Eastern New Mexico University recognizes its 2025 Foundation Homecoming Honorees at the 49th Annual ENMU Foundation Homecoming Breakfast
Portales, NM – October 16, 2025– Eastern New Mexico University will recognize its 2025 ENMU Foundation Honorees at the 49th Annual ENMU Foundation Homecoming Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in the Campus Union Ballroom. The annual banquet will present awards from the ENMU Foundation, Alumni Association, and an Educator Hall of Honor inductee.
“This Homecoming tradition provides us the opportunity to recognize and thank outstanding local businesses, philanthropists, volunteers, and supporters of ENMU,” said James Johnston, ENMU Chancellor. “On behalf of ENMU, I extend our congratulations on being recognized and our heartfelt thank you for all they do.”
ENMU Foundation Honorees include the Business of the Year Award to James Polk Stone Community Bank, Philanthropist of the Year Award to Barbara J. Lanier, honoring Henry Spurgeon and Helen Peters Lanier, and the Volunteer of the Year award to William R. Magel, Jr.
James Polk Stone Community Bank’s selection as the Business of the Year Award winner honors the life of David L. Stone. James Polk Stone Community Bank, originally founded in 1906 as Portales National Bank, holds a special place in the history of Eastern New Mexico University and the surrounding region. As ENMU Foundation’s very first Business of the Year in 2002, the bank was recognized for its steadfast support of students, athletics, and community programs. More than two decades later, the honor is bestowed once again, reflecting both the enduring generosity of the bank and the remarkable legacy of its longtime president, David L. Stone.
Barbara J. Lanier’s (BBA 72, MA 89) selection as Philanthropist of the Year winner honors the lives of her parents, Henry Spurgeon and Helen Peters Lanier. Her life has been marked by service, scholarship, and a deep devotion to her family. Her philanthropic spirit, reflected in both thought and action, is rooted in gratitude to the university that shaped her and the parents who shaped her values.
The 2025 Volunteer of the Year, William R. Magel, Jr. (Attended), is a prominent figure in the ENMU alumni community in Albuquerque, known for being a true ambassador of the university. He was instrumental in organizing the 50-year anniversary of the 1974 Track and Field National Championship team in the spring of 2024 and the 2025 Era of Champions reunion in the spring of 2025. He also championed the creation of special recognition coins to honor his former teammates. Bill continues to volunteer his time with the ENMU Track and Field team, traveling from Albuquerque to judge meets, including the 2025 Lone Star Conference Track and Field Championship, and assisting with post-meet cleanup. 
For more information on the Alumni and Foundation honorees being recognized at the 49th Annual ENMU Foundation Homecoming Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 25, please visit enmu.edu/Homecoming.
