Dr. W.O. "Bill" Trogdon, 90, of Stephenville, Texas, President Emeritus of Tarleton State University, died Saturday, January 8, 2011, at a local nursing home. Services will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Weldon Branham officiating assisted by Rev. Howard Martin. Burial will be at the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Monday, January 10, 2011, at Lacy Funeral Home.
He was born on November 1, 1920, to the late Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon in Caddo County, Oklahoma. He married Altha Florene Tucker on August 2, 1942, in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She preceded him in death on July 24, 2000. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club where he served as District Governor and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He was a WWII Army Veteran. Dr. Trogdon served as President of Tarleton State University from the fall of 1966 to the fall of 1982. In 1982, his sixteen-year tenure was the longest for any college or university president in the State of Texas. During Dr. Trogdon's presidency, Tarleton State University experienced significant growth and program enhancement, with enrollment increase nearly two-fold, and a host of new academic programs being added to the curriculum, including several master's degree programs and a new medical technology program. Appropriations by the Texas Legislature increased during Dr. Trogdon's tenure from $848,891 in 1965 to $8,197,654 for that current fiscal year, and the level of the operating budget of Tarleton State University increased from approximately $2,400,000 annually to $14,000,000 annually. Many major construction projects were initiated and completed during Dr. Trogdon's presidency, including the Humanities and Business Building, the Physical Education Building, the Industrial Education and Technology Building Farm Facilities, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center, with the investment in the physical plant for the campus increasing from $6,800,000 to more than $32,800,000. Dr. Trogdon also distinguished himself in various civic and professional activities.
Survivors include his son, Steve Trogdon and wife, Delana, of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Stephanie Trogdon, Jennifer Harris, and Jason Shelton; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Patricia Shelton, and two sisters, Norma Schem and Nova Bergstrasser.
(Lacy Funeral Home obituary)
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Suggested edit: Biography: William Oren Trogdon was born on November 1, 1920, in Caddo County, Oklahoma to Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon. He was an agronomist who earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1949. Before he was appointed as president to Tarleton State College in 1966, he was the director of agronomy at Occidental Agricultural Chemicals Corporation. During his tenure at Tarleton, Trogdon was instrumental in adding new degree programs to the college
schedule including, but not limited to, agricultural education, industrial arts, and medical technology. He administered the creation of the graduate program as well. Trogdon oversaw the renovation and
expansion of the College Farm as well as the renovation of Memorial Stadium. Other buildings added to the campus during Trogdon's presidency include, but are not limited to, the Wisdom Gym, Hunewell
Dorm, the Humanities and Business Building, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. It was also during Trogdon's tenure that the name of Tarleton State College was changed to Tarleton State University. Trogdon retired from Tarleton State University in 1982. Trogdon married Altha Florene (Flo) Tucker in 1942. They had two children Stephen and Patricia. Trogdon was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club. He died in Stephenville, Texas on January 8, 2011 and was buried in the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Sources:
"Directors Meeting: College Heads Picked; Contracts Approved." The Battalion, June 30, 1966. Accessed
07/20/2020. http://newspaper.library.tamu.edu/lccn/sn86088544/1966-06-30/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Dr. Bill Trogdon." Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, TX), January 9, 2011.
Tarleton State University. "Dr. William Oren Trogdon, 1966-1982." Office of the President: Past Presidents. Accessed 07/20/2020. https://www.tarleton.edu/president/past/trogdon.htm
Source of biography: https://www.tarleton.edu/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/219/2022/08/finding_aid_trogdon_ua37.pdf, accessed April 15, 2023, by Eric M. Larson Contributor: Eric Martin Larson (47172920) • [email protected]
He was born on November 1, 1920, to the late Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon in Caddo County, Oklahoma. He married Altha Florene Tucker on August 2, 1942, in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She preceded him in death on July 24, 2000. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club where he served as District Governor and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He was a WWII Army Veteran. Dr. Trogdon served as President of Tarleton State University from the fall of 1966 to the fall of 1982. In 1982, his sixteen-year tenure was the longest for any college or university president in the State of Texas. During Dr. Trogdon's presidency, Tarleton State University experienced significant growth and program enhancement, with enrollment increase nearly two-fold, and a host of new academic programs being added to the curriculum, including several master's degree programs and a new medical technology program. Appropriations by the Texas Legislature increased during Dr. Trogdon's tenure from $848,891 in 1965 to $8,197,654 for that current fiscal year, and the level of the operating budget of Tarleton State University increased from approximately $2,400,000 annually to $14,000,000 annually. Many major construction projects were initiated and completed during Dr. Trogdon's presidency, including the Humanities and Business Building, the Physical Education Building, the Industrial Education and Technology Building Farm Facilities, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center, with the investment in the physical plant for the campus increasing from $6,800,000 to more than $32,800,000. Dr. Trogdon also distinguished himself in various civic and professional activities.
