Dr. Jesse Jefferson Hawthorne, Jr.

Dr. Jesse Jefferson Hawthorne, Jr., died on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in Commerce. He was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, on May 11, 1919, the son of Jesse Jefferson Hawthorne, Sr., and Maggie Chambers. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and graduated from Port Arthur High School in May 1938. In the fall of 1938, he entered the University of Texas at Austin on a football scholarship and was a member of the University of Texas football team from 1938 to May of 1941. While he was at the university, he met Dorothy Loraine Dickey in a psychology class and courted her until the Second World War interrupted the courtship and Jesse volunteered for the Army Air Corps in May 1941. Waiting out the war, Dorothy began her graduate studies at Louisiana State University in Library Science, completing her master's degree in May of 1942. On June 17, 1942, they were married in San Antonio, Texas, at the home of Ruth and Frank R. Dickey, Sr.

Jesse became a navigator and an instructor-training officer in the navigation school at Hondo Army Air Field in Hondo, Texas (1941-45). The couple remained in San Antonio until the fall of 1944 and Jesse began flying with the Air Transport Command as lead navigator ferrying planes to North Africa. When Second World War was over in 1945, he was discharged from the service as a Captain. He returned to the University of Texas and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education. He began teaching and coaching at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin (1946-48). During his time as coach at the Texas School for the Deaf, he lead the football team to a National Championship for the Deaf. He completed a Master of Education with a thesis on "A Study of Motor Learning of the Deaf." He continued in graduate school and in 1952 completed a Doctor of Education with a study of somatotype and physical skills. While he was completing his doctorate, he taught and coached at Lamar Junior College in Beaumont, Texas (1948-49), and at the University of Arkansas (1950-51).

In fall of 1951, the family, now with two daughters, moved to Commerce, Texas, and Hawthorne began teaching at East Texas State University. In the fall of 1952 he became Head of the Department Health and Physical Education and Director of Athletics. During his distinguished career of 32 years at ETSU, the intercollegiate programs were highly successful in the Lone Star Conference and the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics. The record includes 11 Lone Star Conference championships in football, 13 conference championships in track and field, nine conference championships in basketball, 12 conference championships in tennis and two conference championships in golf. During his tenure, a large master's degree program provided advanced training for public school teachers and coaches. A doctoral program of studies was designed to prepare individuals to teach, coach, or administer programs at the college, university, and agency level. Highly successful graduates of this program occupy positions as teachers, department heads, college presidents, and administrators of agency and research programs throughout the south and southwest.

During his tenure at ETSU, he became president of the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1957, and was vice president Men's Athletics of American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In 1964, he was elected president of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He was a member of the United States Olympic Committee and delegate to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 and again to the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968 and the World Basketball Games in Montevideo, Uruguay. In 1972, he went to Moscow to the World Student Games as chairman of the food and housing committee of United States athletes, both men and women. After re­organization of AAHPERD, he became a past president of the National Association of Sports and Physical Education, 1968-69. In 1973 he became chairman of the Professional Preparation Panel of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Dr. Hawthorne was named to the National Association of Inter-collegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973 and inducted into the National Association of Sports and Physical Education Hall of Fame in 1983. He was a member of the honor societies Phi Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi.

In recognition of his services to East Texas State University, he was presented the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in 1974. In 1982, he was the first recipient of the David K. Brace Award for the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. In 1997 President Jerry D. Morris presented Dr. Hawthorne with the prestigious Spirit of Mayo Award in Recognition of Outstanding Service and Teaching. Dr. Hawthorne retired from East Texas State University in 1984 and was bestowed the honorary Professor Emeritus.

He served the Commerce community as Mayor Pro-term, Presidents of the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, and United Way of Commerce. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Commerce and on the Administrative Board and a member of the Dough Rollins Sunday School Class. In 1997, he was selected as Outstanding Citizen of Commerce.

He is survived by two daughters: Barbara Michels of Houston and Rev. Joan Humphries of Coppell. His grandchildren include Jodie Ann McNairy, William Hawthorne Michels, Genevieve Michels Namerow and her husband Fernando, Louisa Demoy Davis and her husband John, and Kenneth Dorian Michels and his wife Christine. Nine great-grandchildren include nine great­ granddaughters: Maranda Nicole Stonaker, Tonya Riley Stonaker, Jesse Lynn Beeson, Julian Hawthorne Michels, Avery Joanne Michels, Stoli Jane Cox, Cameron Olivia Michels, Leanne Demoy Humphries, and Nicole Riley-Lynn Humphries; and one great-grandson: Alexander Ray Namerow. Dr. Hawthorne was preceded in death by his beloved wife Dorothy and grandson Jefferson Ainsworth Humphries.

Visitation will be held at Jones-Walker and Son Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the Service will be at the First United Methodist Church in Commerce at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 with the Interment will follow at Rosemound Cemetery.

Pallbearers are Fred Blohm, Gene Casselberry, Larry Chaloupka, Paul Peak, Jim Stahl, and Charles Sterling. The Commerce Lions Club as Honorary Pallbearers.

Memorials may be sent to the Commerce Lions Club, PO Box 424, Commerce, Texas 75429; to the Dr. Jesse J. Hawthorne, Jr. Endowment, Texas A&M University Commerce Foundation, PO Box 3425, Commerce, Texas 75429; or the TAHPERD Foundation, 7910 Cameron Road, Austin, Texas 78754.