The first five honorees in the Rockdale ISD’s new Distinguished Alumni Program have been announced and will inducted in an Oct. 11 ceremony.
They are astronaut Ken Cockrell, local minister and educator Dr. Dennis Brooks Sr., former State Rep. L. B. Kubiak, ophthalmologist Dr. Art (Copie) Perry and longtime Rockdale physician Dr. John M. Weed III.
Dr. Denise Monzingo, RISD superintendent said the new program honors Rockdale High School and Aycock High School graduates “whose achievements, strengths of character and citizenship serve as models to inspire and challenge today’s students” and have brought honor and positive recognitions to the community.
More information on the Oct. 11 ceremony, day of the Tiger-Lago Vista homecoming game will be announced at a later date.
Ken Cockrell
A 1968 RHS graduate, Cockrell became an astronaut in 1990 and flew five space shuttle missions.
Three times he commanded shuttles, once he was the pilot and once a mission specialist. He conducted seven rendezvous with orbiting spacecraft and docked twice with the International Space Station.
Cockrell, a U. S. Navy veteran, was Astronaut Office Chief in 1997-98, Director of Operations in Star City, Russia in 2003 and was a test pilot before and after his astronaut duties.
He still works as a test pilot for a jet engine development company and flies for a Houston skydiving team.
Dr. (Rev.)
Dennis Brooks Sr.
Dr. Dennis Brooks Sr. is the founder and president of the Institute For Teaching God’s Word Seminary, headquartered in Rockdale, with satellite campuses in Houston, League City, Oceanside, San Francisco and San Diego, California and Seattle, Washington along with Paris, France; Aachen, Germany; Brussels, Belgium and the island of Dominica.
A 1960 graduate of Aycock High School, he also founded the New Jerusalem Interdenominational Church and the American Academy of Crisis Counseling in Rockdale.
Dr. Brooks is also the founder of Sho’ Nuff Soul Food Diner in Rockdale and is the author of two books.
Dr. L. B. Kubiak
Dr. L. B. Kubiak, a 1964 RHS graduate, served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives and was president of the 72-member Texas Conservative Coalition in that chamber.
The coalition twice selected him as one of its top 10 members.
A licensed veterinarian he practiced veterinary medicine for 25 years and was owner of the South First Animal Clinic in Austin. He is a past president of the Capital Area Veterinary Medicine Association.
A standout athlete at Rock-dale High School and Texas A&M, he was inducted into the Rockdale Athletic Hall of Honor in 2007.
Dr. Art Perry
Known as “Copie,” a shortening of his middle name, in high school, this 1965 RHS graduate invented and patented an orbital (eye sphere) which is the gold standard in the field and is sold worldwide.
After graduating medical school, and working in hospitals in Georgia, Florida and Arizona, he opened a private ophthalmology (eye and vision care) practice in San Diego, California, in 1979 and continues that practice today.
He is on the teaching faculty at the University of California-San Diego and was a consultant for the U.S Navy Balboa Hospital.
He has taught and lectured at the American Academy of Ophthalmology for over 30 years and has received its Senior Achievement Award.
Dr. John M. Weed III
Recently retired after a 44-year career as “Rockdale’s doctor,” Dr. John M. Weed III is one of the most recognizable faces in the community.
A 1964 Rockdale High School graduate he was the first drum major of the Big Blue Band. “I was drum major for two years, was once dubbed ‘Little Napoleon,’ enjoyed giving orders and learned a lot from (director) Bill Grusendorf about leadership,” he said.
After graduating from medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and training for family medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, he came back home to Rockdale to join Drs. John Richards, Philip Young and L. E. Selden at Rockdale Medical Association.
Dr. Weed retired in 2018.
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