My grandfather, Wendell Mayes, Jr., was 97 yrs old and truly personified The Greatest Generation. He served on the TTU Board of Regents in the 80's and as Chairman from '86 -'88. Tech named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1981, Distinguished Engineer in 1985 and he was inducted into the Mass Comm Hall of Fame in 1978. He's the reason I went to Tech and love my school like he did. I remember accompanying him to numerous football games sitting in The Board's suite. I remember when he interviewed Spike Dykes at his office in Austin prior to his hiring at Tech. I remember the several occasions we came up for College of Communications events. Any time he asked me to join him on a trip to Lubbock, I went. He attended Texas Technological College (before it was renamed TTU) obtaining a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949. Before that, he served in the Pacific War during WWII on the USS Yorktown maintaining the radar on F6F Hellcats. Over the years he brought numerous family members, including me, to visit the Yorktown ship/museum docked in Charleston, SC. He wanted us to know how fortunate he was that his naval group was sent home on the USS Lexington one week prior to his ship being attacked. His replacements were killed in that attack on the Yorktown and he pointed out their names on plaques displayed on the ship. He was instrumental in the TX radio business being inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2002. He served as President of the American Diabetes Association and and International Diabetes Federation. My family is left with quite the legacy of generosity, accomplishment and a long tradition supporting Texas Tech University. He will be missed and most certainly appreciated for that legacy. RIP Granddaddy.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/wendell-mayes-10352640
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/wendell-mayes-10352640
