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Dr. Mary Ann Craige ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.se.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2019\/10\/Vicki-Hudson-1-240x300.jpg\")
Mrs. Vicki Hudson<\/p>\nDr. Mary Ann Craige Mrs. Vicki Hudson<\/p>\n
DURANT, Okla. \u2013<\/strong> Southeastern Oklahoma State University will honor two individuals with the Distinguished Former Faculty Award during homecoming festivities October 24-26.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Distinguished Former Faculty Award recipients are Dr. Mary Ann Craige, music professor, and \u00a0Vicki Hudson, <\/strong>health, physical education and recreation professor.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Collectively, they taught for nearly a century at Southeastern, with both retiring in 2016.<\/p>\n The honorees will be formally recognized at the Alumni Association\u2019s Distinguished Awards Banquet on Friday, October 25, at 5:30 p.m.\u00a0 in the Visual & Performing Arts Center.<\/p>\n Dr. Mary Ann Craige, a name synonymous with music education, retired from Southeastern after a highly-distinguished 50-year career as Professor of Music.<\/p>\n A member of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, Craige served as chair of the Music Teachers National Association composition contest and district chair of the Oklahoma Federation of Music Clubs composition contest for 35 years.<\/p>\n Along with serving as a music instructor, Craige was a highly-sought accompanist for solo and ensemble performances. Her private students earned numerous first-place awards in various contests over the years as she sought to instill a love for and appreciation of music in everyone with whom she came into contact.<\/p>\n Craige was director of the Chorvettes for many years at Southeastern, and among her students was Reba McEntire.<\/p>\n She earned a bachelor of music degree in piano performance at Oklahoma Baptist and received both a master of music and Ph.D. in College Teaching and Piano Performance from North Texas State University in Denton.<\/p>\n Craige was presented the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and was named Professor Emeritus of Music in 2016.<\/p>\n In 2016, she was the recipient of the Oklahoma Baptist University Alumni Achievement Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed by OBU and is given in recognition of outstanding life service which has brought honor to the individual’s alma mater.<\/p>\n Vicki Hudson accomplished a great deal during her 46-year career at Southeastern, but perhaps her greatest achievement was providing inspiration while making a profound and lasting impact on young people, many of whom went on to become educators.<\/p>\n A native of Sentinel, Oklahoma, Hudson\u00a0 earned her master and bachelor degrees in Education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.<\/p>\n She began her Southeastern career in 1970 as an instructor in Health, Physical Education and Recreation and as the coach of women\u2019s sports \u2013 basketball, softball, volleyball and tennis. Later, she was promoted to Assistant Professor and coached only basketball and tennis.<\/p>\n When Southeastern switched\u00a0 from NAIA to NCAA competition, Hudson gave up her coaching duties to become Assistant to the Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator. In addition, she continued her teaching duties and served as chair of the Department of Health , Physical Education and Recreation from 1997-2016.<\/p>\n Throughout her career, Hudson was the recipient of many awards and honors, including the \u201cHeart of Southeastern,\u2019\u2019 \u201cSoutheastern Faculty Senate Lifetime Achievement Award,\u2019\u2019 \u201cVirginia Peters Higher Education Professional Award,\u2019\u2019 \u201cSoutheastern Athletic Hall of Fame,\u2019\u2019 \u201cNational Association for Girls and Women in Sports Pathfinder Award,\u2019\u2019 and \u201cNAIA District 9 Coach of the Year Awards\u2019\u2019 in tennis and basketball.<\/p>\n