Blinn Alumni and Friends Association announces 2026 Hall of Honor inductees

Wright, Mills, Grimm, and Oldham will be recognized during annual Hall of Honor luncheon

September 21, 2026

Four individuals whose careers and service have impacted Blinn College and their communities will be inducted into the Blinn College Alumni and Friends Association Hall of Honor.

Dr. Robert G. Wright, Billy Jay Mills, James Grimm, and Casey M. Oldham will be recognized as the 2026 inductees during the annual Hall of Honor luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, in the Janis Sneed Banquet Room in the Student Center on the Blinn-Brenham Campus.

Seats are $40 each, and tables for eight are $300. Reservations can be made by calling 979-830-4101 or emailing leah.coleman@blinn.edu.

The Hall of Honor recognizes distinguished Blinn alumni and friends, local business leaders, and individuals who have made a significant impact in their communities or professions.

The Alumni and Friends Association maintains connections with former students and friends of the College, encourages support for and participation in Blinn’s educational, cultural, athletic, and social programs, helps the College achieve its goals and objectives, and provides fellowship among former students and friends.

To learn more about the Blinn College Alumni and Friends Association, visit www.blinn.edu/alumni.

ROBERT G. WRIGHT

Dr. Robert G. Wright made history at Blinn College while helping expand educational opportunities for students throughout the region.

Wright joined Blinn in 1984 as administrative assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, becoming the first African American to serve in an administrative role at the College. In 1991, he was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs.

In that role, Wright helped implement Blinn’s off-campus programs at area high schools, laying the foundation for what is now the College’s Dual Credit Program. He also administered Blinn’s correctional facilities program.

A 1957 graduate of A.R. Pickard High School in Brenham, Wright lettered in football and track before embarking on a distinguished military and educational career. A retired U.S. Air Force major and Vietnam veteran, he completed Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base and Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base.

While serving in the Air Force, Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He later earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado and a doctorate in education administration from Texas A&M University.

Wright has remained deeply involved in Washington County. He serves as an associate municipal court judge for the City of Brenham and previously served as president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club of Brenham, the Republican Club of Washington County, and the Brenham Activist Association. He also has served as a director of the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County and with the Washington County United Way and Brazos Valley Council of Governments.

A longtime advocate for veterans, Wright became the first African American commander and chaplain of James F. Dillon VFW Post 7104 and is a member of the Washington County Veterans Organization. He continues to work with the VFW and Blinn College Foundation to provide scholarships for Washington County students.

BILLY JAY MILLS

Billy Jay Mills’ time at Blinn helped launch a career that has included success in college football, business, and civic leadership.

A native of Killeen, Mills came to the Blinn-Brenham Campus on a football scholarship in 1971. After joining the Texas Army National Guard in January 1972, he returned to the Buccaneers that fall and was part of a Blinn team that finished 11-0 and ranked second in the nation.

Mills earned his Associate of Arts degree from Blinn in December 1973 before enrolling at Baylor University. After graduating from Baylor, he joined Head Coach Grant Teaff’s staff and spent nine years with the Bears, coaching defensive ends, cornerbacks, special teams, and the secondary before serving as defensive coordinator in 1982.

During his Baylor coaching career, the Bears won Southwest Conference championships in 1974 and 1980 and defeated Clemson in the 1979 Peach Bowl.

Mills left coaching in December 1982 to join his father, T.J. Mills, at Modern TV & Appliance in Killeen. Over the next 25 years, father and son continued to grow the family business. Mills later became owner, and the company eventually reorganized as Modern Appliance under his son Cullen’s leadership.

Modern TV & Appliance and Modern Appliance have received numerous local and industry recognitions, including being voted Best Appliance Store in Bell County by Killeen Daily Herald readers 19 times over a 20-year period.

Mills also has held numerous civic and professional leadership roles. He has served on the executive board of the BrandSource national buying group, as a director of the Central Texas Home Builders Association and Fort Hood Apartment Association, and as a longtime leader with the Association of the United States Army. He also has served on the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and as its military affairs chairman, on the Texas A&M University-Central Texas advisory board, and as a Killeen Independent School District trustee.

JAMES GRIMM

James Grimm has spent decades supporting agriculture, education, and opportunities for future generations, including extensive service to Blinn College and its students.

Grimm attended Blinn for two and a half years and majored in agriculture. He later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where he served until retiring with the rank of sergeant.

His professional career began with the Texas Department of Agriculture, where he worked for 20 years and rose to Chief Inspector. He later served as Executive Vice President of the Texas Poultry Federation, helping guide the industry during a period of significant growth.

During Grimm’s tenure with the federation, poultry processing capacity in Texas grew from approximately 6 million to more than 14 million chickens per week, while egg-layer capacity increased from approximately 12 million to more than 23 million.

Grimm also was instrumental in developing AGVENTURE exhibits at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and Rodeo Austin, providing families with opportunities to learn more about agriculture and food production.

His service has included appointments by President George W. Bush to an FBI-Homeland Security Task Force and by Gov. Rick Perry to a Texas Department of Public Safety-Homeland Security Task Force. Grimm also has served in advisory roles with the Texas Animal Health Commission, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas State Chemist, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and Texas A&M University Poultry Science Department.

Grimm has maintained close ties to Blinn. In 2012, he made a significant contribution to the Rankin Agricultural Complex, where the James and Walline Grimm Classroom was named in recognition of the couple’s support. He has been an active member of the Blinn Alumni and Friends Association for more than 12 years and has played an important role in the annual Clay Shootout fundraiser.

As a 30-year member of the Brenham Elks, Grimm has served on its Board of Directors and scholarship and golf fundraiser committees. For 15 years, he has served on the Elks Scholarship Committee, helping provide scholarships to Blinn students.

He also helped establish the Texas Poultry Allied Scholarship Program, which supports poultry science students at Texas A&M University and Stephen F. Austin State University and has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships. In 2019, the James and Walline Grimm Endowed Scholarship was established to create additional educational opportunities for students.

The Grimm family’s connection to Blinn spans generations. His wife, Walline, son Jason, daughter Tribbie, and grandchildren Taylor, Logan, and Colten have attended Blinn.

CASEY M. OLDHAM

Casey M. Oldham has helped shape the Brazos Valley business community through more than two decades of leadership in real estate, investment, development, and community service.

Oldham is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Oldham Goodwin Group LLC, a Texas-based real estate firm specializing in brokerage, management, development, and investment.

He founded the company in Bryan in 2004 and has overseen its expansion into markets including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Its portfolio includes hotels, multifamily developments, retail properties, life sciences, and master-planned communities.

Together with co-partner and President and Chief Operating Officer R. Hunter Goodwin, Oldham oversees the firm’s strategy and operations. Oldham Goodwin has deployed $500 million in private equity, developed or acquired more than $1 billion in real estate assets, and manages approximately $3 billion in property assets through Oldham Goodwin Capital and third-party engagements.

Oldham earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University and is a licensed real estate broker in Texas and Indiana.

His business and community involvement includes service as a director of American Momentum Bank and as a member of its Loan Committee and Audit & Compliance Committee. He also serves on the Brazos Valley Community Foundation Board of Directors, where he previously served as chairman.

Oldham is a founding member of the Texas A&M Real Estate Association in Mays Business School and serves on the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture Development Council and Texas A&M Foundation Real Estate Gift Committee. He previously served as chairman of the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation and as a member of the City of College Station Planning and Zoning Commission.

Oldham also has been inducted into the Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry, which recognizes distinguished former students of Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

About the Blinn College District

With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.