Spotlight Upon Unsung Heroes: Donnie Ray Shaw: Senior Geologist, Bureau of Land Management, US Department of the Interior, Achiever By Wilbur Thirkield Titus Since the beginning of record keeping, achievement has been an essential characteristic of persons who have been admired and considered local, national and/or international heroes. Other admirable characteristics are kindness, generosity, dependability. compassion, moral fortitude and trustworthiness. It seems to me that people who begin life under humble circumstances, who perservere, achieve success and make contributions to his fellowman is worthy of appreciation and praise. Donnie Ray Shaw, (b. 12/16/49 -) of Sterling, Virginia, is such an individual! He is "very appreciative of those who have supported him in his getting an education" and in attaining the status which he now enjoys. He gives of his services and resources freely in the service of God and his fellowman. In my opinion, the youth of our nation could do well to choose him as a role model instead of choosing some vaunted athlete, performer, or drug king in pursuit of quick and easy money. Early Life Donnie, the second of four sons born to the late Ester Shaw Cheatham. grew up a poor boy, on a farm in Greenwood near Shreveport, Louisiana on land that had been left by his grandfather. He performed the usual duties of farm boys of that day, joined the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Greenwood, attended Walnut Hill Elementary and Secondary Schools from which he graduated on May 23, 1967, the seventh in a class of 140. Adulthood He attended Bishop College, Dallas, Texas on an academic scholarship and a Research Associate Grant in the Chemistry Department. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B. S. Degree in Chemistry in 1971. While at Bishop College, he was a member of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, the Chemistry Club, Young Democrats, the Louisiana Club and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He was Sigma's International Scholarship Leadership Winner in 1970, having maintained a GPA of 3.85 on a scale of 4.0. He was accepted by Princeton University's Geology Department to participate in its graduate program on a NASA Fellowship. He did research in high temperature Geochemical phase equilibria and received a Masters Degree in Geology in 1974. Work Experiences Donnie has enjoyed 32 awesome years working as a Energy Resource Classification and Reservoir Assessment Geologist with the U. S. Department of the Interior in the Washington, D.C. area. He has been with the Bureau of Land Management since 1982 and is now the Senior Geologist/Reservoir Management Specialist for the Fluid Minerals Division.. Donnie counts among the highlights of his career as management oversight visits to oil, gas, and geothermal steam fields within pristine natural wilderness habitats in several western states, including Alaksa's, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, amongst grizzly bears, moose, salmon streams and glaciers. Even before the price of oil exceeded $100 a barrel, Donnie’s dedication to managing petroleum production and operations on over 22,000 Federal onshore leases assisted the Federal Government in generating over $2 billion in royalties for the American tax payers, annually. Memberships Some of his numerous memberships include the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the A. M. Hunter Titus Charitable Cultural Center, Inc., of Fairfield, Texas, where he serves as an advisor; American Orchid Society, National Geographic Society, NAACP ,National Capital Orchid Society, Zion Baptist Church, Washington, D. C., and Zion Baptist Gospel Choir, where he serves as treasurer. Hobbies Donnie is not an "all work and no play" person. He has many hobbies some of which are photography, bird watching, art collecting, raising and displaying orchids. and traveling. He has traveled extensively. Some of his trips have been for pleasure, and others have been to professional meetings and searches relative to orchid culture in "over 36 countries on all six settled continents," Some of these places are France, Brazil, New Guinea, Peru, Venezuela. Donations He generously supports selected causes. * Over $1,500.00 annually in support of high school graduates and other students in furthering their education, * to the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church's in Greenwood, LA's Scholarship Fund, the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts Fund in Washington, D.C., the DuVal High School Concert Choir Fund in Largo, Maryland, and the United Negro College Fund, * the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church's in Greenwood, LA's Scholarship Fund, the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts Fund in Washington, D.C., the DuVal High School Concert Choir Fund in Largo, Maryland, as well as the United Negro College Fund, * regularly donate books, school supplies, food, and clothing, to local homeless shelters and to disaster relief efforts, * live orchids to the pastor's study and the offices of the Zion Baptist Church of Washington, D. C. * The A.M. Hunter Titus Charitable Cultural Center, Inc. Space will not permit me to describe the countless awards and honors that he has received. For additional infrmation. contact the Titus Center. 946 South Bateman Road, Fairfield, Texas 75840 or bill1919@valornet.com.