Survivors include his son, Steve Trogdon and wife, Delana, of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Stephanie Trogdon, Jennifer Harris, and Jason Shelton; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Patricia Shelton, and two sisters, Norma Schem and Nova Bergstrasser.
(Lacy Funeral Home obituary)
**************************************************************************************************
Suggested edit: Biography: William Oren Trogdon was born on November 1, 1920, in Caddo County, Oklahoma to Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon. He was an agronomist who earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1949. Before he was appointed as president to Tarleton State College in 1966, he was the director of agronomy at Occidental Agricultural Chemicals Corporation. During his tenure at Tarleton, Trogdon was instrumental in adding new degree programs to the college
schedule including, but not limited to, agricultural education, industrial arts, and medical technology. He administered the creation of the graduate program as well. Trogdon oversaw the renovation and
expansion of the College Farm as well as the renovation of Memorial Stadium. Other buildings added to the campus during Trogdon's presidency include, but are not limited to, the Wisdom Gym, Hunewell
Dorm, the Humanities and Business Building, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. It was also during Trogdon's tenure that the name of Tarleton State College was changed to Tarleton State University. Trogdon retired from Tarleton State University in 1982. Trogdon married Altha Florene (Flo) Tucker in 1942. They had two children Stephen and Patricia. Trogdon was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club. He died in Stephenville, Texas on January 8, 2011 and was buried in the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Sources:
"Directors Meeting: College Heads Picked; Contracts Approved." The Battalion, June 30, 1966. Accessed
07/20/2020. http://newspaper.library.tamu.edu/lccn/sn86088544/1966-06-30/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Dr. Bill Trogdon." Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, TX), January 9, 2011.
Tarleton State University. "Dr. William Oren Trogdon, 1966-1982." Office of the President: Past Presidents. Accessed 07/20/2020. https://www.tarleton.edu/president/past/trogdon.htm
Source of biography: https://www.tarleton.edu/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/219/2022/08/finding_aid_trogdon_ua37.pdf, accessed April 15, 2023, by Eric M. Larson Contributor: Eric Martin Larson (47172920) • [email protected]
Dr. W.O. "Bill" Trogdon, 90, of Stephenville, Texas, President Emeritus of Tarleton State University, died Saturday, January 8, 2011, at a local nursing home. Services will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Weldon Branham officiating assisted by Rev. Howard Martin. Burial will be at the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Monday, January 10, 2011, at Lacy Funeral Home.
He was born on November 1, 1920, to the late Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon in Caddo County, Oklahoma. He married Altha Florene Tucker on August 2, 1942, in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She preceded him in death on July 24, 2000. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club where he served as District Governor and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He was a WWII Army Veteran. Dr. Trogdon served as President of Tarleton State University from the fall of 1966 to the fall of 1982. In 1982, his sixteen-year tenure was the longest for any college or university president in the State of Texas. During Dr. Trogdon's presidency, Tarleton State University experienced significant growth and program enhancement, with enrollment increase nearly two-fold, and a host of new academic programs being added to the curriculum, including several master's degree programs and a new medical technology program. Appropriations by the Texas Legislature increased during Dr. Trogdon's tenure from $848,891 in 1965 to $8,197,654 for that current fiscal year, and the level of the operating budget of Tarleton State University increased from approximately $2,400,000 annually to $14,000,000 annually. Many major construction projects were initiated and completed during Dr. Trogdon's presidency, including the Humanities and Business Building, the Physical Education Building, the Industrial Education and Technology Building Farm Facilities, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center, with the investment in the physical plant for the campus increasing from $6,800,000 to more than $32,800,000. Dr. Trogdon also distinguished himself in various civic and professional activities.
Survivors include his son, Steve Trogdon and wife, Delana, of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Stephanie Trogdon, Jennifer Harris, and Jason Shelton; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Patricia Shelton, and two sisters, Norma Schem and Nova Bergstrasser.
