Alum grateful for abundance of activities and great people that helped him succeed

Yet the young man from Farmington, N.M. may have been best known at AC for his ability to shake a leg.

“I was a pretty good jitterbugger,” admits Wilson, whose AC yearbooks from 1959 and 1960 are brimming with inscriptions that testify to his prowess on the dance floor. “We had dances all the time at the Student Union and they were so much fun. I made so many wonderful friends.

“I have to say the best two years of my life were spent at Amarillo College.”

Wilson, now retired and back living in Farmington, was only 17 when he accepted a baseball scholarship and first enrolled at AC. Nobody — least of all the shortstop himself — could have predicted just how deeply immersed he would become in the culture of a College located 500 miles from his home.

“It definitely took a period of adjusting,” Wilson said. “I was only 17 and had no idea what I was going to get involved in down there. Fortunately the College had wonderful people, from the deans to the people trimming the trees. I’ll never forget the warmth I felt there.”

From the outset, to make ends meet, he took any available job, like pumping gas at a nearby Gulf station, officiating intramural basketball, washing dishes in the cafeteria, mowing grass — all for the going rate of a dollar an hour.

Soon, however, Wilson began broadening his sphere of involvement. He made friends outside of baseball by becoming a member of the College Players theater group, joining a social fraternity, serving as a disc jockey on the College radio station, and operating a camera for AC’s TV station. Innumerable lively dances — and all those odd jobs — filled every conceivable void.

While a student today would find it impossible to precisely replicate Wilson’s extracurricular odyssey — the College, after all, is no longer home to social fraternities, intercollegiate athletics or even closed-circuit TV — getting involved outside the classroom remains a tried-and-true strategy for student success.

“Connectivity is the key,” said Bob Austin, AC’s vice president for student affairs. “Anything we can offer students to help them feel more connected to the College can make a big difference in their commitment to finishing what they’ve started.

“We have more than 30 clubs and organizations that exist to complement the College’s academic curriculum and enhance students’ educational experience,” he said. “We have intramurals and honor societies. Extracurricular activities are known to have a very positive impact on student retention. They serve to increase learning and enhance development. We know they make a difference.”

They certainly made an impact on Wilson, who remembers his alma mater with such fondness that he recently made a gift of his AC memorabilia to the College. He shipped both of his yearbooks to AC — the annual publication was titled “The Palo Duro” until its discontinuation in the late 20th century. He also gave the College his AC letter sweater, his personalized Sigma Alpha Delta flagon, and a smattering of newspaper clippings that chronicle his theatrical exploits at AC.

“I didn’t want those annuals and articles to end up in a trash bin,” Wilson said. “These items represent a part of my life that I cherish and I wanted to protect them. Now at least they’ll be at the College.”

Wilson joined the Navy following his AC experience. He then spent 33 years working for El Paso Natural Gas Company, retiring as district manager for human resources. But he soon found his way to yet another community college and spent 10 years as an associate professor of industrial safety at San Juan College.

“I think a small college is really the way to go,” Wilson said. “I know that AC helped me grow into an adult, to be a stronger person at a time when I needed that sort of direction..

“Amarillo College was the perfect stepping stone for helping me grow into adulthood — all those great people, and so many fantastic things to investigate and try. It was just wonderful.”

To find out more about the many and varied extracurricular activities offered at Amarillo College today, please contact the Student Activities Office at (806) 371-5259 or visit actx.edu/activities.