Distinguished Alumni
Kelly and Beth Damphousse
Awarded 2023
Beth Smith Damphousse was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma but grew up in Bryan, Texas. Her youth involved visiting the family farm, church youth group activities, singing and playing music.
She attended Sam Houston State University, earning a degree in music education in 1987. While there, she was active in the Baptist Student Union, played piano at Second Baptist Church and taught piano lessons.
Kelly Damphousse was raised in a small fishing village in northern Canada. He moved to southern Alberta in grade 12, where he later earned an associate degree in law enforcement from Lethbridge Community College. He later continued his education at SHSU to pursue his dream of being a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, he decided to stay in Texas and marry Beth. With Beth’s support, he earned a master’s degree and PhD in sociology from Texas A&M University. During this time, Beth taught choir in Bryan ISD and tended to their two daughters, Kayleigh and Kristen.
Kelly began his career as an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1994, then returned to SHSU in 1995 as a professor. He later joined the University of Oklahoma faculty in 1997, where he stayed until 2017. While there, he earned the title of Presidential Professor of Sociology and served as associate dean in the college of arts and sciences for nine years and for four years as dean.
Along the way, Beth taught junior high choir, performed and taught in churches, served as music associate at First Baptist Church-Moore, directed the FBC-Norman Fine Arts Academy. Beth also directed the OU visitor center and was an event coordinator in the office of admissions and recruitment. It was through these experiences that she developed her passion for student success.
After the girls left for college, she and Kelly sold their home and lived as faculty-in-residence for four years.
In July 2017, they moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas, when Kelly was named Chancellor of Arkansas State University. In Jonesboro, Beth served on the Downtown Jonesboro Association Board, the Northeast Arkansas United Way Board and chaired the A-State Friends and Alumni Campus Beautification Committee and as first lady of A-State. She continued this role in San Marcos, after Kelly was named President at Texas State University in July 2022.
Beth accompanies Kelly in his travels across the country for various events and works with the president’s office staff in planning events. She loves hosting events in the president’s residence and interacting with her new children, the Bobcats of Texas State.
The Damphousses are lifelong learners and have demonstrated their dedication to student success through the roles they both have held. Their work earned them the Distinguished Alumni Award from the SHSU Alumni Association, of which they are members.