branch offices from Maine to Florida, and global advanced sales training for the firm. In 2007, he assumed his current role, partner responsible for the global client loyalty program, Edward Jones’ No. 1 key objective.

John has continued his education throughout his career participating in executive-level programs from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, the University of Virginia where he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, the Harvard Business School, and the Peter Drucker School of Management in Claremont, California.

In addition to his many professional achievements, John and Crystal, his wife, who were classmates at Drury, have given time and resources to their community and to Drury. John became a member of the Drury board of trustees in 1991 and since that time has contributed to a number of committees. In 1999, John co-chaired the Drury Campaign for Science and he and Crystal provided one of the key lead gifts that resulted in the construction of the Trustee Science Center. In 2004, John chaired the presidential search committee and he is currently in his second year as Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Recently, John and Crystal joined Edward Jones in a $2 million donation to establish the Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship. In addition to this program they have provided the funding to establish 10 annually renewable scholarships for minority students who are interested in studying entrepreneurship while attending Drury.

John and Crystal have been big supporters of the Students in Free Enterprise at Drury and have financially sponsored SIFE water purification programs to Mexico and India and are working on expanding those programs through a joint venture with Edward Jones.

Throughout his years in the industry John has served as Chairman of the National Membership Committee of the Securities Industry Association and on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Society of Financial Analysts. He has been associated with many community service organizations throughout the years, including Washington University, the Assistance League of St. Louis, the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and various Catholic charities.

John and Crystal have been married for nearly 32 years and have three children and a son-in-law — Sara and David, Robin and Danner.

Dr. W. Curtis (Curt) Strube

Curt Strube came to Drury in 1969 and became director of the Breech School of Business in 1975. He was known as “Mr. Breech School of Business” on and off campus because of his dedication to the school.

Dr. Strube began his academic career at Monmouth College (Ill.) and earned his MBA from the University of Arizona, Tucson. He completed his doctorate at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

A small business owner himself (he and his wife, Jan, founded and co-owned One Hour Photo Service, and other businesses over the years), he was always particularly interested in making Springfield a healthy environment to grow new businesses. Strube was determined to help his students and the general public move beyond “economic illiteracy.”

Dr. Strube spoke anywhere he was invited, from the Rotary Club or the Chamber of Commerce to any media outlet that called him for an interview. A noted economist famous for his “economic updates” at faculty meetings, Dr. Strube was willing to advise anyone from local small business owners to students, or simply go to lunch and chat if called.

Dr. Strube was the founder, and later chairman, of the Small Business Council. Because of his tireless work for small businesses, The Springfield Chamber of Commerce named its Small Business of the Year award in his honor. He also worked to establish the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, the national accrediting agency for business schools. The Breech School of Business and Administration was an inaugural accredited school of the agency; Dr. Strube served on the agency’s board for many years and also served a term as its president.

A reaction to medication left Dr. Strube nearly deaf in 1996. He kept teaching, despite the constant ringing in his ears, and he communicated by dry-erase board and by a microphone connected to headphones designed for one-on-one communication with his students.

Dr. Strube died on April 21, 1997. He was fifty-six years old.

Raymond F. Aton ’37

Raymond F. Aton (1916-1993) was a pioneer in the development of Springfield’s post-World War II economy. With his brother Richard ’36, their firm Aton Brothers Construction Co., built more than 200 banks and several Springfield landmarks, including the Southwestern Bell Telephone office, Mid-America Dairies, National Avenue Christian Church, and Belle Hall on Drury’s campus.

Aton purchased Southern Missouri Trust Company in 1968 with Thomas H. Baird, which they later sold to Mercantile Bank Corporation. He served as president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, president of the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport Board, member of the City Utilities board, the Southwest Missouri Art Museum board, the YMCA board, and the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission. He was named Springfieldian of the Year in 1990.

Aton was also an active member of the Drury community. A 1937 alumnus of the university, he was an active member of Sigma Nu and the golf team, as well as the Panthers’ championship basketball team. He served as president of the alumni association from 1953-1954, joined the board of trustees in 1970, and served as its chairman. He was honored with the Drury Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985.

