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The Rice Thresher
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by Olivia Allison Thresher editorial staff
But by Aug. 1, business was booming, and Ryals turned in his resignation, naming Aug. 15 as his last day. Police Chief Bill Taylor and the Campus Police threw Ryals a going-away party on his last day. Taylor said about 90 people came to the farewell event, including many former administrators such as Carl MacDowell, who recently retired as assistant to the president. "It was a virtual 'Who's Who in Rice Administration,'" Taylor said. Ryals said the Hammond, La. shop, which sells New York-style deli sandwiches instead of the state's trademark Po-Boy sandwiches, was far more successful than he expected it would be when it first opened. "The reason we opened it was for retirement purposes, but it just took off as soon as it opened," he said. Ryals began working for the Campus Police Jan. 1, 1990, as an experienced law enforcement officer. He worked with the Louisiana State Police from 1970 to 1978, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office from 1978 to 1980, and was chief investigator for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture from 1980 to 1984. Then he "followed his high school sweetheart" to Texas and worked as a security guard at various places until he was hired at Rice. When then-Police Chief Mary Voswinkel and then-Assistant Chief Don Gohn hired Ryals, their vision was to move toward making the department a full-service police force while keeping its focus on the community. Ryals shared their belief in this vision, and he served as lead investigator in a number of cases. Rice's police department is unique, Ryals said, because of the college officers program. "I don't know of another college campus with a program like this," he said. "It lets students get to know individual officers, to trust them and become friends with them. Then, when something happens - something gets stolen, for instance - they are more likely to report it." He added that Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration Neill Binford, Vice President for Finance and Administration Dean Currie and President Malcolm Gillis have been especially supportive and helpful in creating and sustaining the program. Taylor, who became police chief in 1999, said Ryals helped him adjust to his responsibilities as chief and to the campus environment. "When Terry was handling stuff, I didn't have to worry - I had utmost confidence in him," Taylor said. "He was always the first to spot a problem at any big event. He was fantastic at working crowds, with dignitaries and special events." While Taylor said he is happy that Ryals is going back to his home state, he was sad with how suddenly Ryals left the department. Taylor said Ryals handed in his resignation the day Taylor returned from vacation. "It's bittersweet - he's wanted to go home to Louisiana for some time," Taylor said. "Terry walks in on Aug. 1 and says, 'I don't know any easy way to do this,' and handed me a piece of paper and walked out of my office. When he came back a couple of minutes later, I told him, 'Terry, I'm extremely happy for you, but I'm crying on the inside.'" Ryals admitted that he had always planned to eventually move back to Louisiana after he retired. "I love Rice, and I love my home in Houston," he said. "It's the in-between that bothered me. I was always intimidated by the traffic. I'm a small-town boy, and I never adjusted to the big city." Taylor said that when he became police chief, there was a vacant assistant chief spot. But, he said that he never felt the need to fill the position while Ryals was working as lieutenant. However, with the lieutenant position vacated as well, Taylor said he will eliminate the assistant chief position to accommodate two lieutenants who will oversee support services for events, crime prevention training, patrolling and the college officer program. Taylor said these lieutenant positions will probably be filled through a competitive process among the four sergeants. Two corporals will then be promoted to sergeants, leaving two officer vacancies. The sale of Kriss's beauty shop, C & K Hair Designers, in Spring, will be finalized Sept. 1, and then Kriss and Terry will move to Independence, La., a town of about 3,000 people, as soon as their house sells. Ryals said he expects to continue working in law enforcement in Louisiana because it is all he has ever done. Both his father and grandfather were also police officers, and the three men have spent a total of 80 years in law enforcement. He said he is applying to work in the police department at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, among other nearby police departments.
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