Thursday afternoon, I traveled back to my undergrad Alma Mater in Durant, Oklahoma to celebrate the 30-year career of Dr. Glenn Melancon.
Glenn has been a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University since 1995 where he has also served as the chair of the Department of Social Sciences.
Bryan County is across the river and not in our coverage area, but many folks in Grayson County know Glenn through his countless hours of volunteer community work.
He served for decades as the chair of the Grayson County Democratic party, twice ran for Congress in the 4th District of Texas and is a former contributor to the Whitesboro News-Record.
I first met Glenn as a professor in the early 2000s. He was an old school liberal and he did not hide it.
Though, contrary to the false narrative about today’s culture about higher education, he did not push his beliefs on his students.
He did, rather, engage us in thoughtful discussion and debate.
He challenged our thinking and, in turn, encouraged us to challenge his.
That is the essential role of the college classroom.
I was a political science minor at Southeastern, but I took several history classes and Glenn was a constant in the building— up and down the hallway.
He was like the proverbial camel who will stick his head under the tent and say ‘hello’ on a whim.
He would overhear something while passing by another classroom and make himself welcome to enter the conversation.
I got to know Glenn again, later, through his community work here in Grayson County.
We became friends.
I always respected him for sticking to his unpopular opinions.
I’m not saying I always agreed with him. I’m not saying I always disagreed with him either, but the conversation was always smart and empathetic.
He was a regular columnist here on multiple occasions.
His work always drew feedback, and it was not always positive.
But he believed in his convictions, and I believed in affording him the platform.
He was passionate about his community and is buttressed by the necessity of free speech. On that issue, Glenn and I have always agreed.
His wife Jackie is preparing to retire from Denison ISD.
The Melancons reared two sons at Sherman, both of whom are active members of our Armed Forces.
Glenn and Jackie are active in their church and look forward to spending more time with the grandkids.
Glenn says they’re not leaving Sherman altogether though they do plan to spend some time abroad.
He’s been polishing up on his Italian and plans to use it as soon as September.
Dr. Melancon’s career has coincided with much undue criticism falsely narrating the decline of higher education.
He has bucked that narrative and fought back against the fiction.
He has maintained that education in a noble and worthy pursuit.
It is fulfilling and worth doing.
He is one of the reasons I’m a member of the profession today and for that I will always be grateful.
Best wishes, Professor, for a happy retirement. Buon viaggio amico mio.
Austin Lewter is the owner and publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record and director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism. He can be reached at [email protected].