Dr. Wilber C. Bothwell ’31

Wilber Bothwell graduated from Drury College in 1931, and after earning his master’s and doctoral degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, returned to his alma mater as professor of economics and political science in 1946. He organized and administered the first evening adult education program in Southwest Missouri in 1947. He spearheaded the development of the curriculum of the new Breech School of Business Administration when it was established in 1958.

Bothwell used a grant from the Ford Foundation to study how some of the nation’s best business schools were organized, and used his research to create the tradition of a Breech education: one that focuses heavily on the development of leadership and decision-making skills intertwined with a background in the liberal arts.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Bothwell was elected to the National Academy of Arbitrators in 1960, and served on the national panels of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the American Arbitration Association, and the National Mediation Board. He served as the permanent arbitrator for Southwestern Bell and the Communication Workers; the Dayco Company and the United Rubber Workers; and the United States Postal Service and its unions; the Zenith Radio Corporation and the United Electrical Workers. He handled more than 1,200 labor disputes, and more than 200 of his decisions and opinions are now cited as major contributions to the development of employer-employee relations common law principles.

Ben A. Parnell, Jr.

Ben Parnell, Jr. has a long and distinguished record of leadership in his professional career as a banker, and in service to a wide variety of community organizations. Born in Branson, Mo., Parnell attended Drury from 1935 to 1937 before receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from Louisiana State University in 1939. Following five years in the U.S. Navy, he returned to the family retail business in Branson. By the mid-1950s, however, he had entered the banking profession, where he would remain until his retirement in 1990.

As a banker, Parnell helped establish Peoples Bank of Branson, now Ozark Mountain Bank, and also has been president, chairman of the board, or director of Bank of Taney County, Forsyth; Citizens State Bank, Nevada; Bank of Kimberling City; Liberty Bank, Springfield; Springfield Trust Co.; and The Bank, Springfield. He played a key role in the development of Branson’s tourist industry, making early loans to Silver Dollar City and the Baldknobbers, and urging legislators in Washington, D.C. to construct Table Rock Dam. In 1974 he served as president of the Missouri Bankers Association.

On his retirement, Parnell’s friends praised his ability to help people work together. That side of his life is especially evident in his service to organizations such as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, The Missouri State Chamber of Commerce, Ozarks Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Springfield Symphony, Springfield Airport Board, and Council of Churches of the Ozarks, to name a few. He was named Springfieldian of the Year in 1996, and received the Missourian Award in 2002. In 1988 He received a Drury Distinguished Alumni Award. He has served on the Drury Board of Trustees from 1964 to 1971, and from 1983 to the present. In 1995 he was named a Life Trustee.

Jerry B. Poe ’53

Jerry Poe, D.B.A., M.B.A., professor emeritus of finance at Arizona State University, was Director of the Breech School of Business Administration from 1968 to 1974. A native of Mountain Grove, Mo., he graduated from Drury in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. He earned the Master in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis in 1957, and the Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard University in 1963. His work at Harvard was supported in part by a grant from the Ford Foundation.

Following a brief time on the faculty of Boston University, Poe joined the Breech School in 1961 as assistant professor, rising to the rank of professor in addition to his service as director. In 1974 he was appointed chairman of the finance department at Arizona State University, where he has been ever since. In 2000 he became professor emeritus of finance.

As an author, Poe wrote or co-wrote three texts: An Introduction to the American Business Enterprise, Cases in Financial Management: an Integrated Approach, and Essentials of Finance.

While the majority of his professional career has been as a university professor, Poe also has experience in the private sector. He was an industrial engineer for McDonnell Douglas, and consulted with Trans World Airlines, the Small Business Administration, Ridewell Corp. and Zenith, among others.

Poe is a member of Kappa Alpha Order and Beta Gamma Sigma. He and his wife, Carol, have two children, Cheryl and Jennifer.

Ralph Andreano ’52

Ralph Andreano, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison whose work emphasizes the economics of public health issues. A 1952 graduate of Drury, Andreano is a first-generation American, the youngest of seven children born to his Italian parents and the first in his family to graduate from college. Following his graduation from Drury, he spent a year on Fulbright scholarship in Norway , then taught at Northwestern University (where he earned a doctorate in economics 1961) , Harvard University and Earlham College in Richmond , Ind. He joined the faculty at Wisconsin in 1965, chaired the economics department from 1980–83, and retired from active teaching in 1997.

