Most Likely to Succeed in 1977

New years come and go, traditionally leaving in their wake resolutions from lapsed do-gooders and mailboxes stuffed with Christmas bills. And at D Magazine the new year traditionally signals the time for us to scan the city and name the people who, we feel, distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack last year and look to be front runners in their respective fields in 1977.

But first, a disclaimer. When we made our selections a few weeks ago, we discovered that not one woman, black, chicano or other minority had survived the screening process. That may be a news item in itself, because this is the first year white males have exclusively dominated our list. After some lengthy discussion, we decided to stick to our guns and call ’em as we see ’em, while leaving the sociological ramifications of this important piece of trivia to our readers.

Without further ado, we present to all you peoplewatchers the men to keep an eye on in 1977.



… in Medicine: Dr. Donald Capra, of the University of Texas Health Science Center. Already recognized for his work on the structure of antibody molecules which provided the discovery of how proteins interact with foreign material, Capra, 38, has just received a $160,000 National Science Foundation grant to continue his research. One of only six people in the world presently studying the chemical structure of the proteins responsible for transplant rejections, Capra hopes his research will also lead to practical application in the cure for such things as human allergy. “I don’t know from one day to the next whether I’m wasting my time,” Capra says, but it is felt that his work in the coming year will lead to further breakthroughs in allergy and immunology.



… in Banking: Gene Bishop. Last year we picked Bishop, 46, as banker most likely to succeed in 1976, his first full year as chairman of Mercantile Texas Corporation. He did. In the first nine months of 1976, Bishop drove Mercantile’s profit up nearly 24 percent, while instilling a new pride in the Mercantile organization, which has become the talk of the local banking community. This year looks even better for Bishop. On January 1, Mercantile takes over a floundering bank holding company with large banks in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi, effectively doubling Mercantile’s size, and offering Bishop an opportunity to repeat his sterling 1976 performance.

… in Academia: Alan Coleman, Dean of the School of Business at SMU. Part of the Zumberge dean-team, Cole-man, 47, is getting high marks from other SMU faculty members and administrators, particularly those not in the School of Business who were made uneasy by the more flamboyant style of his predecessor, C. Jackson Grayson. Donors, too, seem happy with the Stanford-educated dean’s cautious approach to building a first-rate business school.



… in Classical Music: Eliot Chapo, the new concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Though Eduardo Mata, the new principal conductor of the symphony, has the most visible job, he needs a strong string section if he’s to fulfill his goal of making the DSO a first-rate orchestra. Chapo, 30, previously concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, was quite a catch for the symphony, and he has been making his presence felt, particularly in solo passages.



… in Journalism: Bryan Woolley.The new editorial page writer tor the Times Herald, Woolley, 39, was recruited from the Louisville Courier Journal to breathe new life into the paper’s deadeningly dull editorial columns. His prose has already brightened the paper’s style. Now if he can get a clear focus on local issues without falling into the old establishment vs. anti-establishment trap, Woolley could emerge as a badly needed star among the city’s editorialists.



. . . in Civic Leadership: Dave Fox, president of Fox & Jacobs. The newly selected chairman of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce has been quietly gaining momentum as a behind-the-scenes political mover and shaker, especially in Republican circles where he has achieved a reputation as a champion fundraiser. Fox, 53, represents the new breed of business leaders who are stepping in to fill the city’s power vacuum. If Mayor Folsom wins re-election in April, the two could form a powerful team in re-shaping the city’s political power structure and in uniting area businessmen behind long-term goals such as downtown revitalization.



. . . in Fine Arts: George Goodenow. The artist’s previous work in light projection led him to experiment with Ci-bachrome, a photographic material made of dyes instead of chemicals. Having eliminated the need for camera, lens or film, Goodenow, 34, works with only light and Cibachrome paper to produce photographic images. He has discovered properties of the paper that its creator, Ciba-Geigy of Switzerland, did not know about, and has been rewarded by increasing recognition of his vibrant, luminous work in the international art and photographic communities. In the next year he has exhibits planned in London, Paris, Japan, and at Cologne’s prestigious Fotokina exhibition, as well as a one-man show at Europe’s foremost photography gallery, II Diaframma, in Milan.

… in Sports: Sonny Allen, basketball coach, SMU. Allen, 40, brought basket-ball excitement back to Moody Coliseum in his first year last year with a run-run fast break offensive style and an animated courtside manner. He also produced a winning team and should do so again (at least there will be, as last year, success at the box office).