Past Outstanding Ex Recipients

Up until 1990, Austin High School selected the Outstanding-Ex Student. In June 1991, the school requested that the Alumni Association be in charge of selecting the Outstanding-Ex Student and of honoring that ex-student with a reception.

Congratulations to all of the Austin High School Outstanding Ex Recipients.  Panthers Forever!

Year

Outstanding ExClass of

Notes

2024Donna Ullrich Mullens1964
  • Educator
  • Student Activities Manager at Chapin HS
  • KHEY Secret Santa
2024Howard J. Colson Sr.1935
  • One of the students that put the “A” on the mountain
  • El Paso County Sheriff Officer, Captain of Motorcycle Division
2023****
  • **

  • **
2022****
  • **

  • **
2021****
  • **

  • **
2020****
  • **

  • **
2019****
  • **

  • **
2018Ron Stallworth1971
  • Police Officer/Detective for Colorado Police Force for 32 years
  • Infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan
  • Authored the book “Black Klansman”
  • Spike Lee adapted his book for the movie “Black Klansman”, released August 2018
  • Expert and speaker on gang culture
2017Edmundo Lujan1991
  • 2017 Star of Texas Award Recipient
  • Theodore Roosevelt Award for Dallas Offices Recipient
  • Dallas Police Officer
  • Miraculous survivor of near death experience (2015)
  • 4th Degree Knight, Knights of Columbus
  • Eucharistic Minister
  • Bible study teacher
  • Booster & volunteer
2016Bob Burns1960
  • Musician, Radio & television personality, Special Events producer and Arts Advocate
  • El Paso Arts Alliance Media Arts Award
  • Chamizal National Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999
  • Community Arts Award, Dona Ana Arts Council, 1999
  • Music Scholarship created in his name at New Mexico State University, Society’s Board of Directors, 2010
  • First Annual Jazz Legends Award, City of Las Cruces, 2015
  • Bob Burns Day, Proclaimed by Las Cruces City Council, 2015
2015Marcela Navarrete1985
  • VP of Strategic Financial & Mgmt Services with El Paso Water
  • 2016 Woman of Impact
  • Highest ranking female in El Paso Water’s history
  • CPA
  • UTEP Graduate
2014Tony Harper1964
  • 1st head basketball coach at Montwood High School when it opened in 1990
  • Montwood’s gym was renamed Tony Harper Gymnasium
  • Named the 2013 National High School Coaches Association’s National High School Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year
  • 2012 UIL Texas High School Basketball Coach of the Year
2013Ruben Batista1976
  • Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Austin High School
  • Coach of the Year for Texas Region I
  • EI Paso’s 2008 Football “Coach of the Year”
2012Ernest Barnard Polk1966
  • Lifelong volunteer to numerous service organizations
  • El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame
2011Dr. Roger V. Gonzalez, P.E.1981
  • B.S.in  Mechanical Engineering
  • M.S. in Biomedical Engineering
  • Texas-licensed  Professional Engineer
  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
  • Founder and CEO of LIMBS International, a non-profit international organization which develops highly functional, low-cost, prosthetic devices for underdeveloped areas of the world.
2010Dr. Patricia Marie Hills Davis1971
  • Doctor of Medicine Degree in 1979 from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
  • Physician partner with Physician’s Healthcare Associates since 1999 and is currently on staff and on advisory board appointments for several local hospitals.
2009Dr. Joseph B. Graves1941
  • Distinguished Political Science and Criminal Justice Professor at the UTEP.  Contributions to UTEP include:
  • instrumental in establishing UTEP’s criminal justice program in 1973
  • served as the program’s founding director for thirteen years
  • served as the program chairman for six years
  • principal author and former director of the master’s of public administration program
2008Dr. Dan Acosta Jr.1963
  • 4th dean of the University of Cincinnati’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy. First Director of the Toxicology Training Program.
  • First and only Hispanic dean at the University of Cincinnati and the only Hispanic dean of pharmacy among the research intensive colleges of pharmacy across the country.
2007Gloria Sapien Peña1966
