Dr. Clinton McPherson

Dr. Clinton M. McPherson passed away on January 25, 2014. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Monday January 27, 2014, at Shepherd King Lutheran Church in Lubbock. Interment will be in Roscoe, TX following the service. A visitation will be held Sunday January 26, 2014 at Sanders Funeral Home from 4-6 p.m. Clinton McPherson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton McPherson was born October 6, 1918 in Gainesville, Texas. He enrolled at Texas Tech in the fall of 1938. In 1942, his education was interrupted by World War II when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He served as a navigator-bombardier in the CBI Theater where he flew 69 combat missions. He was awarded the air medal with three clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He attained the rank of captain. In 1943, he married Clara Ann Mueller of Roscoe, TX in Colorado Springs, CO; they recently celebrated 70 years of marriage. Upon his honorable discharge from the military, he completed a B.S degree in chemical engineering, an M.S in chemistry, and a doctorate in educational psychology. He did post doctoral work at Princeton, Oregon State and Stanford Universities. He taught science and mathematics at Slaton High School for five years prior to becoming a professor at Texas Tech, where he initiated the first closed circuit television for teaching chemistry laboratories. He retired as an associate professor emeritus after 28 years. In 1969, Clint and a horticultural professor investigated grape and wine culture. They believed that the High Plains had great potential for a successful grape industry which could serve as an additional crop for area farmers. Viticulture in West Texas quickly spread and became the impetus of the modern Texas wine industry. The wine industry has grown to include over 300 wineries as well as generate over a billion dollars annually. Clinton was the leader in establishing Llano Estacado Winery where he served as president and general manager for three years. In addition, he was instrumental in working with the Texas Legislature to pass laws which have aided the wine industry in the state. In 1988, the Texas Grape Growers Association presented Clint with the Louis Qualia Award for outstanding contributions to the Texas wine industry. In 1995, the Wine Growers Research Council recognized him for his pioneering efforts in grape growing. In 1999, the Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas Monthly honored Clint with a “Who’s Who in Wine & Food in Texas.” He was a member of Shepherd King Lutheran Church where he taught Sunday school for over 40 years, served on the church council, and was congregational president. He has been a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years and is a member of the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. Two brothers preceded him in death. Survivors are his wife, Clara, and three sons: Mark and Phyllis of Cleburne Kim and Sylvia McPherson of Lubbock, and Jon and Anna McPherson of Escondido, CA. He also has seven grandchildren and two great granddaughters. He has a host of friends and always had time to give help when needed. He loved people, was a great conversationalist, and never met a stranger. He had an adventurous spirit, a great curiosity, and was always interested in how things work. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that memorial gifts be given to the following: McPherson-Munson Scholarship Fund, TTU Foundation Box 41081, Lubbock, TX 79409 Knights’ Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., 1033 Lone Prairie Rd., Suite #5, Flower Mound, TX 75022-4230. Shepard King Lutheran Church, 2122 18th Street, Lubbock, TX 79401

Dr. Clinton McPherson

October 6, 1918 - January 25, 2014