Charles Richard Strong

Notes:

Charles was born in the midst of the Depression, and vividly remembers the financial struggle faced by his impoverished parents. In the summers, Charles was usually sent to stay on the farm owned by his great-grandparents, James and Zada Gentry. Charles remembers Zada as a tiny woman, and a good cook. She often remarked, after he devoured her meals, "Charles, you must be hollow to your toes."

Charles eventually rebelled against his father's stringent demands. In a bid for independence, he dropped out of school for in the eighth grade, staying out late most nights or not coming home for days at a time.

His parents sent him to Oklahoma City, to live with his Aunts Fay and Lois, who shared a home. His grandmother, Bessie Payne, lived there with her daughters as well. Charles slept in a cot in the back room. He remembers his grandmother having a Chocolate Hostess Cupcake waiting for him each day when he returned from school. Charles graduated from the 8th grade at Holy Angels Parochical School in Oklahoma City on May 25, 1947. After his graduation, he enrolled in the Oklahoma National Guard. He added two years to his age so he would be eligible to enlist. He was 5'8" and 138 pounds, and told the unit he was age 17, not 15. After seven months of duty, on June 4, 1948, he was honorably discharged as a Private. The reason for his discharge was listed as "Business Interference"

Charles returned home to Duncan to attend High School. He later dropped out of High School as well, and went to work at a bakery. He developed a lifelong aversion to most baked goods, remembering the overwhelming smell. Charles finally realized that education, was the best way to escape poverty, so he returned to school. He graduated from Duncan High School in May, 1952, along with his younger brother Bill.

Charles and Bill both enrolled at Oklahoma A&M (now OSU) in Stillwater. Charles borrowed money from his Aunt Lois to pay for his freshman year, and then was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He received a medical discharge due to a chronic skin condition which made it impossible for him to wear combat boots. After his brief military service, he returned to OSU and used the GI bill to pay for the remainder of his education. He was original a Chemistry major, but changed to business and accounting due to these same skin allergies.

A Feb. 7, 1956 article in the student paper reported that "Charles Strong, arts and sciences junior from Duncan, was named president of the Newman club Sunday evening during the election of the 1956 officers. Strong, a chemistry major, replaces Stan Prochaska, agriculture journalism senior from Enid, as proxy of the organization of Catholic students. He had been vice president and one time co-chairman of the membership committee. Ed Wakeen, OIT student from Massachusetts was elected vice president...(also from Massachusetts) Joe Hayden was elected treasurer...Beverly Kirchmeyer from Ponca City was elected secretary. Continuing as chaplin.....will be Rev. Joseph Dillon, assistant pastor of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Stillwater."

Being president allowed Charles to live in the Newman club, further helping him with financing his education. It was also through the Newman club that Charles met his wife, Pat, a fellow student at OSU.

Charles received his B.S. degree in May, 1959 with a major in accounting and minor in economics. His first job was as an instructor of accounting and economics at Bloomsburg State College in Pennsylvania. He was there for one year, after which time he went to work as an auditor for a public accounting firm in Tulsa. After two years in public accounting, he worked as an auditor for two years at Halliburton in Duncan, Oklahoma. He received his CPA certificate (#1659) from the State of Oklahoma in 1963. Charles went back to OSU, and received his M.S in accounting in May, 1964.

Later, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama (May, 1972, Major in Industrial Relations with minors in Economics and Finance). It was at the married student housing at the University of Alabama that the Strong's started their lifelong friendship with JF and Earlene Burney.

While working on his Ph.D., the Strong's moved between small college's in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas at which Charles had short term teaching assistantships. He was an instructor at OSU, the University of Alabama, Mississippi State College for Women, University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Montevallo (in Alabama).

Charles looked a bit like Henry Kissinger (Secretary of State under Richard Nixon). Once, while on a business trip, he was in a bar in Washington D.C. He heard a whispered conversation between two people, who were hotly debating whether or not he was indeed Dr. Kissinger. When the waitress came up to ask if he wanted a refill, he drolly answered, in his Kissingerian best, "Yah."

In May, 1973, Charles was offered a position in the Accounting Department of Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. He also received his Texas CPA Certificate (No. 12,595) in January, 1974.

While in the Rio Grande Valley, Charles became an avid bird watcher and member of the National Audobon Society. He participated in many bird censuses. He also enjoyed sailing.

Dr. Strong later became a full professor at Pan American. He taught mainly accounting classes, although towards the end of his career he began to teach in the management department. He retired in December, 1997. During his tenure at Pan Am, he served on numerous committees, was a N.A.S.A. Faculty Intern at the Johnson Space Center during the summer of 1974, and served as a visiting professor at Incarnate Word College in San Antonio. He also did the accounting, taxes, and financial planning for a corporate client in Edinburg. Charles retired from Pan American in December 1997.

Charles is a voracious reader, and is especially interested in nature and history. In the late 1990's he and his brother Bill made several trips to Europe to visit their cousin Pete Kubik and to visit various battle sites of World War II. He also became interested in Genealogy, and began travelling throughout the southwest, visiting courthouses in search of land records and also interviewing family members.

He is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw nation, as was his maternal grandfather, Thomas Payne. He is also a Mason.

(Medical):Had Covid-19 in December 2020.

Charles married Patricia Marion McGuire on 25 May 1957 in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma. Patricia (daughter of Keith David McGuire, Sr. and Josephine Marguerite Morlas) was born on 30 Oct 1933 in Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma; died on 16 Mar 2018 in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas; was buried in Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]