Commandant Virtual Town Hall, presented by NAMA

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NAMA (Naval Academy Minority Association) Virtual Town Hall with Captain Thomas R. Buchanan ’92, Commandant of Midshipmen

  • Free, registration required
  • Virtual, online Zoom event
  • Wednesday September 23, 19:00 EDT

Join NAMA as the Commandant of Midshipmen updates us on current Brigade activities, COVID-19 impact, and diversity initiatives.

 

October Monthly (Virtual) Lunch

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October Virtual “Lunch” Presentation with Prof. Richard Murray, PhD, Bob Lanier Chair in Urban Public Policy, and Director of Survey Research Institute, University of Houston

  • Friday October 2, 12:00-13:00

  • Free event for TxGC members
    • Disc. code sent via email newsletter
  • $5 for non-TxGC members
  • Online, virtual event via Zoom
  • Limited to only 100 attendees

Richard Murray is a native of Louisiana with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Government from Louisiana State University (1962, 1963) and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota (1967). Dr. Murray has taught at the University of Houston since 1966, and is the Bob Lanier Chair in Urban Public Policy. After serving as the Director of the University of Houston Center for Public Policy for over nine years, he is now concentrating on the Center’s polling operations as the Director of the Survey Research Institute.

His academic interests are in Houston and Texas politics, focusing on campaigns and elections, political parties and interest groups, and public opinion. Professor Murray has written extensively in these areas including co-authoring Texas Politics: An Introduction (6 Editions, 1972-1992), and Progrowth Politics: Change and Governance in Houston (1991), while teaching courses ranging from graduate seminars to introductory American Government.
Professor Murray has previously consulted in more than 200 political campaigns. He conducts polls for The Houston Chronicle, other media, and local governments, and is the political commentator for the local ABC affiliate, KTRK-TV, Channel 13. In addition, his analyses and commentary are carried by television and radio, as well as print media such as The New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, and The Houston Chronicle.

Houston Awards Dinner, Marine Corps Scholarship Fund

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In its 11th year, the Houston Awards Dinner will welcome more than 500 attendees and will feature dinner, remarks by each award honoree, and culminate with a live and silent auction. Funds from the Houston Awards Dinner will help support 194 children of Marines in Texas who attend 55 colleges, universities, and career training schools.

Knox Nunnally USNA ‘01 is proud to serve as Co-Chair for the 2020 Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Houston Awards Dinner, to be held at the Marriott Marquis on Wednesday, October 21st.

Register or contribute, or get more information here.

Mike Yeager’s 2020 Navy Football Preview

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Mike Yeager’s 2020 Navy Football Preview (from Annual Wellborn ‘59 N* Lunch)

