Everything Nac

Zola Emile Avery is kind of like a founding father. He was part of the inaugural 1923 class at what was then Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, played for the university’s first football team, and was a charter member of a campus literary society. Known as Zoomie for his skill on the gridiron and the basketball court, he graduated in 1927 with a degree in agriculture.

If those were the only accolades he’d accumulated, then they would be enough. As SFA approaches its 100-year anniversary, people like Avery, those who helped establish the university, will get their second 15 minutes of fame. But with Avery, his influence goes well beyond what he did in sports and in the classroom.

Over four decades after his death in 1977, Avery’s imprint endures as three generations of his descendants – and more than likely a fourth in the coming years ­– have gone to SFA for their education. Two of them, granddaughter Maggie Brown at the Early Childhood Lab, and great-granddaughter Stephanie Weatherford ’08 and ’11, at the Academic Assistance and Resource Center, are still on campus.

But they are just two of many. In addition to Brown and Weatherford, Avery’s SFA tree includes granddaughter Marsha Thomas Kemp ’76, great-granddaughter Megan Kemp Young ’05, great-granddaughter Shannon Brown ’06, great-grandson Dusty Brown ’09 and ’11, great-great grandson JT Weatherford, who attended the Early Childhood lab, and in-laws David Kemp ’72-74, Kenneth Brown ’76, Aaron Young ’91-93, and Shea Weatherford ’03.

Avery’s only daughter, Nacogdoches-born Betty Avery, passed away in April. The emotions and recollections caused by her death sparked a renewed interest in family history and, in particular, the history of her father. Stephanie Weatherford, who had never met her great-grandfather, started asking around and digging into records. With help from SFA staff, she found photos and old yearbook listings. More importantly, she found a kinship dating back to the 19th Century, to Avery’s father, patriarch Joseph Avery.

“The best part about all this is that I feel a greater connection to my family,” Weatherford said. “Learning that education was so important to my family as far back as my great-great-grandfather made me proud. Education is my passion. It’s who I am and it’s why I work for SFA.”

Born in Nacogdoches on Sept. 12, 1902, Avery was among the youngest of 12 siblings. Grounded by the encouragement of father Joseph, all of them earned college degrees. It was this culture of learning and education that was probably behind Avery being named after French writer Émile Zola. In a twist, at some point Avery rearranged his name to Zola Emile so that he didn’t have the initials E.Z. Avery, of course, could not escape the Zoomie nickname.

Avery’s college career includes being a captain and coach of the football team, which during his era played opponents like Center High, Beaumont Junior College, and Hillsborough Junior College; a member of the basketball team; two years with the President Press Club; one year as business manager of Pine Log; and three years as a charter member of the Thomas J. Rusk Literary Society, formed in 1923 to foster public speaking and debate.

After graduation Avery went to work for Social Security until mandatory retirement at age 65. He and wife Rena, who met while students at SFA, had one child, Betty, a graduate of Baylor University. Though Avery and his wife eventually settled in Dallas and lived there for the rest of their lives, important family ties remained in Nacogdoches. Rena was related to J.E. Kingham, founder of the J.E. Kingham construction company, which built a big portion of the SFA campus.

Maggie Brown remembers her grandparents as a “second set of parents” and went with them for visits to Nacogdoches throughout her childhood. When it came time for college, SFA was a natural choice. When Avery passed in December 1977, Brown was taking her finals. The family waited until after she had finished to tell her the news.

Brown said she has plenty of memories of her grandfather, but one stands out from the rest.

“He always had his head in a book,” Brown said. “You knew education was important to him and his family. We are his legacy. We’re still here after all these years.”

By Richard Massey, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

As National Family Day, Sept. 26, approaches, the School of Human Sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University wants to remind you about a bachelor’s degree that you can earn online to serve families at all stages of life.

The Bachelor of Science in human sciences with a concentration in human development and family studies was the first completely online bachelor’s degree at SFA. As part of its online study, the program offers opportunities to connect with alumni and industry professionals virtually.

