Clyde Lewis Hall

1922 - 2024

CLYDE LEWIS HALL Clyde Lewis Hall, Professor Emeritus of Austin College, was born on October 15, 1922, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sherman, Texas. He died peacefully in Dallas, Texas, on June 9, 2024, at the age of 101. He was the son of Mita Holsapple Gordon Hall and Hugh Edward Hall. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 322 West Pecan Street in Sherman. Following the service, a fellowship hour will be held at the church. Following graduation from Sherman High School in 1940, he enrolled at Austin College. His studies were interrupted in 1942 by World War II when he enlisted in the US Army. His military duty included campaigns in North Africa and Italy as part of the 8th General Dispensary which was attached to the Allied Force Headquarters. A lifelong memory of his military service was returning to the US on Christmas Day 1945 when his troopship passed by the Statue of Liberty. After returning to Sherman in early 1946, he resumed his college studies and completed a BA at Austin College. He then earned an MBA at Texas Christian University and a PhD at Ohio State University, where he met his future wife, Virginia Davison. He and Ginny married in 1948 in her hometown of Melrose, Massachusetts. They returned to Sherman in late 1949, and in January 1950 he began a career as an economics and business professor at Austin College. Dr. Hall was a member of the faculty there until his retirement in 1988. During his almost four decades at Austin College, he taught generations of students, many of whom he kept in touch with through the years and he was honored to be remembered by them. Post-doctoral studies included summer programs at Harvard Business School, Bennington College, University of Chicago, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Kansas, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Northwest Louisiana University. He held memberships in professional organizations including the American Economic Association, American Finance Association, American Accounting Association, Southwestern Social Science Association, East Texas Historical Association, and the North Texas Economics Colloquium. He and Ginny participated in the less formal post-retirement study and travel at twenty-four Elderhostel programs in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They enjoyed traveling, visiting all fifty U.S. states, and almost all Canadian provinces, and made several trips abroad. The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, which honors superior teaching, named Dr. Hall as a State of Texas Piper Professor in 1963. Austin College bestowed on him several additional honors, including the Homer P. Rainey Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award.Additionally, AC alumni established the Clyde L. Hall Presidential Scholarship and a special academic scholarship in his name. In 2007 the college dedicated the Clyde L. Hall Graduation Court in his honor. In 2012 he was inducted into the Austin College Athletic Hall of Honor, in recognition of his membership on the college's golf team from 1940 to 1942 and for serving as golf coach of AC's 1952 Texas Conference championship team. A lifelong member of First (now Covenant) Presbyterian Church, Dr. Hall served as a Deacon, Ruling Elder, Trustee, financial secretary, choir member, Sunday School teacher, and Troop 1 scoutmaster. Representing the Texoma Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, he led two expeditions to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and one contingent to the National Scout Jamboree in Pennsylvania. He was a lifelong golfer and a member of a regular Wednesday afternoon foursome at Woodlawn Country Club for almost three decades. He also enjoyed playing competitive and social bridge and cribbage, both of which he enjoyed teaching his family and others in the Sherman community. Dr. Hall was active in the community, serving as a board member of Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scouts, and the Sherman Independent School District. His lifetime interest in Grayson County history led to leadership roles in the Grayson County Historical Commission, the Grayson County Historical Society, and the Old Settlers Association of Grayson County. Contributing to the preservation of local history, he authored numerous articles and papers on the history of Grayson County and was instrumental in establishing many historical markers throughout Grayson County. In recognition of his work in documenting local history, he was honored with the naming of the Clyde L. Hall Resource Room at the Sherman Museum in 2021. He also served as Sherman's unofficial "historian" for his vast knowledge and excellent, in-depth memory of the history of his hometown. He was predeceased by his parents, his wife, his son Philip, his son-in-law Ronald Floyd, his two brothers William M. Gordon III and Hugh Edward Hall Jr., his sisters-in-law Carolyn Gordon and Doris Hall, and his niece Betsy Gordon. Survivors include daughter Margaret Hall Floyd of Dallas, Texas, sons Christopher Hall of Washington DC, and Richard Hall (Suzanne) of Highland Village, Texas. Grandchildren include Ryan (Jonna) and Evan (Minal) Floyd; Rachel, Sean, Stephen (Elena), Randall, and Spencer Hall; and great-grandsons, Levi Floyd and Julian Hall.Others in the family who were important to him and who survive him include nieces Dawn Hall Eppers, Dixie Hall Hart, Dana Hall, and Nancy Davison Gardner, and nephew William Davison, along with his lifelong beloved cousin who he grew up with, Betty Waldrop Willis. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Austin College, 900 North Grand Avenue, Sherman, Texas, 75090, or to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 322 West Pecan Street, Sherman, Texas 75090. Arrangements entrusted to Dannel Funeral Home 302 S. Walnut St Sherman, TX 75090.