(Lacy Funeral Home obituary)
**************************************************************************************************
Suggested edit: Biography: William Oren Trogdon was born on November 1, 1920, in Caddo County, Oklahoma to Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon. He was an agronomist who earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1949. Before he was appointed as president to Tarleton State College in 1966, he was the director of agronomy at Occidental Agricultural Chemicals Corporation. During his tenure at Tarleton, Trogdon was instrumental in adding new degree programs to the college
schedule including, but not limited to, agricultural education, industrial arts, and medical technology. He administered the creation of the graduate program as well. Trogdon oversaw the renovation and
expansion of the College Farm as well as the renovation of Memorial Stadium. Other buildings added to the campus during Trogdon's presidency include, but are not limited to, the Wisdom Gym, Hunewell
Dorm, the Humanities and Business Building, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. It was also during Trogdon's tenure that the name of Tarleton State College was changed to Tarleton State University. Trogdon retired from Tarleton State University in 1982. Trogdon married Altha Florene (Flo) Tucker in 1942. They had two children Stephen and Patricia. Trogdon was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club. He died in Stephenville, Texas on January 8, 2011 and was buried in the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Sources:
"Directors Meeting: College Heads Picked; Contracts Approved." The Battalion, June 30, 1966. Accessed
07/20/2020. http://newspaper.library.tamu.edu/lccn/sn86088544/1966-06-30/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Dr. Bill Trogdon." Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, TX), January 9, 2011.
Tarleton State University. "Dr. William Oren Trogdon, 1966-1982." Office of the President: Past Presidents. Accessed 07/20/2020. https://www.tarleton.edu/president/past/trogdon.htm
Source of biography: https://www.tarleton.edu/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/219/2022/08/finding_aid_trogdon_ua37.pdf, accessed April 15, 2023, by Eric M. Larson Contributor: Eric Martin Larson (47172920) • [email protected]
He was born on November 1, 1920, to the late Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon in Caddo County, Oklahoma. He married Altha Florene Tucker on August 2, 1942, in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She preceded him in death on July 24, 2000. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club where he served as District Governor and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He was a WWII Army Veteran. Dr. Trogdon served as President of Tarleton State University from the fall of 1966 to the fall of 1982. In 1982, his sixteen-year tenure was the longest for any college or university president in the State of Texas. During Dr. Trogdon's presidency, Tarleton State University experienced significant growth and program enhancement, with enrollment increase nearly two-fold, and a host of new academic programs being added to the curriculum, including several master's degree programs and a new medical technology program. Appropriations by the Texas Legislature increased during Dr. Trogdon's tenure from $848,891 in 1965 to $8,197,654 for that current fiscal year, and the level of the operating budget of Tarleton State University increased from approximately $2,400,000 annually to $14,000,000 annually. Many major construction projects were initiated and completed during Dr. Trogdon's presidency, including the Humanities and Business Building, the Physical Education Building, the Industrial Education and Technology Building Farm Facilities, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center, with the investment in the physical plant for the campus increasing from $6,800,000 to more than $32,800,000. Dr. Trogdon also distinguished himself in various civic and professional activities.
Survivors include his son, Steve Trogdon and wife, Delana, of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Stephanie Trogdon, Jennifer Harris, and Jason Shelton; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Patricia Shelton, and two sisters, Norma Schem and Nova Bergstrasser.
(Lacy Funeral Home obituary)
**************************************************************************************************
Suggested edit: Biography: William Oren Trogdon was born on November 1, 1920, in Caddo County, Oklahoma to Otis H. and Anna Mary (Jackson) Trogdon. He was an agronomist who earned a Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1949. Before he was appointed as president to Tarleton State College in 1966, he was the director of agronomy at Occidental Agricultural Chemicals Corporation. During his tenure at Tarleton, Trogdon was instrumental in adding new degree programs to the college
schedule including, but not limited to, agricultural education, industrial arts, and medical technology. He administered the creation of the graduate program as well. Trogdon oversaw the renovation and
expansion of the College Farm as well as the renovation of Memorial Stadium. Other buildings added to the campus during Trogdon's presidency include, but are not limited to, the Wisdom Gym, Hunewell
Dorm, the Humanities and Business Building, and the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. It was also during Trogdon's tenure that the name of Tarleton State College was changed to Tarleton State University. Trogdon retired from Tarleton State University in 1982. Trogdon married Altha Florene (Flo) Tucker in 1942. They had two children Stephen and Patricia. Trogdon was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club. He died in Stephenville, Texas on January 8, 2011 and was buried in the Gardens of Memory Cemetery. Sources:
"Directors Meeting: College Heads Picked; Contracts Approved." The Battalion, June 30, 1966. Accessed
07/20/2020. http://newspaper.library.tamu.edu/lccn/sn86088544/1966-06-30/ed-1/seq-1/.
"Dr. Bill Trogdon." Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, TX), January 9, 2011.
Tarleton State University. "Dr. William Oren Trogdon, 1966-1982." Office of the President: Past Presidents. Accessed 07/20/2020. https://www.tarleton.edu/president/past/trogdon.htm
Source of biography: https://www.tarleton.edu/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/219/2022/08/finding_aid_trogdon_ua37.pdf, accessed April 15, 2023, by Eric M. Larson Contributor: Eric Martin Larson (47172920) • [email protected]