  • Administrative Director for Perioperative Services, Providence Memorial Hospital
  • Served in Vietnam
  • Gives her time to causes such as the Baptist Clinic in South El Paso, Medical Explorers and Medical Missions to Chihuahua with a physician’s group.
2006Jimmy Ortega1976
  • Stunt Coordinator
  • Stunt Double
  • Stunt Driver
  • Stuntman/Actor
2005Alejandro (Alex) Acosta1969
  • Attorney
  • Founding shareholder of  Acosta, Braden & Jones
2004Chris Forbes1975
  • Baseball Head Coach with 11 District Championships
  • El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Helped Socorro High School win the state title in baseball in 2009
2003Elsie Edwards Partridge1950
  • EPISD Director of Athletics; one of few female athletic directors in US
2002Dr. Philip Boswell1960
  • Dentist
2001Connie Riordan Hartley1955
  • Former Austin Teacher-History, P.E.; coached basketball, volleyball, softball, track
2000Minerva Medina Morales1976
  • Dedicated to giving back directly to Austin HS
  • Austin PTA President
  • City PTSA Board
1999Truman H. Wills Jr.1970
  • Austin Government Teacher
  • Track and Cross-Country Coach
  • Hall of Fame
1998Col. Heidi Brown1977
  • One of first women to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1981
  • First woman chosen to command a Patriot missile battalion
  • First woman to command an air defense brigade and lead it into combat during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
  • First woman to serve as Fort Bliss chief of staff
  • First female general in the Air Defense Artillery Branch
1997Pat Goff1959
  • Active in El Paso community and civic organizations
  • Local business owner
1996Dr. Roger Ortiz1952
  • El Paso Dentist
  • Served on Austin HS Alumni Association since 1991
1995Thomas L. Redditt, Sr.1934
  • Philanthropist
  • Donated $100,000 for the formation of a scholarship fund in memory of H. B. Fort, Austin’s first principal
1994Larry Francis1951
  • Former El Paso Mayor
  • El Paso Conquistador Award
1993Peggy Elliot Goldwyn1959
  • writer, director and producer of documentaries for syndicated television
  • Vice President of the Samuel Goldwyn Company
1992Tom Moore1946
  • Creator of “Archie”
1991Dr. Arthur Najera1952
  • Orthodontist
1990Nancy Miller Hamilton1945
  • Writer, journalist, public relations and local historian
1989Dr. Ralph Rtolante  
1988Hughes Butterworth1950
  • Founder of  Lawyers Title of El Paso
  • El Paso Conquistador Award
1987Nicolas “Nick” Perez Jr.1935
  • Civil Engineer
  • County Surveyor
  • Executive Director, El Paso Housing Authority
1986Senator Gail Etheridge Bray1966
  • Senator
1985Dr. S. L. Abbott1942
  • Optometrist and African Ambassador
1984Lou Proano1959
  • Public Relations
1983Dr. Rene Rosas1950
  • Dentist
1982Dr Jeff Ekery1965
  • Optometrist
1981Justice Sandra Day O’Connor1946
  • Supreme Court Justice
1980Dr. Sam Paredes 
  • Dentist
1979Congressman Ron Coleman1959
  • Congressman
1978Mary Hoover  
1977Joe Lanford  
1976Toni Canales Hurt1963
  • Austin HS Student Activities Director
1975Dr. Robert Saucedo1951 
1974A. O. Wynn1932
  • EPISD Assistant Superintendent
1973Jules Billard1933
  • Retired Senior Editor, National Geographic
1972Sam Donaldson 
  •  Journalist
1971Louie S. Camilli1964
  • El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Major League Baseball Player
1970Charlie Tupper1960
  • Attorney
1969Tom Niland1960
  • President, Niland Co.
1968Robert F. Lockhart1941 
1967Dr. L. Donald Slaughter1947 
1966Dr. Gordon Black1936
  • Radiologist
  • EPISD School Board
1965Sam Blackham1947
  • Lawyer
1964Robert Booth1944
  • EPISD Band Director
1963Joe S. Willis1936 
1962Sam Young Jr.1947 
1961William Michael  
1960James Francis1944
  • EPISD Administrator
  • Founding father of Austin Alumni Association

One thought on “Past Outstanding Ex Recipients

  1. Please email your nomination letter, with additional information attached such as pictures, articles, etc. (if available) to austinalumn@gmail.com.
    Please include the following information: 1) all pertinent information about your nominee; 2) the year of graduation; 3) current home address; 4) phone number and e-mail; 5) why you believe this person should be our Outstanding Ex; and 5) all accomplishments relevant to this nomination.

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