"From 1973-75, I was a graduate teaching assistant at Oklahoma State University. I didn't like that, so I worked for a plywood company another year."ĭennis returned to Joplin and attended graduate school at Pittsburg State University in nearby Kansas, graduating in 1973 in history. So, my first job was teaching the eighth grade in south Louisiana for a year. Shockley was in Air Force ROTC at Tech and wanted to join the Air Force at graduation, but I failed my physical. I like to tell people I knew him when he had hair." Terry Bradshaw was our football quarterback while I was at Tech.
I thought the food was decent and I always had plenty to eat."Īfter graduating from PMA, his father took the same job with Pepsi in Shreveport, La., and Dennis entered Louisiana Tech University and graduated majoring in history.ĭennis said, "I always liked history and won the history medal at PMA. One evening was ham, beans, and cornbread, another evening was beef stew, but the schedule was repeated over and over. Saturday and Wednesday mornings it was pancakes, Sunday morning-coffee cake. "There was even a schedule for the food each week. Our barracks was run by Captain Honeyman, who was quite a taskmaster. I've attended all the reunions to date: 1983, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2006-2009.įlagpole Discipline at the academy entailed running around the flagpole, afternoon marches on town days, morning exercise, and "The Board of Education." Dennis said, "We had a cadet go AWOL every now and then, and it was not pleasant for him when he returned. I still like to go to Pauline's to eat, when I'm in town. I dated a girl there briefly until she got in trouble for it. The American Legion Home School was near the academy, but the girls there were forbidden to date us - some did anyway. I also remember the Quo Vadis Motel, the Spudnut Shop, and Dewey's Pizza. When I was out of money or didn't feel like going to town, I enjoyed walking to the Lake Ponca Park at the spillway. We received $2.50 allowance each week that our families deposited with the bursar. My best memories are hanging out at the Pioneer Grill, the Poncan Theatre and a snooker hall downtown. You could wear your letter jacket Saturday evening only. If you were the rank of Sergeant or above and not in discipline, you could go to town both times on Saturday.
He says, "There was no school on Wednesday afternoon. Myrtle Cameron, food manager.ĭennis recalls that cadets could go to town on Wednesday afternoon, Sunday morning church, Sunday afternoon, and their choice of Saturday afternoon or evening. Byron Moore, history and government Capt. Other teachers and staff Dennis remembers include: William Cox, superintendent Major Baker, commandant Major Cubbage, principal and math Major George Moore, English Capt. I learn something about myself at every one." I enjoy the PMA reunions because we former cadets shared a unique experience.
My wife still doesn't completely understand why I'm compelled to make the bed every morning. Some of his closest friends and roommates were, Robert Roggendorff, Mike Kenworthy, Rusty Reynolds, Doug McGarrugh, Dale Cash and Paul Hill.ĭennis says, "PMA shaped me as a man far more than I realized until many years later.
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Like other cadets Dennis was on the crack drill team. I was an asthmatic, so I didn't play sports, but I won a letter jacket as the track manager for Benjamin Koop, track coach and my math teacher." "I liked PMA because of the structure and because I flourished as a student, making National Honor Roll every semester I was there. So at the age of 15, I entered PMA as a sophomore and stayed three years," Shockley said. I actually wanted to attend PMA, which probably makes me somewhat unusual. I was a rambunctious kid, a middling student, but not a disciplinary problem. "My father was the sales manager for Pepsi Cola in Oklahoma City the entire time I was at PMA. Many of the boys at PMA were from the areas of Oklahoma City, Dallas and Wichita. He has fond memories of Ponca City and keeps a statuette of the Pioneer Woman on his desk at work. Shockley has served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency OHFA) since 1997. Dennis Shockley graduated from Ponca Military Academy (PMA) in 1965.
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