Pan
American Round
Table of Odessa
History
What follows is an excerpt from The Pan American Round Table, Lois Terry Marchbanks, Avon Behren Press, 1983, (pg 134).
The Odessa Pan American Round Table was founded March 19, 1977, brought into being by Nancy Blythe formerly of Dallas Table III; Nancy's Mother had originated Dallas Table I, so that she was well versed in Pan Americanism as we espouse it. Cleo Seelinger was State Director at the time. The 14 members were mostly Texans but, appropriately, some were natives of Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. A year later there were 27 members, and October 21, 1978 the charter from the Alliance was granted; Maxine Guerra was the Director General.
Since its inception, the Odessa PART has awarded, annually, a scholarship to an outstanding Spanish student at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Awarded, too, are Spanish dictionaries to the outstanding Spanish students at the local community college. Also, the majority of the foreign Latin students enrolled in the short "term" drilling school at the local colleges are entertained by members and their spouses.
In 1981, the Odessa PART was instrumental in implementing an exchange student program between University of Texas of the Permian Basin and the Universidad Autonoma del Noreste at Torreon, Mexico. Olga Garcia was a guest of several of the members during her entire stay in Odessa.
Since 1980 the Table has started a program of annually donating children's Spanish language books to the county library.
In January 1982, the Odessa Table hosted a State Board meeting presided over by Mrs. Elva Kalb Dumas. We are proud of what we have achieved in five short years.
