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Community leaders to be honored in Hall of Fame at halftime game at Santa Cruz Valley Union High School, Oct. 31

Staff Reports

Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009 8:32 AM MST

Dr. Shirlene White Bradford

Doctor of Education

Shirlene was born the oldest of eight children in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow Era. After Emmitt Till, a Chicago youth, was massacred near her hometown, her parents decided that when black children were being killed, it was time for us to leave Mississippi and move to Arizona permanently. She picked and chopped cotton until the age of 14 when she began working in a Federal Job Corp student work program in Eloy. Her mother, Willie Pearl Nelson, worked in the Eloy School District as a cook, and her father, E.B. Nelson, managed a service station in Eloy for many years.

Shirlene participated in many civil rights and integration activities in Eloy and Santa Cruz. She was elected the first SCVUHS black homecoming queen in 1965; Student Body Officer 4; National Honor Society 2,3,4, President 4; G.A.A. 1,2,3,4, Recording Secretary 2, Vice-President 3, President 4; Dance Band 1,2,3,4; Band 1,2,3,4, President 4; Devil’s Call 4; Whirlwind staff 3,4; Christmas Queen Attendant 3; Girl’s State 3; University of Arizona Citizenship Award for Outstanding Junior Girl, 3.

Most of her siblings graduated from SCVUHS and have become very successful and productive citizens (a pro baseball player; Southwestern USA black belt champion; ASU cheerleader; telephone account analyst; etc).

Shirlene’s fondest memories of life and Eloy relates to her friends and experiences at Santa Cruz. Her faith and SCVUHS gave her the foundation, which has set her on a path to success and a better understanding of cultural diversity resulting in many lifelong accomplishments: a National Merit Scholar, Doctor of Education, Certified K-12 school principal in three states, Arizona State NAACP Image Award, International Doctoral Honors Society, and Director of Community and Continuing Education at Central Arizona College.

Malcolm B. Daniell M. D.

Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon

Malcom B. Daniell, M.D. graduated from Santa Cruz in 1952. He played football and basketball all four years and was in the Letterman’s Club 2-3-4, Letterman’s Club Sec. 4; Boy’s Chorus 1; Band 1-2; Student Council Rep. 2; Blue Note Club 2.

Malcolm B. Daniell, M.D. graduated from Baylor University College of Medicine in 1960 and is a well-known cardio-thoracic surgeon (retired) in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Dr. Daniell’s early surgical internship was at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD., and he has worked alongside three early heart surgery pioneers: Dr. Alfred Blalock, Dr. Michael DeBakey, and Dr. Denton Cooley. He has also served as chief of surgery at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was instrumental in founding Memorial’s Bypass Surgery Services as well as a member of the team that performed the first heart bypass surgery in Chattanooga.

Few heart treatments were available until the first coronary bypass procedure was reported in the 1960s, then popularized by Dr. Michael DeBakey at Baylor Medical School in Houston, Tex. One of Dr. DeBakey’s students, Dr. William Berry, came to Chattanooga in 1970 and no one was performing open-heart surgery at Memorial. The first open-heart surgery at Memorial was performed on July 17, 1972, by Dr. Berry, and Dr. Malcolm Daniell, a medical school classmate of Dr. Berry’s and a faculty member at Baylor, came to assist with the procedure. Dr. Daniell moved to Chattanooga in 1974, and within 10 years, Memorial was performing more open-heart procedures than any other hospital in the area. At the time of his retirement in 1999, Dr. Daniell had performed half of all the bypass surgeries in Chattanooga. His friends know him as Mac and he performed more than 5,000 procedures during his memorable surgical career of more than 35 years.

Memorial Hospital awarded their Humanitarian Award to Dr. Malcolm B. Daniell and James A. Davis on Aug. 6, 2002. The Memorial Hospital Humanitarian Award honors extraordinary service and uncommon dedication to improving health and quality of life for the people of Chattanooga. The honorees’ exceptional integrity and vision, their demonstrated dedication to Memorial’s core values and their commitment to Memorial’s mission and goals earned them the award. Mac’s work contributed greatly to Memorial Hospital gaining national recognition in 1998 as one of the Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals in America. Its patient-focused program also earned a five-star rating from Health Grades. Memorial’s heart program’s growth highlights dedicated people working together to provide the best possible care.

Since his retirement in 1999, Dr. Daniell also served as one the commissioners of the town of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Mac and his wife, Charlene, have four children, David, Elena, Julia, and Dianne.

Jose Francisco Jimenez

Congressional Medal of Honor Winner

Jose was born March 20, 1946 in Mexico City. He moved with his family to Arizona at the age of 10. Jose attended Red Rock Elementary School and received his diploma in 1964. He enrolled at SCVUHS and was an active member in the Eloy Chapter of the Future Farmers of America. He was FFA president and chosen Star Chapter Farmer during his senior year. He graduated from Santa Cruz Valley Union High School in May 1968.

In August of 1968, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and received his training at Camp Pendleton near San Diego. A member of Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, Jimenez served in San Diego, then reported for duty in Vietnam. He fought in the war zone for seven months before his death. His mother, Basilia Jimenez and a sister Pilar, a junior at SCVUHS at that time, survive him.

Jimenez’ Medal of Honor was awarded after his death. He is one of approximately 238 individuals in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy to receive this high honor for valor in action against the enemy during the Vietnam War. A presidential citation tells the tale of how death found him and the “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” “he showed at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty…”

His citation reads of how the Eloy Marine was serving as a fire team leader in Quang Nam Province in South Vietnam when his unit came under heavy attack by concealed North Vietnamese soldiers. “Lance Cpl. Jimenez reacted by seizing the initiative and plunging forward through tall grass toward the enemy positions.” Jimenez shouted encouragement to his companions and continued his aggressive forward movement. “He slowly maneuvered to within 10 feet of hostile soldiers who were firing automatic weapons from a trench,” the citation reads, “and, in the face of vicious enemy fire, destroyed the position.”

Jimenez moved to attack another enemy position concealed in a tree line when he was mortally wounded by sniper fire. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

The Eloy Marine earned praise for his “indomitable courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unfaltering devotion to duty.” He had “upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.” Jo-Jo, as his fellow Marines called him, was buried in central Mexico in the town of Morelia.

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