Life After Lyford High School by George Teetes

After graduating from Lyford High School I entered Texas A&M College (became University in 1963) in September 1959 as an "air crapper" in corps' Squadron 5.  At the time, A&M was all male and compulsory military and the highest-ranking officer with five stars was (and still is) a female dog.  Not being real interested in the military stuff, although marching came easy probably because of band practice.  I didn't take an air force contract (the powers to be were probably glad) and stayed and got a M.S. degree in 1965.  My class, 1963, was the last one to have college on our Aggie ring.  I took a job as an entomologist for the Texas Department of Corrections for two years then went back to A&M in 1967 as a research associate and instructor to work full time and get my last degree, which I completed in 1971.  I then went to Lubbock as an assistant professor with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (TAES), which is the agricultural research agency for Texas A&M University.  In 1975 I moved back to campus at College Station and continued research on integrated management of sorghum insect pests with emphasis on genetic plant resistance, and taught a senior level course on field crop insects.  Much of my time was spent trying to get research funds or traveling to the worst places in the world to justify them.  I retired in 2000 as Professor Emeritus and TAES Faculty Fellow after working for 36 years.

I have three sons and each graduated from Texas A&M University, and I have five grandkids.  My wife Ellen also has three sons and five grandkids.  In 1994 Ellen and I bought an acre lot and a small cabin on a private 800-acre lake northeast of College Station.  We have enlarged the cabin and made major improvements and spend a great amount of time there.  Basically, I spend the spring and summer fishing and the fall and winter hunting.  I love being retired and I am really good at it.  My wife and I travel some too.  I get to the valley at least twice a year as my friend Roy Stanley (Raymondville High School class of 1959) and I fish at Port Mansfield every spring and fall.

Other than that, I just got old.  But, I have been very fortunate.

George L. Teetes