Longview Independent School District on May 11 will honor three former students during the annual Distinguished Alumni ceremony and luncheon. This year's Distinguished Alumni are Dr. David Hardy Andres (Class of 1959), Donald M. Dingler (Class of 1968), Essie Charles Childers (Class of 1971).
Events are set to begin at 9 a.m. with the Longview ISD Foundation commemorative brick presentation at the Lobo Foundation Plaza (near the home entrance to Lobo Stadium). This event is free and open to the public.
An 11:15 a.m. reception at Pinecrest Country Club will be followed by lunch at 11:45. Tickets for the luncheon are $20 and will go on sale April 2 at the Education Support Center, 1301 E. Young St.
Honorees are nominated at-large and chosen by a committee of previous honorees, volunteer Distinguished Alumni Committee members and the district’s Community Relations office.
Distinguished alumni typically have excelled professionally, in addition to serving the communities in which they live.
For more information please contact Debbie Leith at (903) 381-2235.
Dr. David Hardy Andres
David, a 1959 graduate of Longview High School, continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree (1962) and master's degree (1965) in psychology. He then attended the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada where he got his Ph.D. in psychology.
Spending most of his professional career as a psychology professor at Concordia University in Montreal, David was named Professor Emeritus in 2000. During his time at Concordia University, he taught various honors course to undergraduate and graduate students. David also did consultant work in statistical and experimental design on numerous large-scale research projects, receiving more than a million dollars in research grants and having his research published in books and academic journals.
Now a retired Clinical Psychologist, David lives in Durham, Quebec, where he is active in his community, volunteering in local conservations and elections, in addition to helping the Montreal SPCA place stray animals in foster homes.
The son of Dr. Ben and Beatrice Andres, David was nominated by his sister Joyce Andres Stidham of Longview. Joyce credits the strong foundation David received at Longview ISD in helping him 'achieve the respect he possesses today as a distinguished professor, researcher, and author.'
Lifelong friend and classmate Emily Erisman Myers also nominated David, adding that he was an excellent student at Longview High who 'was well-liked by classmates and participated in many school organizations and activities.'
Donald M. Dingler
Chief Dingler, a 1968 graduate of Longview High School, continued his education at the University of Texas at Tyler, where he studied criminal justice. Later he attended the FBI National Academy and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.
Don began his career with the Longview Police Department in 1973 as a patrol officer, was promoted to Detective in 1978 and then Sergeant the next year. In 1982 he rose to the rank of Lieutenant and a year later Captain. In 2001 Don was named Assistant Chief, a role he would hold until 2011 when he became Chief of Police.
Since retiring from the Longview Police Department in 2015, Don and his wife Amy remain in Longview where they are active in the local community.
The son of Longview physician Dr. C.M. and Dorothy Dingler, Don was nominated by his friend and longtime colleague, David Willard, former Longview city manager. Willard praised Dingler's work in the community to model 'servant leadership throughout his career.'
'Chief Dingler is one of the finest people I have ever worked alongside,' he said. 'He has always demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism. I believe his depth of knowledge and experience was a steadying and positive influence with the Longview Police Department.'
Essie Charles Childers
A 1971 graduate of Longview High School, Essie continued her education at Abilene Christian University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Education. In 1979 she earned her master's degree in Education from the University of Texas at Tyler, and earned her certificate in Adult Learning from Walden University in 2014.
Essie started her long career in education while doing post-graduate work in Austin at the school district there, later returning home to East Texas and working at Tyler ISD. In 1987 she moved to Oklahoma where she taught at Oklahoma City College and Oklahoma City School District until 1992, when she took a long sabbatical to raise a family and do volunteer work in the community. Returning to professional education in 2003, Essie was a professor Tyler Junior College until she accepted a position at Blinn College, where she is currently a professor of Reading Education.
An active speaker at conferences addressing active learning strategies and college success skills, Essie is the immediate past President of the Texas Community College Teachers Association comprised of over 6,000 teachers and administrators in the state of Texas. Essie has also served as co-chair for the organizations like Achieving The Dream, a 2017 Carol Dochen Developmental Educator of the year recipient, a 2014 recipient of College Reading and Learning Association Distinguished Teaching Award and a 2014 Outstanding Service Award from Blinn Professional Association.
The daughter of the late Toney and Willie F. Charles of Longview, Essie was nominated by former classmate Michael Wilborn, who added that Essie's entire family 'was active in Longview ISD programs and activities.'
Essie and her husband Terry raised three children and currently live in the Bryan-College Station area.
