September 8, 2016 - The Center High School Alumni Association announced recently the 2016 Hall of Honor Recipient to be Jerry L. Bradshaw, Class of 1956.
Please plan to join the CHS Alumni Association on Saturday, September 17 at the Center Community House located on San Augustine Street to give honor to Bradshaw for his accomplishments. Doors open at 9am and the meeting begins at 10am. Coffee and cookies will be served.
In July 1938, Jerry was born in Center, Texas, to Marvin Adam Bradshaw and Annie Beatrice (Carroll) Bradshaw. He graduated from Center High School in 1956, and received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1960. He was married to Sandra Lee Sanders, of Center, from 1958-2012, 54 years. During their marriage, they moved 30 times, sometimes across town, sometimes across the world. Following her death, he married Constance Fay (McDonald) Krekeler of College Station, Texas in 2013.
Beginning in June 1961, as a second lieutenant, Jerry spent 18 months at Fort Sill, OK where he conducted research in the Artillery and Missile School. Jerry’s industrial career began in 1960 with Union Carbide Corporation, and after numerous promotions and transfers, he retired in 1987 while living in Luling, LA. In 1989, Jerry and family moved to College Station, Texas, and he began a second career, Senior Lecturer in the Texas A&M Department of Chemical Engineering. Jerry taught for 23 years and retired in 2012.
Jerry is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas, and for many years he chaired the Instrumentation Symposium for the Process Industries, a symposium sponsored for 60+ years by the Department of Chemical Engineering. During his teaching career, Jerry received College Level and University Level Distinguished Teaching Awards, and numerous teaching awards from the Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Jerry was a founding member of Christ United Methodist Church in College Station and is a member of the Sanctuary Choir, Gloryland Chorus, and Christian Collage and Week-by-Week Sunday School classes. Jerry is a co-Class Agent in the Association of Former Students for his 1960 A&M class, and he is a member of the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association. He is an avid, if not accomplished, golfer and has recorded three holes-in-one.
Jerry’s family consists of his loving wife, Connie, his daughter, Carol and her husband Art Roach, and grandchildren Joshua Ryan Baker, Katherine Nicole Osburn, and Benjamin Barnette Bradshaw, all of College Station, plus numerous nieces and nephews. Jerry is now the patriarch of his grandfather’s lineage having lost his older brother Bruce in 2010 and younger brother Billy in 2012.
Jerry feels blessed having grown up in his beloved home town of Center, Texas. The patriotism and ethical and moral values of the community plus his wonderful parents and public school teachers helped shape his life. He is a chemical engineer because of his wonderful chemistry teacher, Mr. Denton Haley, who inspired his love of Chemistry.
