Bobby G. Waddle was born on June 29, 1933, and grew up in De Soto Texas. He started his studies at Texas Tech in 1951 where he was very active in the student body. He was a member of the Intercollegiate Meats Judging Team, Alpha Zeta, Block and Bridle, and a charter member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Waddle also served on the student council and participated in the Air Force ROTC program. He graduated in 1955 with a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Education. He joined the Air Forceand became a flight instructor. In January of 1968 he was sent overseas for a year to serve in Udorn, Thailand, where he was a fighter pilot who flew over 150 combat missions over Southeast Asia. During his military career he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, twelve Air Medals, and two Legion of Merit Awards. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel and returned to De Soto to run his family's ranch. Waddle is extremely involved in his community, serving on the De Soto city counciland even serving as mayor of the city for three years. In 2010 he was named Texas Tech University's Distinguished Alumnus for the year. He is married to Shirley D. Waddle and has three daughters: Tanya, Kimberly, and Elizabeth.
