CHS Distinguished Alumni
Dr. Archie Doyle Brock
Class of 1951
Dr. Archie Doyle Brock has served as an outstanding teacher, mathematician, statistician and citizen. Dr. Brock was captain of the football team while at Crescent High School, where he graduated in 1951. He graduated Northern Oklahoma Junior College, which he attended on a football scholarship, in 1953. He received his B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from Northwestern State University in 1957, an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma in 1960, and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1968.
Dr. Brock served in the US Army (artillery) from November 1953 to August 1955. During that time, while stationed at Ft. Sill, Archie’s football team won the All-Service Champion, defeating Bolling Air Force Base. Playing on Dr. Brock’s team was the famed Billy Vessels.
Dr. Brock’s teaching career began at Northwestern Oklahoma State College, where he taught one College Algebra course while finishing his degree in 1957. He taught as a graduate assistant, then as a full Mathematics Instructor while at OU from 1957 through 1960. From 1960 through 1968 Dr. Brock served as assistant Professor of Mathematics at Radford College, Radford, Virginia. From 1968 to 1995, he was Professor of Mathematics at East Texas State University, now Texas A & M University at Commerce. While at TAMU-Commerce, Dr. Brock gained the reputation as an outstanding teacher and, early on, became a favorite of students at all levels of study. He also attained eminence with faculty and administrators for his expertise, knowledge, skills related to statistical research and his friendly demeanor and down-home sense of humor. Doctoral students were dependent on Dr. Brock to help them when they had difficulty with their dissertation research. Dr. Brock was selected by the students of the agricultural department as the Outstanding Non-Agricultural Teacher for 1989-90. He served on Graduate Counsel, Faculty Senate, Faculty Appeals Committee, Faculty Grievance Committee, as Student Advisor, primary degree plan person for the math department and liaison to other departments in the area of science. These were duties performed in addition to his full math teaching schedule.
Over the years, Dr. Brock has been a member of several professional and civic organizations. Along with being a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, Kappa Mu Epsilon, and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, he served the American four-year colleges and universities at the annual directors meeting in the Texas Section. Dr. Brock has served as Weather Observer for the city of Commerce, Texas since 1978, attending annual National Weather Service schools. He is a former member of the Commerce Rotary Club. Dr. Brock is a licensed Ham Radio Operator since 1975.
Dr. Brock is a dedicated family man, married to Lela (Highfill) Brock since August 31, 1957. They have three daughters; Jennifer and husband Cliff Claxton, Janet and husband Dr. Bryan Wasson, and Jane Akers. They have four grandchildren, Joshua and Jeremiah Wasson and Caleb and Hannah Akers.
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