April 18, 2008

Marvin and Anita McCorgary named Outstanding Tiger Alumni for 2008

Putting together successful careers in the printing business, Cowley College graduates Marvin and Anita (Belew) McCorgary have been named the Outstanding Tiger Alumni for 2008.

“Anita and Marvin are highly successful business people that are representative of Cowley graduates all around the United States,” Cowley president Dr. Patrick J. McAtee said. “I am proud to honor them as Outstanding Tiger Alumni.”

Anita graduated from Cowley, then known as Arkansas City Junior College, in 1959, while Marvin graduated in 1960.

Since graduation they have worked in the printing business. Anita is president of Airport Printing Service, a company the couple established in 1980, and Marvin retired from Taylor Publishing Company in May, 2000 after more than 30 years of service with that firm.

They feel that Cowley, and the outstanding faculty members, provided a solid foundation for their continued education and work experiences. Both Anita and Marvin feel truly honored to have been chosen for the Outstanding Alumni Award.

“Arkansas City Junior College was a great place to have continuing education after high school,” the couple said. “The college atmosphere was present, and the faculty was outstanding, yet the surroundings of home were there to make the transition from high school easier.”

After ACJC, Marvin continued his education at Pittsburg State University, where he graduated in 1963. He then completed his graduate degree at Emporia State University in 1966. Anita returned to college in 1978 and majored in accounting at the University of Texas at El Paso.

After graduating from Pittsburg State, Marvin taught vocational printing and journalism before entering the Printing Industry. His first management experience was with Jostens where he was responsible for the successful implementation of the world’s first computerized typesetting system. This new system utilized the IBM 1130 computer and the Photon 713 Photo Composer. He later joined Taylor Publishing Company in Dallas and completed his career in May, 2000 retiring as Vice-president and General Manager where his duties included responsibilities for manufacturing plants in California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas.

When Anita decided to return to work fulltime she and Marvin opened Airport Printing Service. The operation began as a small one press quick printer and steadily grew in volume and equipment where it remains one of the largest commercial printers in El Paso, Texas. Currently the company utilizes the most modern computer to printing plate technology with a complete assortment of printing and binding equipment including a 40” 6 color press a 28” 5 color press and numerous smaller presses.

In addition to their past and present professional careers, both Anita and Marvin have been very active in civic affairs as well. Anita has served on the Board of Directors for both the Better Business Bureau and the Executive Forum, a civic group of Executive Business Women. She is a member of the Rotary Club of El Paso. Along with these activities Anita continues in her business capacity as President of Airport Printing Service.

Marvin is a past member of the Rotary Club of El Paso and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and for the Girl Scouts of America, El Paso Chapters. He also was president for a term of the Printing Industries Association in El Paso. For the past several years, Marvin has been an active member of the National Advisory Council for the Kansas Technology Center located at Pittsburg State University.

In addition to civic and professional activities, Marvin has been a life long runner competing in many races including marathons and ran the Boston Marathon in 1992, and he still remains committed to physical fitness activities as a daily hobby.

Marvin and Anita still maintain a close relationship to Cowley College and have established a scholarship in their names.

In addition to the school, they make several trips each year to Ark City to visit relatives and old friends, and they always return during Arkalalah as do many former classmates who now live away from Ark City. They also have some business properties in Cowley and Sumner counties. 

They are the parents of a daughter, Alisa, and her husband Shane, with grandchildren “T” Simpson and Michael Frederick of Arkansas City, and son, Mike, and wife Leesy of El Paso, Texas.