Colonel Lawson W. Magruder, Jr

 Colonel Lawson W. Magruder, Jr was born in Clarksdale, Ms on October 6, 1917.

His family moved to Waco, Texas in August of 1925. He graduated from Waco High in 1934. His achievements at Waco High included lettering in football, and baseball. He also was the quarterback under the legendary coach Paul Tyson in 1933.

 Colonel Magruder attended the University of Texas at Austin graduating with a Business degree in 1942. He also earned a MA in Education in 1978. While a student at UT, he was President of Kappa Sigma fraternity and a member of the golf team.

 Colonel Magruder enlisted into the U.S. Army at the outbreak of World War II. He went on to serve for over 31 years with his last assignment as the Professor of Military Science(PMS) at UT Austin, retiring in February 1973. Colonel Magruder was the PMS of Army ROTC during the height of the Vietnam War.

 Colonel Magruder served in ten combat campaigns. These campaigns included World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam War. Career highlights included landing at Utah Beach on D-Day with the 22^nd Infantry Regiment, 4^th ID. Company Commander during the breakout of St. Lo (Battle of the Bulge), Battalion Commander during the counteroffensive of 1951 (Korea) and as the Inspector General under General Westmoreland in Vietnam. Colonel Magruder also served in the Philippines, France, and Great Britain and at College Station, Texas.

His awards included the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, and Bronze Star with Valor (4), Purple Heart (3) and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) (2).

Colonel Magruder was honored as a Distinguished Member of the 22^nd Infantry Regiment. He was instrumental in perpetuating the memory of his fallen comrades and the legacy of one of the Army’s most historic units.

Colonel Magruder was also an avid golfer and represented the U.S. Army in many Inter-service Championships. He also won many military club championships and played in the British, French and Philippine Amateur Championships.

 Colonel Magruder’s career would not be complete without the mentioning of his family. He was supported and loved by his wife Mary Anne Windrow of Dallas. Colonel Magruder and Mary Anne were married for 45 years. Mary Anne died on January 25, 1985.  Their 3 daughters and one son, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren survive them. Anne W. Magruder of Waco, Texas, Sallie C. Wood and her husband Charles G. Wood of San Rafael, California, Mary Lynne Collins of Huntsville, Texas and Lawson W. Magruder III and his wife Gloria of San Antonio, Texas.

Colonel Magruder shared the last 16 years of his life with his wife and childhood friend Virginia “Jinx” Turner Harriss of Waco, Texas.

 Colonel Magruder’s life after the Army was devoted to his family, community and church. In Austin he was the master fund-raiser for the first Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Travis County. He was a life-member of the NW Kiwanis Club, substitute teacher and layperson at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church.  In Waco, he was the founder of the Central Texas Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars, lay reader at St. Louis Catholic Church and volunteer at the VA Hospital and at Parkdale and Lake Waco Elementary Schools.

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