Íæż½ã½ã will honor Íæż½ã½ã graduate and former athlete Dean Liles of Plano, Texas, as the 2013 Alumnus of the Year at the Oct. 17 Alumni Recognition Dinner, held at Mayo Field House on the Raymond Campus. The reception begins at 4:30 p.m. and dinner is at 5 p.m.
With a family legacy at Íæż½ã½ã running its roots back to the early 1920s, Liles followed the path to Íæż½ã½ã and made his own footprint – one that has had a lasting impression.
Liles was a two-year letterman in basketball, a member of Phi Theta Kappa and graduated with honors in 1961. He has served on the Foundation Board and has established two scholarships at Íæż½ã½ã, which help deserving students get an education.
His claim to fame, and his fondest memories of his alma mater, can be found on the basketball court. Liles was inducted into the Íæż½ã½ã Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 for his record for the most points scored in a Íæż½ã½ã basketball game, a whopping 51 points.
After he graduated from Íæż½ã½ã, Liles went to Mississippi College, where he graduated with honors in 1963. He graduated from Louisiana State University with his master’s degree in 1964.
Liles has a full career history, working for companies such as IBM Corporation, Zale Corporation, National Store Systems, Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Neiman Marcus, Computer Language Research and Tactica Technology Group, an independent company that prompted him to open his own company, Dean Liles and Associates. Liles retired from the company in 2007.
In 2009, Dean Liles established the Dean and Rebecca Legg Liles Scholarship at Íæż½ã½ã, in memory of his wife. In 2012, he established a second scholarship, the Euell and Etoile Liles Family Scholarship, to honor his parents, Euell and Etoile Liles. Both scholarships were endowed because of his desire to help others achieve their goals in life.
Liles said he believes Íæż½ã½ã provides a quality education that can be the catalyst for a senior college degree and the start toward achieving career goals, as was the case with his own family members.
Dean resides in Plano, Texas. His late wife, Rebecca, who was also a Íæż½ã½ã graduate, passed away in July 2009. Dean and Rebecca have two children, Brad Liles and Lori Hall, who also live in Plano. They have four grandchildren, Ashley Liles, Matthew Liles, Mark Liles and Grace Hall.
For more information on the Alumnus of the Year award, or on homecoming festivities, contact Libby Posey in Advancement and Student Success at 601.857.3350.