Mike Yeager ’76, gave a brief update of the 2020 Navy Football team and season. Navy will play 11 games including BYU, Air Force and Army along its normal 8 game American Athletic Conference (AAC) schedule. Currently no fans are allowed to attend Navy games in Navy-Marine Corps Stadium as per local Annapolis guidelines. Navy also had to drop its annual game with Notre Dame due to scheduling conflicts after Notre Dame’s decision to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for one year in order to fill out its schedule. The Notre Dame schedule originally played a number of Big Ten and Pac 12 schools that have cancelled football for now.
Navy did not hold Spring practice due to the coronavirus lockdown and has held its Fall football training camp over the last few weeks with limited physical contact between players. Players are being tested often and multiple safety precautions are in place to protect the team and staff. So far no new virus cases have been disclosed. All of this means Navy enters its first game without the normal amount of preparation, but these issues have affected all teams.
Army plans to play an 11 game season, but has a schedule that includes many small schools as they have had to rework their schedule due to game cancellations. Air Force, a member of the Mountain West Conference, has only Navy and Army as scheduled opponents at present due to their conference cancelling football this Fall.
Navy comes off an 11-2 record season in 2019 and returns a good nucleus of players, with the loss of QB Malcolm Perry being the main concern to replace. A total of 7 starters from last year’s team return on both offense and and on defense and many of the skilled position players return. Navy has three quarterbacks competing for the starting job and senior Dalen Morris as been announced as the starter for the first game against BYU. Morris has been learning the Navy system for 4 years and has been credited with having had a great Fall training camp while showing a superior grasp of Navy’s triple option offense. The Navy QB makes many decisions on each play depending on what the opposing defense is doing, so having a full grasp of the offense is critical. Dalen is also one of the better passers that Navy has had in the QB position in several years. His drawback is that he has not played a meaningful amount, and will be tested in high pressure situations against very good teams. He does how two great fullbacks and both starting running backs from last year to rely on, so he has some help.
Despite Navy being known for its NCAA leading ground attack on offense, the Navy defense was a major highlight of last year’s team and looks to be even better this year. Our defense plays an attacking style and has good size, depth and speed to compete with our opponents. If our defense can stop opposing teams and keep their offenses off the field in our early season contests, Navy will not fall behind early in games and will have a much better chance to win. It is far easier to be ready to tackle on defense with limited practice than it is to have the timing and execution down on offense, so a few strong defensive games will really help the Navy offense have time to get in gear. Winning with defense in our early games will give Navy a much better chance for a great season.
In preseason polls Navy is picked 4th or 5th in its AAC division. SMU, Memphis and Houston return significant talent from very good teams last year. SMU and Memphis bring back quarterbacks and skilled receivers that recorded passing yardage and touchdowns in 2019 that were among the best in the nation. Tulane and Temple are also expected to have good teams. And of course Navy’s three non conference games against BYU, Air Force and Army will be difficult. Navy plays several of its most difficult games such as Memphis and Houston at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium where it has a record of being very hard to beat at home. SMU will be played in Dallas as well as Air Force in Colorado Springs so those matchups will bet very tough.
In looking at each game this year, and based mainly on our opponent’s record last year, number of returning starters, and whether the game is home or away, Navy is capable of having a very good to great year. The SMU game in Dallas is the only game where on paper all of the conditions should favor the opponent if you give our home field location an equalizing advantage against Memphis and Houston. Getting quality Navy quarterback play and the Navy defense repeating last year’s results could yield a season as high as 9-2.  A lesser performance against quality teams like BYU, Tulane, Air Force, Houston and Memphis could drop the record to a range of wins and losses that would result in an average season. Beating Memphis at home is very doable as always play very well against them, and if we get to the SMU game with a great record, our Navy defense is capable of being a tilting point for us like they were last year when we beat SMU. Overall we have every reason to think we can keep the score of every game close, control the clock with our running attack and score enough to win.

Jon King USMA ‘65

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Jon King needs our help!  Jon’s health is not good. As most of you know, he has been on immuno-suppressant medication since his heart transplant. He now has squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth that has spread into his lungs. His condition is at Stage 4 (most advanced stage).  For the past seven weeks Jon has undergone chemo and radiation therapy  that has affected his energy level, damaged the roof of his mouth, and impacted his speech. He starts additional chemo therapy this week.   Jon is a fighter, but he could use our support to defy the odds.   Please send Jon words of encouragement by emailing him at joneliot@sbcglobal.net

Lastly, while Jon has adequate healthcare coverage, he is in need of monetary support for other expenses either not covered by insurance or otherwise. A GoFundMe account has been set up for your consideration. Please consider a donation.
About Jon. Jon is a 1965 West Point graduate, with a BS in Science & Engineering, a George Washington University gradúate with a JD with Honors in Law, a combat veteran, an award winning mediator and problem solver at Williams Birnberg & Andersen LLP. In 2017 he won the Houston Bar Foundation Award for Exemplary Mediation. Recognizing the epidemic of PTSD and veteran suicide, Jon became a board member of the PTSD Foundation of America (Camp Hope).  In 2010 he was awarded the Legion of Honor Award for Outstanding Community Service.  He’s a past-President and director for the West Point Society or Greater Houston.

Reminder: Alumni Assoc.’s Career Programs

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As we continue to progress through unprecedented times, if needed, don’t forget that the USNA Alumni Association has career programs available to our Alumni for low or no cost.

SACC—Service Academy Career Conference: The only job fair exclusive to service academy alumni, held quarterly around the country in Jacksonville, FL; Washington, DC; San Diego, CA; and San Antonio, TX.

SACCentral—exclusive to the five federal service academy’s graduates offering an alumni networking database, a slate of career/job transition webinars and tutorials, a resume posting database for hiring companies to access and a job posting program for companies, agencies and university advanced degree programs interested in connecting with service academy graduates.

An account has already been created for every graduate. To access your account, click here.

Career Counseling is available by appointment to alumni making career/job transitions from the military or moving in the civilian sector. Email Dave Church.

Chapter Membership Extended

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It goes without saying that 2020 has been one of the most challenging years… for USNA, Houston, and our Alumni.  We have decided to extend ALL Chapter memberships, active and those that expired in 2020, by 1-year in an effort to encourage your participation and involvement in the Chapter as we hope to ramp back up events and activities, this fall, and into 2021.  If you have not joined, join now, before 2020 is over, and we’ll add an extra year, on us, after your membership is processed.  We hope to see you soon! BEAT ARMY.