About Denton's University Of North Texas

Education, mine in particular, has always been among those things at the top of my List of Zillions for which I'm grateful.

I'll admit that it has only been recently that I haven't been pursuing one avenue of formal education or another. My wife, a retired school counselor, says it was because I am gifted - interested in many subjects and, in the main, not restricted in the natural ability it takes to learn them.

I don't agree with her, quite frankly. I think her reasoning is entirely too serious. I chalk the whole thing up to my being a Gemini, a Gemini with a curiosity that even today remains impossible to satisfy.

Like a child's love for his grandma who makes sure he gets special love and tops it with rewards of candy and ice cream, I love those who have shared their knowledge with me; taught me about those things which, at the time, were profoundly important to me.

As the cycle of life goes in the universe, so it goes with that special list, the list of teachers and professors who taught me. And it would be entirely wrong to overlook including my parents, grandparents, the parents of my friends, and the telephone repair man, and Hans Gouldman who was a chemist who owned a paint store, and who taught me to use a slide rule.

To the best of my knowledge, none of those who taught me before my college days is still alive. The last one, Coach Richard Schiebel passed away within the past six weeks.

<<== Lt. Col. Richard Schiebel

And then there are those who taught me in college. Take Leon Breeden. He was the professor of jazz music at University of North Texas. Although I never took a course under him, through our friendship of more than fifty years, he taught me nevertheless. Dr. Breeden passed away a few days after Coach Schiebel did.

Dr. Leon Breeden ==>>

I am confident that there are only two remaining alive who taught me. One is Dr. Ted D. Colson, a professor of speech, who trained me so that I could express to audiences as small as one, as big as millions, what I knew and thought. And I met my wife Patty in one of his classes. That was important, too, because I'm certain I used the skills Dr. Colson had taught me when I convinced Patty to marry me.

Dr. Ted Colson ==>>

The other professor is Dr. Chester Newland, who taught, and continues to teach, government - some call it civics. He's been at the University of Southern California since 1966. I heard from him the other day. He's 80. His research, writing and lectures have been devoted to public administration research. His teaching has focused on public executives, federal and local government management, the American presidency, public law, business and government, human resources, and labor management relations.

But what Dr. Newland taught me that I found profound was the meaning of the Bill of Rights. You will recall that the founding fathers attempted to sell their draft of the Constitution to the People. There was a very loud outcry, and a resounding "No!"

<<== Dr. Chester Newland

The Constitution was solely made up of what rights the government had. No where did it address what rights the people retained over it. That was when the Bill of Rights was added, and the documents were ratified.

Dr. Newland taught that the Bill of Rights "equally guarantees the Dignity of All Man." For the past fifty years, I have weighed the merits of one argument after another by testing the argument by asking myself, does it challenge the equality of the Dignity of All Man granted by the Bill of Rights?

Make it a point to thanks those who gave you the tools that came with education. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for those who are no longer able to hear your voice.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

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Dr. LEON BREEDEN
1921 - 2010
View Funeral Service

Monday, August 16, 2001, almost fifty-one years to the day from when Dr. Leon Breeden was hired by North Texas State College as its professor of jazz music, several hundred gathered at the Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas to celebrate his life. Dr. Breeden passed away on August 11th just two months shy of his 89th birthday.

For the many thousands who Dr. Breeden taught, and the tens of thousands who heard his famous University of North Texas One O'clock Lab Band, as it performed throughout the U.S. and many foreign countries, I asked his close friend and colleague, James Riggs, if he would let me publish the eulogy he delivered.

Here are Jim's thoughts:

On this day celebrating Leon Breeden's life, I am deeply honored to be the spokesperson for thousands of Leon Breeden's former students.

As we all know, under Dr. Breeden's guidance, the University of North Texas Jazz Division rose to prominence as an unquestioned leader in university jazz programs with the One O'Clock Lab Band being its centerpiece. Not only was Dr. Breeden a music pioneer who brought respectability to jazz studies, he was also an outstanding teacher combining strict teaching of the fundamentals of jazz, with an open encouragement for original jazz composing and arranging.

Dr. Breeden has been a mentor, colleague and close friend of mine. I would not be standing here today, if it were not for Leon Breeden.

Every UNT jazz student (and there were thousands) contributed to make the legend of Leon Breeden and the legend of the internationally famous One O'Clock Lab Band. As new students we wanted to be a part of it and had to convince our parents why we wanted to move to the remote cowboy country of Denton, Texas.

Every UNT jazz student (whether they were in the One O'clock Band or not) actually played a part in the "Legend of Leon Breeden". He was compassionate man whose compassion included all people, all UNT students. For instance, Dr. Breeden gave important One O'Clock jobs to individuals specifically notin the One O'Clock Band so that they could be a part of the One O'Clock dream.

Dr. Breeden planted a seed in each of us to venture forth into the world utilizing the inspiration and spirit of jazz music. As a young man, Leon himself had been inspired by the beautiful music emanating from Benny Goodman's clarinet bell....(and then, there were all those professional big bands).

It turns out that music is simply the human spirit reacting naturally to the miracle of the overtone series and (OK, Ed Soph) the element of rhythm and there you have it, jazz. The spirit is in all of us. Music is a beautiful miracle, a wonder that is given to us as part of life itself and the axioms of the solar system.

For musicians the spirit emulates deep down in the pit of our stomachs and it begins with a seed planted by other musicians demonstrating their love of the music. Leon Breeden was the teacher that planted seeds in all of his students, all of us. I am very pleased to have been one of them.

Leon Breeden earned two Doctorate degrees, an honorary "Doctor of Letters" from Texas Christian University in 2001, and in 2009 from the University of North Texas.

Dr. Breeden spent most of the 1950s as a high school band director at Grand Prairie High School. Grand Prairie School District named their recent new Music Building the "Leon Breeden Music Hall". Dr. Breeden was very pleased at being presented this honor.

Dr. Breeden was an unusual man who stuck by his guns and realized his dreams and challenges from day to day.

Congratulations Dr. Leon Breeden for your many great lifetime achievements, you had a great run.

We will now close with the tribute band performed by Leon Breeden's former students; Chris McGuire, saxophone and clarinet, Jim Riggs, saxophone, Mike Steinel, trumpet, Rodney Booth, trumpet, Dan Haerle, piano, Ed Soph, drumset and Lynn Seaton, bass.

James Riggs
Regents Professor Emeritus
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS
DALLAS - PARK CITIES
Our 45th Year
214 503-8563

WEB