Recently he has been working with the World Health Organization in Geneva , Switzerland , to measure the impact of diseases like SARS, Avian Flu and Ebola. In the 1970s Andreano was the Chief Economist of the World Health Organization and he has been a consultant to it and other UN agencies for nearly 40 years. He has had a lifelong career of public service; at the age of 48, he became the first non-physician to be appointed chief administrator of the Wisconsin Division of Health. Andreano has published 15 books: four on economic history, six on the economics of health and five on various topics including baseball. He is best known for being one of the first economists to apply the theorems of economics to medicine and health.

Thomas McAlear ’72, ’75

Thomas McAlear, chairman and chief executive officer of the E companies, a group of event management, sales training, vehicle evaluation, testing and certification companies serving the automotive industry. Before joining the E companies in March 2004, McAlear spent 27 years at Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler, retiring in 2002 as chief operating officer for DaimlerChrysler Services North America and president and chief executive officer of DaimlerChrysler Insurance Company. McAlear received his bachelor’s and master of business administration degrees from Drury in 1972 and 1975, respectively. He is a member of the Breech Advisory Board and is on the boards of directors of the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan and the Oakland University School of Business Administration. He served on Drury’s board of trustees from 2000 to 2004.

Dr. Charles Mercer

Charles Mercer, a professor of business administration at Drury from 1962 until his death in 1994. Mercer was known as a kind, giving yet demanding teacher. In Mercer’s obituary in the Springfield News-Leader , Penny Clayton, associate professor of business administration at Drury and one of Mercer’s students, recalled him as “tough … You knew that if you got an A or a B you were deserving of it.” Mercer received his bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University in 1958 and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Arkansas in 1960 and 1967, respectively. He was a frequent business consultant and served on the National Association of Accountants, the Midwest Business Administration Association and Ozark Economics Association, among others. Mercer was a frequent member of the site visit teams assembled by the North Central Association, the agency that accredits schools, colleges and universities in the Midwest.

David Harrison ’59

David Harrison (’59), is an award-winning poet and author. He has been a musician, scientist, editor, businessman, and is a nationally known speaker He holds degrees from Drury and Emory universities and honorary doctorate of letters from Southwest Missouri State and Drury universities. His seventeenth collection of poems – Now You See Them, Now You Don’t – is a February 2016 publication, marking Harrison’s 90th book for young people and teachers. His books have won numerous honors including the Christopher Medal. In 2013, Pirates was chosen to represent Missouri at the National Book Fair in Washington D.C. His work has been reprinted in classroom texts and statewide reading tests, anthologized in 185 books, translated into more than ten languages, and appeared in more than 100 journals, magazines, newspapers, and videos. His books have sold more than fifteen million copies. David’s trio, Byron Biggers Band,  performs his poems set to music. Somebody Catch My Homework, Sandy Asher’s 2002 play inspired by his poetry, is  performed  in the United States and abroad.. David’s work has been presented on national television and radio, including the BBC in England, and produced on cassette and CD-ROM. His poem, “My Book,” is sandblasted into the Children’s Garden sidewalk at Phoenix’s Burton Barr Central Library and painted on a bookmobile in Pueblo, Colorado. A room is named in his honor in The Library Center in Springfield, Missouri and in 2009, David Harrison Elementary School was named for him His 90-minute television documentary, Ozarks Voices, The Story of Springfield, was placed in the Library of Congress’s permanent collection for works of distinction. In 2014, Missouri DESE and the State Board of Education presented Harrison with its Pioneer in Education award “for distinguished and devoted service to public education.” David is Poet Laureate of Drury University.

David O’Reilly ’71

David O’Reilly (’71) is co-chairman of the board and chief executive officer of O’Reilly Auto Parts, a family-owned company. He graduated from Drury in 1971 with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration and economics. Active in the community, David has served on a number of local boards including Springfield Family Y, Boatmen’s National Bank, The Bank, Springfield Catholic Schools Development Board, and the Drury Alumni Advisory Council. He also serves his industry by holding board and leadership positions with Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association, Auto Value Associates, Inc., and Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance.

