Ingram another honoree at schools' museum
(Posted 9/9/2009 10:09 am)
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EDITOR's NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of five persons to be honored at Homecoming at the Mexia Public Schools Museum, Saturday morning. Introductions of the Distinguished Alumnus at the museum are to get underway about 10 o'clock, according to Bob Crider. Already featured on Page 1 are honorees Ruby Echols Isles, Bob Fain and Zeno King. Today's featured honoree is Charles Ingram.
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Charles Ingram, his wife, Louise, and two year old son, Chas., Jr. moved from the fading oil boom town, of Ranger to Mexia a fresh boom town in 1923, His boss wanted him to put a shop in Mexia, this time Charlie would be the manager.
When Charles, Jr. (our honoree) entered McKinney Street Grammar School(later renamed W. R. White Grammar School). At age 11 he began playing in Mr. Royster' s high school band.
While at Mexa High School, he was band captain, 1st Chair cornet, played in two All State Bands, President of his senior class, Captain of the Student Patrol, had the lead in the senior play and was listed in Who's Who in Texas schools. He graduated from Mexia High School in 1939. Charles worked in his dad's electric shop all through high school . He later would end up working for GE as a test engineer working with electronic devices in Schenectady, N.Y.
In 1944 he entered the US Navy. Being assigned to the Ordinance Laboratory in Washington, DC, he designed underwater ordinances, mines and depth charges. In 1946 at the end of WW II, he became an instructor with the Electrical Engineering Department at A & M . While there, he received his master's degree in Electrical Engineering. Later he became an aero-systems engineer for Convair Corp. Ft. Worth serving as senior engineer in Flight Control Systems Design.
His interests have not been limited to engineering. He was an instructor for the Dale Carnegie Course for 25 years, was an adult Sunday School teacher for 35 years and worked with the United Way. He continued his love of music with wife, Shirley, before her death-especially the internationally known Van Cliburn music contest. His artistic interests extend to painting portraits in pastels.
Charles enjoys saying he is an octogenarian. And now he is enjoying being an author having penned an autobiography called A JOYOUS JOURNEY and a western novel entitled PASSING
SHADOWS. In his book, TRAIL TO PHANTOM HILL, he features Enrique Mexia and his family. The third book entitled BEYOND THE BRAZOS, is a western novel still in progress.
(Posted 9/9/2009 10:09 am)
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Charles Ingram, his wife, Louise, and two year old son, Chas., Jr. moved from the fading oil boom town, of Ranger to Mexia a fresh boom town in 1923, His boss wanted him to put a shop in Mexia, this time Charlie would be the manager.
When Charles, Jr. (our honoree) entered McKinney Street Grammar School(later renamed W. R. White Grammar School). At age 11 he began playing in Mr. Royster' s high school band.
While at Mexa High School, he was band captain, 1st Chair cornet, played in two All State Bands, President of his senior class, Captain of the Student Patrol, had the lead in the senior play and was listed in Who's Who in Texas schools. He graduated from Mexia High School in 1939. Charles worked in his dad's electric shop all through high school . He later would end up working for GE as a test engineer working with electronic devices in Schenectady, N.Y.
In 1944 he entered the US Navy. Being assigned to the Ordinance Laboratory in Washington, DC, he designed underwater ordinances, mines and depth charges. In 1946 at the end of WW II, he became an instructor with the Electrical Engineering Department at A & M . While there, he received his master's degree in Electrical Engineering. Later he became an aero-systems engineer for Convair Corp. Ft. Worth serving as senior engineer in Flight Control Systems Design.
His interests have not been limited to engineering. He was an instructor for the Dale Carnegie Course for 25 years, was an adult Sunday School teacher for 35 years and worked with the United Way. He continued his love of music with wife, Shirley, before her death-especially the internationally known Van Cliburn music contest. His artistic interests extend to painting portraits in pastels.
Charles enjoys saying he is an octogenarian. And now he is enjoying being an author having penned an autobiography called A JOYOUS JOURNEY and a western novel entitled PASSING
SHADOWS. In his book, TRAIL TO PHANTOM HILL, he features Enrique Mexia and his family. The third book entitled BEYOND THE BRAZOS, is a western novel still in progress.
