Graydon Houston (Soph yr)

After high school, I worked construction (something I had started while in high school) to pay my way through college. (That took five and a half years.) After college, I worked in a lab for Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Texas, in a plant that made chlorine and sodium hydroxide. We also handled sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, and other harsh and concentrated chemicals. During that time, I began volunteering for the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office as a sworn officer and after five years, I decided I wanted to become a police officer - in Colorado. The Arvada, Colorado police department offered me a job that I took. I spent the first several months as a DUI Officer (handling all the drunks), then worked in the detective division, assigned for several years as an auto theft detective. During that time I worked with, and at one time was president of, the Colorado Auto Theft Investigator's Association. I assisted in writing the bylaws for this group and they are still in effect today. I also taught auto theft detective techniques throughout the state of Colorado. I was also active in the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators which gave me access to auto theft investigators around the world. One interesting aspect of this assignment that I really enjoyed was working with and investigating the biker gangs. I later transferred to patrol where I worked "the street" until retirement. During that time, I was active in a peer officer support group, a senior officer referral group to the departmental administration, and served as a Field Training Officer where we trained officers fresh from the academy to become functional street solo officers. That was a challenging, but rewarding assignment.
I retired after nearly twenty-seven years with Arvada and took some time off. In 2012, I contracted myself out to the US Marshal Service as a Special Deputy US Marshal, and was assigned to the interior security of the four federal courthouses in Denver. I have worked there. full time but am now doing it on a part-time basis.

As a member of the Arvada Police Department. I was a member of their pistol team and a group of us even tried our hand at rodeoing. I rode the bareback broncos for three years. Several others of us in the department formed a country-western band and were together for over eight years. We made some good money, developed new friends and contacts, and have more memories than we can count.
Also while with the police department, I obtained my Commercial Driver's License and drove commercially for thirty-plus years, most of it part-time. I drove charter busses and the big rigs for a total of nearly a million miles.
For years I was active in my church by singing in the choir, helping with construction projects, playing in the church band, organizing and directing the security team, and filling in wherever they needed they needed a general flunky.
I also enjoyed camping, MC riding and touring, skydiving, and I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol for twelve years reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. I also obtained my private pilot's license. Lately, I have taken up golf.

I've been able to drive cars, busses, boats, trucks (with between 3 and 18 forward gears), and fly airplanes, but I would really like now to drive a train.

I remember choir with Mrs. Kohler. Sports (football, track) were really important and coach Ross Estes really made a very positive impression on me. I have really enjoyed re-contacting our classmates through Facebook, the class website, and the reunions I've been able to attend.

EDUCATION: BS - Biology with a minor in chemistry, Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, OK
MCJ - Criminal Justice, University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO
EMPLOYMENT: 1960-1967 - Residential construction.
1967 - 1972 - Senior Chemical Technician, Dow Chemical Co., Freeport, TX.
1972-1999 - Police Officer, Arvada, CO (Retired)
1985-2012 - Bus and truck driver.
2012-2017 - Special Deputy for US Marshal's Office, Denver, CO
2017-2019 - Retired again
2021-Present - Back to the Marshal Office
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS: Boy Scouts, Church, Special Olympics, Civil Air Patrol.
HOBBIES (PAST AND PRESENT): Motorcycle touring (past), rodeo riding (too old for this now), skydiving (past), music, aviation (still have my pilot's license, but not current), camping, golf (still trying to break 100).