29 Oct 2010
Naming recognizes honoree's lifetime service to the military, JROTC and public education
DALLAS–Dallas Independent School District officials will mark the naming of the Col. Joe D. Sasser JROTC wing at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 1201 E. Eighth St.
Program participants include Col. Sasser, his two daughters who now serve as Dallas ISD administrators; Alice Black, principal at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center; LTC. Robert Davis, Director of Army Instruction for JROTC; District 5 Board Trustee Lew Blackburn; and Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa.
Sasser, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Prairie View A&M University, began his career in Dallas ISD in 1960 as head of the JROTC program at the then-Booker T. Washington High School. He later served as senior army instructor at J.N. Ervin Elementary School and Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.
In 1993, in partnership with the U.S. Army, Col. Sasser established and served as the director of the JROTC Telecommunications Technology Academy at James Madison High School, a military electronics training program that was the only one of its kind in the nation. Capping his 48-year career in education, in 2000, Sasser was named the Dallas ISD's Director of Army Instruction, a post in which he oversaw the operation of all district JROTC programs until his retirement from Dallas ISD in 2008.
Under Sasser's leadership, Dallas ISD JROTC units received a number of national awards of distinction; for three consecutive years Dallas units received "Best JROTC Battalion" awards. He is proudest of the many outstanding students with whom he worked who are now serving on active duty as commissioned officers and top NCOs.
During his more than 35 years of service in the U.S. Army, Col. Sasser earned the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserved Components Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserved Medal, the Army Service Medal and many others.
He is a graduate of several military training programs, including the United States Infantry School, the Civil Affairs Officers Advanced Course, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the Academy of Health Science, the Army Reserve Component National Security Course, and the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
He is married to Beatrice (Wright) Sasser. The couple has two daughters, both of whom serve in Dallas ISD. Nesa Sasser is the associate principal of Lincoln High School, and Leavetta Sasser is the associate principal at A. Maceo Smith High School.
"Dallas ISD demonstrates the right approach for strengthening the critical one-on-one student and teacher relationship, an approach that empowers educators with the right information and leverages technology to enable improved student performance."