Cecil Travis Mcbride

Dr. Cecil Travis McBride, 94, died Monday, December 20, 2021, in Amarillo. Memorial services, Casual Dress, Will be 10:00 am Wednesday at St Luke Presbyterian Church of Amarillo. The Rev. Kati Collins Will Officiate. Arrangements and cremation are by Rector Funeral Home, 2800 S. Osage. McBride was born January 15, 1927, in the McKnight Community east of Hedley, Tx to Will and Tennie McBride. He attended School at McKnight for 3 years, at which time his family moved east to Collingsworth County Where he attended schools at Lille, Quail, Buck Creek, Wellington. He graduated from Amarillo High School in 1944. As a child, His family and friends called him by his first name "Cecil." While still in high school he chose to be identified by his middle name "Travis." Unable to join the U.S. Navy -Color Blindness- McBride became a merchant seaman in April 1945. While serving 30 months at sea, he was on ships in both the Pacific and Atlantic. He was a member of the Texas National Guard 1948-1950, and in the U.S. Air Force 1951-1954. He spent a year in South Korea. He completed a BS Degree at WT-Canyon in 1957, and a MA in 1958. In the Fall, 1957, He was appointed by WT to be an instructor of government. He began his doctoral work at UT-Austin in 1958, and completed it at Oklahoma University-Norman in 1967. McBride served as head Department of Political Science at WT 1970-86. In 1974, he was invited by the Legislative Committee of the Texas Constitutional Convention meeting in Austin to appear as an "expert witness." While there, he discovered that two of his graduate school papers, written while studying at UT-Austin, were in possession of convention leaders. In 1986, McBride, along with several other WT professors, was chosen by the Texas Consortium of International Education to teach in Malaysia. He taught classes in American Government, and served as chair, division of social sciences at the college in Shah Alam, 1987-1988. In the early 1980s, McBride and members of his department established a scholarship fund. Later, department members voted to call it the Travis McBride Political Science Scholarship Fund. He contributed significantly to it, telling friends about the more than 250 cards, notes and letters he had received from grateful students. McBride retired from WT in 1991, but has stayed in touch there. He was named professor emeritus in 1992; met annually with his scholarship students; became a member of the Old Main Society in 2003 Advisory board, College of Education and Social Sciences, 2008; and Distinguished Student by that College, 2009; and Distinguished Alumnus by the WT Ex-Student Association in 2010. In August 2019, Chancellor John Sharp of the Texas A&M University System, invited McBride to become a member of the Chancellors Century Council. McBride gratefully Accepted the Certificate of Membership. In Canyon, he holds offices in both Rotary and Kiwanis service clubs. He served twice on the Planning and Zoning Commission, and was appointed to the Randal County Appraisal District Board of Directors when it began operation. He was Chairman of that board in 1984-1985 and had earlier supported combining the operations of the Randall and Potter boards. McBride was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Canyon for 32 years. As an elder, he served on many boards and commissions. He initiated the Community Thanksgiving Dinnera service that ran successfully for 15 yearsand personally cooked the turkeys, dressing and gravy. Moving to Amarillo in 1994, to be closer to the medical doctors he was seeing regularly, he became a member of Polk St. United Methodist Church. He served as a delegate to the regional conference; a member of the seniors choir; a member of the Vision Committee 2004-06; and a teacher of the Hallelujah Sunday school class for 14 years. McBride was preceded in death by his parents; a son of Royce; five sisters; two brothers; a former wife Kathryn McBride. Survivors include son Ed & wife Liz McBride of Amarillo, grandson Derek McBride of Amarillo, granddaughter Hillary McBride of Canyon, and great-granddaughter Nadine McBride, several nephews and nieces scattered about the state, burial will be at Quail, TX, Cemetery beside his sister Betty Jo who died at age 11, 1941. Memorials may be made to the Travis McBride Scholarship, WT Foundation, P.O. Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016; PASO, 1501 S.W. 10th Ave., Amarillo, TX 79101; or St. Luke Presbyterian Church, 3001 Bell St., Amarillo, TX 79106. Memorial Service Wednesday, December 29, 2021 10:00 AM St Luke Presbyterian Church 3001 Bell St Amarillo, Texas 79106