Top Ten Seniors UTEP 1971

How fortunate I, Thomas W. McKay, was, to be selected for this superb honor in 1971. I started my college career at UTEP in 1968 at age thirty four I was an El Paso Policeman working a tiring 7.p.m. till 3 a.m. shift. I was also coaching Assumption School Sports, doing my part time job as owner and operator of Able Pest Control Company, Too, I had The Eastside Boxing Club in high gear with some talented youngsters. My plate was overloaded but somehow I managed to study diligently and be successful. Before engaging my desired teaching career, I was hired as Sergeant In Charge of Criminal Investigations for UTEP. When Chifef Jim Petzold left for another college job, I served as Interim Chief of Police. I then started my science and coaching career, I taught at Bowie High School. Coldwell School and Marion Manor before serving twenty four years at Austin High School. I specialized in science, health, coaching and education. In 1975 I obtained my Masters Degree from UTEP with a perfect 4.0 GPA. In the 1980's I was Head Boxing Coach for Ft. Bliss and in the middle 1980's, I was hired at Ft. Bliss to teach 'Rifted Vietnam Veterans' law enforcement classes and firearms training so they could qualify for a law enforcement job. The program was highly successful. Then in 1993, my boss at Ft. Bliss, Victor Villarreal, and myself sat for a chat about keeping boxing viable in the community. I came up with the suggestion of establishing a Boxing and Martial Arts Hall of Fames. Within a month, the deed was done and the hall of fames qualified as a 5001 (C3) business. To date we have had some fifteen banquets with a portion of the proceeds going to The Candlelighters of El Paso, a support group for children with cancer. I was recruited in 1996 by Principal Efren Ytturalde to put a science and boxing program in place at The Raymond Telles Academy. It was a one of a kind of special program designed for children with discipline or other related problems. I did the program for four years and received acclaim from many local and state agencies for the programs success. At age sixty six in the year 2000 I retired from EPISD as I was down with severe cancer. But what a blast I had and am still having in 2015 as I still coach boxing and tutor once in a while.

Area: Central / Austin Terrace

Source: This 'Top Ten 'Senior' photograph of 1971 is from the UTEP Flowsheet, the school annual of 1971.

Uploaded by: Wizard Tom