All in the Maverick Family
How one UT Arlington degree can launch a multigenerational legacy
Winter 2012 · Comment ·
Some families hand down heirlooms from generation to generation. Others keep recipes, stories, traditions.
Still others create legacies.
Beginning with George Arthur Hendricks, Class of 1942 at North Texas Agricultural College, the Hendricks family has claimed four multigenerational UT Arlington graduates.
“Continuous learning is encouraged. It’s why I’ve always been proud to be associated with this university.”
“My parents were from Fort Worth, and I was familiar with the school from frequent visits from my childhood,” says Randoll “Randy” Dean Hendricks ’72, George’s son. After hearing about his brother Barry’s ’65 experience at Arlington State College, Randy knew UT Arlington was the school for him. “I got an excellent education there,” he says. “I enjoyed the classes and became quite comfortable in the business school.”
When son Eric ’02 transferred from Baylor to UT Arlington, he not only carried on the Hendricks family’s Maverick tradition, he added to it. Eric met his future wife, Alicia Rodriguez Hendricks ’01, on campus. Alicia herself is a second-generation UT Arlington graduate; her father, Armando H. Rodriguez, earned a degree in mathematics from the University in 1970.
Alicia and Eric hope their two young children continue the family legacy.
“UT Arlington has so much to offer, and it has become a top-tier institution in the state,” Alicia says. “It’s far from the commuter campus it used to be, and I know it will give the kids the foundation they need in order to become successful in whatever ventures they choose.”
Distinguished Alumnus David Hunn ’78, ’80, ’92, chief scientist and director of the technical staff at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, can attest to the foundation that UT Arlington provides. Dr. Hunn is a second-generation UT Arlington graduate, and his son and daughter have both enrolled in the University’s joint degree and honors programs.
“It’s great to see them on this campus,” he says. “They have definitely flourished here.”
As an adjunct professor in the College of Engineering, Hunn not only has kept tabs on the University’s growth, he has seen firsthand how students develop into leaders.
“UT Arlington does more than just stuff facts into your head,” he says. “Students are prepared for life through the building of leadership skills and self-confidence. Continuous learning is encouraged. It’s why I’ve always been proud to be associated with this university.”
