College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Former Students Earn Highest Texas A&M Honor
AgriLife Today
Texas A&M AgriLife’s digital magazine and newsroom
Environment | Farm & Ranch | Lawn & Garden | Life & Health | Science & Tech
Around Texas A&M AgriLife
Farm & Ranch
Press Releases
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences former students earn highest Texas A&M honor
The Association of Former Students names 12 Distinguished Alumnus Award honorees
April 2, 2026
- by Kay Ledbetter
Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is celebrating four former students who were recently recognized with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a former student by Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students.
Tyrus “Ty” Timm ’34 ’36, Ph.D.; Allan Marburger ’60; Gerald A. Sullivan ’67; and Patrick Conway ’96, M.D., are among 12 graduates recognized over the past two months for their accomplishments.
The honor recognizes former students who have achieved exceptional distinction in their careers and reflect the highest standards of integrity and service. Since the inception of the award in 1962, only 366 Aggies have been recognized for the excellence they achieved in their chosen professions and meaningful contributions to Texas A&M University and their local communities.
Tyrus “Ty” Timm ’34 ’36, Ph.D.
Timm, an agricultural economist, professor, and longtime leader of the Department of Agricultural Economics, was recognized posthumously. He spent more than 40 years at Texas A&M, starting as a student and culminating with serving as the department head for 20 years, from 1953 to 1973.
As a member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, Timm graduated as a second lieutenant and served as a Ross Volunteer. He received a teaching fellowship in the department to continue graduate coursework.
Timm started his career as an agricultural economist at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, became a farm management specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, now Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and later a professor of agricultural economics and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, now the Department of Agricultural Economics. He ended his career working part-time as a research economist, retiring in 1975.
In his role as department head, he advanced education and research at a time when mechanization, changing foreign markets, and expansion toward larger agribusiness enterprises were creating great volatility. He was considered an authority regarding the emergence of the European Common Market, serving on multiple federal task forces.
Timm served on the advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Crop and Livestock Estimate Service, as well as several national and state positions, including the American Bankers Association Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Environment and Agriculture Committee, and the Farm Foundation’s National Agricultural Policy Committee.
Allan Marburger ’60
Marburger, of Paige, is a rancher in Bastrop County. As a student in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, he was involved in various organizations and campus activities, including serving as a delegate to the 1960 Memorial Student Center Student Conference on National Affairs, the Agronomy Society, and the Cotton Pageant and Ball Fundraiser.
He was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Ross Volunteers, and represented Texas A&M at the Ralston Purina month-long conference.