MY FAMILY

Here's a very brief resume' of my post-OHS life.

I didn't have enough money to go to college right after high school, so I worked a while before enrolling. I attended Oklahoma State University, where I received a BSME in Mechanical Engineering with an Aeronautical Option. Two weeks after graduation in 1961, I left for Seattle to work for The Boeing Company. I worked for Boeing for almost 38 years before I retired in 1999. I spent my first three years at Boeing in the 727 and 737 Thrust Reverser and Auxiliary Power Unit design group. Then, a major downsizing occurred and many thousands of engineers were surplussed. I was lucky enough to transfer into the Commercial Airplane Service Engineering organization rather than be laid off. I liked the work very much, and so that's where I stayed until retirement. Boeing was a great company to work for, but the company was reinventing itself again, for the second time in 5 years. As a lower-level manager, I didn't want to go through that pain again, so I retired, even though I really enjoyed the work.

I married Erika Anna Heide-Marie Muller in 1962. Erika was born in the German region of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland). Her family were expelled from the region by the Czechs and sent as refugees to West Germany after WWII. She immigrated to the United States in 1960. She happened to be living in the same apartment complex that I moved into, and just a few apartments away. Anyway, we met and got hitched. Five years later, on December 23, 1967, at two minutes before Christmas Eve, Erika produced a daughter, Ingrid Karen. Two-plus years later, we adopted a boy who was two weeks old at the time. We named him Dwight Karl. Ingrid is living in lower Manhattan in New York City. She received a degree in German and a degree in International Business from the Universtiy of Washington, but is currently back in school to become an interior designer. Dwight lives in Seattle. He went to college for a while, but decided to continue his current passion as a year-round competitive swimming coach for a few years. He says he will go back to school someday, but likes his current job very much. I think he is about ready, but we'll see.

I almost never go back to Okemah. I've only returned 4 or 5 times in 42 years, and half of these were for family funerals. I have no family there, or property, or close relatives (any that I care much for) within reasonable proximity to Okemah. So, with no compelling reason to make the long trek "back home", I've lost touch with everyone. Seattle, or the suburb that I live in (Woodinville) is my home in fact and in my heart, and a most beautiful place it is.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. Perhaps we can expand on the details at the 50th reunion.

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SANDRA WHITNEY CLIFTON

Sandra, an OHS graduate of the class of 1955 was selected and inducted into the Okemah Hall of Fame this year.

Sandra was born in 1937 to Dr. Merle and Mary Whitney.

Sandra was an Okemah honor student. She continued her honors at the University of Oklahoma and Shawnee prior to returning to OU as a Graduate Assistant in teaching and research while earning her doctorate degree. In 1993, while researching and teaching in Biochemistry and Microbiology, Sandra earned her Ph.D. in Micorbiology.

This research began Dr. Sandra Clifton's work in improvement of methodologies for automated DNA sequencing. Dr. Clifton received a Fellowship for this research that led to her CoDirectorship for Genome Technology and Coordinator of Bacterial Projects at OU. This research led to their Genome Sequencing of all genes on the chromosomes of certain bacteria and humans which one day will lead to identification of location of characteristics on chromosomes of man, allowing for treatment of abnormalities prior to birth. Dr. Clifton's expertise in Genome technologies research led Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, to hire her away from OU to become Research Director, Darwin EST Group Leader, Genome Sequencing Center.

Her publications are many and are indicative of her national prominence in this newly discovered area of Genome Expressed Sequencing Tags. She has been called for invited lectures in five states as well as in France and Japan.

Dr. Clifton's accomplishments are bringing honor and recognition to Oklahoma and Okemah, thus making her more than qualified and entitled to placement into Okemah's Hall of Fame.

UPDATE: Sandra was promoted from Research Instructor in Genetics to Assistant professor in Genetics and made Assistant Director of the Genome Sequencing Center (one of two)at the Washington University School of Medicine.