Shirald Hendrix began playing basketball on a dirt court with one goal, next to his parents’ general store and post office in the small East Texas community of Big Sandy/Dallardsville. In high school, he played for Texas Basketball Hall of Fame Coach W. Ford King, and captained the Big Sandy Wildcats from 1954-56.
In 1956, Hendrix entered the University of Corpus Christi (UCC) on a basketball scholarship and played for four years under Head Coach and Hall of Honor member Jess Richardson. Hendrix was a standout defender and Co-Captain of the Tarpons for two years, leading the team to the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship playoffs in 1960.
While at the University of Corpus Christi (UCC), Hendrix was President of the Circle-K Club and was named Lt. Governor of Circle-K Region VI, representing several colleges in Texas and Oklahoma.
Hendrix was hired by Gulf Oil Corporation while still in college, and graduated from UCC in 1960 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. His successful marketing career with Gulf Oil progressed through Fort Worth, Austin, Kansas City, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Following the Gulf Oil/Chevron Corporation merger in 1985, he became Vice President of Credit Card Promotions and the Chevron Travel Club. Retiring in 1989, he returned to Houston to start his own marketing consulting company and worked with several major corporations including Allstate Insurance, Citgo Petroleum, and others.
In 1992, Hendrix joined the National Alumni Board for Corpus Christi State University and became President of the National Alumni Association that helped return the university to a four-year institution. That same year, he founded the TAMU-CC Houston Alumni Chapter, and while serving as President of the National Alumni Association, the City of Corpus Christi issued a proclamation declaring April 29, 1994, as “Shirald Hendrix Day.” He helped introduce the Athletics Hall of Honor upon its inception in 2001 and received the university’s Outstanding Alumni Award that same year.
Hendrix was married to Ann Holder for 24 years until her death in 1984. He has four children: Deana, Kim, Dean and Sherri. Since 2005, he has been married to Suzy Lewis, and they have four grandchildren.
Hendrix continues to serve as an active member of the TAMU-CC Houston Alumni Association, assisting with fundraising for the chapter’s on-going annual scholarship and for the University.