“This flexible learning experience is a great option for those who do not want to relocate to Nacogdoches,” said Dr. Rachel Jumper, assistant professor of human sciences at SFA.

Those who earn this degree pursue careers as adoption and foster specialists, child care workers, early intervention specialists, marriage and family enrichment program coordinators, patient advocates, senior center activities coordinators and youth program coordinators.

Adrian Gutierrez, a 2016 graduate of the program, is now a juvenile case manager for the City of Baytown Municipal Court.

“Each course provided knowledge of every aspect of lifespan development while expanding my understanding of the value of communication and relationships,” Gutierrez said. “I highly recommend this program to anyone with a passion for working with and helping children and families grow.”

The human development and family studies program offers new, returning and transfer students the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree online. It provides an in-depth understanding of growth, change and development in children, adults and families. It also features a lifespan, multicontextual and family systems approach, which has proven essential for service-oriented professions.

For more information, contact Jumper at jumperr@sfasu.edu, or visit sfasu.edu/sfaonline.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Teacher candidates in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Community Responsiveness and Engaged Advocacy in Teacher Education program, or C.R.E.A.T.E., have partnered with the Nacogdoches Public Library to provide free real-time drop-in homework help for local students.

“We know there is a lot of need in the community right now, with so many parents, grandparents and caregivers working to help their children learn from home,” said Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor in SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education. “We also hope this service is helpful to teachers, who can recommend that their students join the homework help sessions.”

The library is hosting free virtual drop-in sessions for teacher candidates to answer quick homework questions from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays throughout September on the Discord meeting platform.

The homework sessions are open to all local students, but students age 13 and younger will need a caregiver or guardian to register for them. To participate, visit sfasu.edu/create-hwhelp.

The library also is hosting a continuation of the free virtual activity lessons teacher candidates in C.R.E.A.T.E. began last spring when schools were shut down because of COVID-19. While providing a fun break during the day for children and their families and caregivers, these activities help teacher candidates give back to the community while gaining valuable online teaching experience.

Students can participate in these activities from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Fridays throughout September. The lessons include art activities and science experiments designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Caregivers and guardians can register students for these activities at

sfasu.edu/create-activity.

“We think this is a great way to promote community while helping both local families navigating virtual learning and SFA teacher candidates working to gain real-world experience during the pandemic,” said Crystal Hicks, librarian at the Nacogdoches Public Library.

Depending on response, the sessions may continue beyond September, said Dr. Lauren Burrow, an associate professor in the Perkins College of Education.

“C.R.E.A.T.E. always tries to prioritize community needs and respond, creatively, so as the school year progresses, we’ll assess interest in these sessions and continue them as needed,” Burrow said.

To learn more, email Burrow at burrowle@sfasu.edu.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University business students recently assisted an agency in developing a strategic vision to better serve the needs of residents in Nacogdoches, Shelby and San Augustine counties.

For the second year in a row, seniors in business policy and strategy, the capstone strategic management class at the Rusche College of Business, worked with the Nacogdoches Area United Way to analyze the nonprofit’s operations and find areas for improvement.

The summer course was taught by Dr. Marcus Cox, associate professor of management. He organized the United Way review with Gary Lee Ashcraft, NAUW president and CEO, Caroline Garner, NAUW executive vice president, board members Wendy Buchanan and Sherry Morgan, and Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the college of business.

“I’m especially proud of the work done by our students in support of this important cause,” Bisping said. “We also look to support the Nacogdoches Area United Way further during our State Employees Charitable Campaign on campus this fall.”

Implemented as a case competition with four teams, the review encompassed the organization, the three-county region it serves – Nacogdoches, Shelby and San Augustine – and resulted in recommendations on a new strategic vision that included additional sources of funding, critical analysis of the organization’s online presence and usage of various social media platforms, and additional ways to tap into the students and resources at SFA.

The first and second place team in the case competition received a $500 and $300 scholarship, respectively. Presentations were delivered via Zoom.

“It’s very fulfilling for me personally to see our students end their college experiences on a strong note and I am excited for them as they now launch their careers,” Cox said.

By Richard Massey, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University