Larry O’Reilly ’68

Larry O’Reilly (’68) vice-chairman of the board of the family-owned business O’Reilly Auto Parts in Springfield, Missouri. The business now has over 1,000 stores in the United States. He has served on the boards of a number of local and national organizations, including National Car Care Council, Springfield Catholic Schools Development Board, Auto Value National Automotive, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He is a current board member of St. John’s Hospital, Springfield Sports Commission, and Springfield Sports Hall of Fame. He is chairman of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, co-chairman of the Victim Center Building Committee, and is a current member of the Drury Board of Trustees.

Lyle Reed ’70, ’72

Lyle Reed (’70, ’72) is a former railroad executive who received his bachelor’s degree from Drury in 1970, and his M.B.A. in 1972. After some 30 years in the rail industry with Kansas City Southern Railway, St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (the Frisco), Burlington Northern Railroad, and Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad, Reed is currently president of Bois D’Arc Industries. He also serves as a member of the Drury Board of Trustees.

Ernest R. Breech ’48

Breech attended Drury from 1915 to 1917. In 1946, Breech became executive vice-president of Ford Motor Company, and from 1955 to 1960 was chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Today, Ernest Breech is regarded as a model corporate manager. The School of Business Administration at Drury University is named in his honor.

John L. Morris ’70

John Morris (’70): Morris is the founder of Bass Pro Shops, Inc., a company he started in Springfield in 1971 as a bait shop. His companies now include Outdoor World, Bass Pro Shops Catalog, Tracker Marine, Big Cedar Lodge, Top of the Rock Golf Course and Dogwood Canyon Nature Park among others. His most recent dream-come-true is the new American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, Wonders of Wildlife (WOW).

Carol Junge Loomis ’51

Carol Loomis (’51) has been touted by the New York Post as “a legend in financial journalism” and called “an inspiration” by the chief financial correspondent of the New York Times. Loomis has had an enormously successful career as a financial journalist and editor of Fortune magazine spanning more than 45 years. She has been a member of the magazine’s Board of Editors since 1968.

Jack C. Shewmaker ’00

Jack C. Shewmaker (honorary degree 2000) was known for his successful career in the retailing industry and for his active involvement in organizations that promoted higher education. For those reasons, Shewmaker received the first Breech Lifetime Achievement in Business Award from Drury University for his dedication to free enterprise and his commitment to the business world. Past director of the Breech School of Business Administration, Dr. Robert Wyatt, remarked that Shewmaker’s “passion for improving the lives of people around the world and his support of Drury and our SIFE team has been crucial to our success. In fact, the SIFE’s team annual award, given to those who have helped the team in the greatest way, bears his name. We are thrilled to recognize his influence on the lives of our students.”

Shewmaker joined Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in 1970 and served the firm in a number of capacities including the positions of President and Chief Operating Officer and of Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. He was appointed to the Wal-Mart Board of Directors in 1977 and served on Wal-Mart’s Executive Committee. Shewmaker announced his semi-retirement from Wal-Mart in February 1988, but remained active with the company as a member of the Board of Directors until 2008.

Shewmaker served on several boards including: Lowe’s Companies, Inc., board of directors (1984-1994) and was a consultant for the first seven of those years; Vons Company, Inc. (Safeway), board of directors (1988-1993); and Henkel, North America, advisory board member. He consulted for ALH Australia Limited; Repco and Pacific Dunlop Group in Melbourne, Australia; Edgars, Inc. in South Africa; Central Stores, Ltd. in Bangkok, Thailand; B & Q Stores in the United Kingdom, the largest home improvement chain in the UK; PepsiCo; Johnson & Johnson; Bristol-Meyers; and White Laboratories, Inc.  Shewmaker was involved in many organizations that promoted higher education. For several years he served as Chairman of Students in Free Enterprise, Inc. (SIFE). He was a member of the Board of Trustees at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri from 1984-2010, serving on their executive committee and other various committees during that time. He received honorary degrees from Drury University (2000), Southwest Baptist University, Northwest Arkansas Community College and Flagler College. He delivered several college and university commencement speeches.