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For more than 25 years, Joel Lagrone has been known for his knowledge and skill at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, dedicating his time to a variety of engineering design projects. Around the holidays, you can find Lagrone working his magic as NorthPark Center’s Santa – spreading the joy and cheer.

In 1980, Lagrone arrived at the ÃÛÌÒ½´campus to attend Meadows School of the Arts. After a conversation with the Dean of the Engineering School, Dr. F. Karl Willenbrock, Lagrone felt encouraged to switch paths and pursue mechanical engineering.

“The Dean suggested I could get grant money and do a work-study through a co-op engineering program to help pay for it all,” he said.

Within his first year in the mechanical engineering program at SMU, Lagrone secured a co-op with Bell Helicopters, paving his way to a future career in aerospace mechanics. “I walked into the engineering offices at Bell Helicopter as an 18-year-old co-op from SMU,” Lagrone said. “Forty years later and still counting, I've had the privilege to work with the most talented, creative, and dedicated workforce building some amazing flying machines at Bell Helicopter, LTV, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.”

Throughout his engineering career, Lagrone’s passion for the arts never faded. In some way or another, Lagrone found outlets to share his talents with his community. Whether performing in local theater productions, singing and playing music at sporting events or anything else in between, his love for the arts and his creative spirit have always been a part of who he is, even as he excelled in the world of engineering.

Santa is a hard man to get a hold of around the holidays, but ÃÛÌÒ½´Lyle was lucky enough to catch Santa on a cookie break and learn more about his time at Lyle and how he’s spreading joy this holiday season.

From ÃÛÌÒ½´to F35s

What was campus like when you were at SMU? What did the engineering school look like back then, and what are some of your favorite memories?

The campus was beautiful, albeit very dry from the 1980 heat wave. It looked exactly like we had all seen it on Dallas, portrayed Lucy Ewing attending classes at SMU.

The engineering school was just a single building with some labs behind it, where you could study mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering, or computer science. Just those four basics!

Early memories included watching the Pony Express at Texas Stadium in Irving. School spirit was very high that year and got even better over the next couple of years. Mustang Mania was the real deal!

How did your education prepare you for your career? What was your first job after graduation?

I started my engineering co-op program at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth after my freshman year, working on the engineering design staff. Forty-three years later, I am starting to make plans of sunsetting a great mechanical design career in aerospace.

The co-op opportunity led me to another company even before I graduated, working at LTV in Grand Prairie on the B2 Spirit. After graduation, I returned to Bell Helicopter to work on the design of the V22 Osprey as a contractor.

How did you end up at Lockheed Martin?

Fifteen years (and three trips contract engineering at General Dynamics/Lockheed on the A12, the F22, and the VISTA F16) later I was offered my first direct job after college: Engineering Senior Design Staff on the F35. I had also worked at LTV on the YA7F, the Boeing 777, Bell 209 Tilt Rotor, and had built up a great reputation as a detail designer in propulsion and systems installation.

How have you seen technology change in your career?

While my first job at Bell included drafting tables, pencils, and blue lines drawings, I have watched in awe as the design tools became computerized, enhancing the individual's creative potential.

How did ÃÛÌÒ½´prepare you for success in engineering?

Between the course of study I chose, the encouragement of the professors, and the co-op program itself, I just knew I could succeed. One of my roommates and I had a bet on who could get his name on the engineering school first due to his success. Of course, (Bobby) Lyle beat us to that goal, but I'm very proud of the legacy I have at SMU.

What advice would you give to someone considering a non-traditional career path?

I really can't imagine what a traditional engineering career path would be. Engineers make the world go around and there are always new problems to be solved. To quote popular advertising: Just do it! The joy is truly in the journey.

Life as NorthPark Center Santa

How did you get involved with the NorthPark Santa program?

By the time I graduated from SMU, I was married with my first child on the way and had started a second major in fine arts at Meadows. I caught the acting bug doing church productions. After 10 years of volunteering in community musical theater, 25 seasons singing the National Anthem for MLB, and 35 years of playing in rock bands around Dallas-Fort Worth, I started down the path of being a Santa. With highly visible events in Highland Park, University Park, and the greater Dallas area, the fine folks at NorthPark Center caught wind of my musical performances and stage skills, and we connected.

What does a typical day as Santa look like?

We always start the day with “Stories and Songs with Santa,” a 20-minute program where we foster as much participation and joy as we can. Then it's on to Santa’s Cottage, where we take photos and share Christmas wishes with the lovely folks whose donations go directly to support programs at Children's Health. A few times during the season, I have the honor of visiting patients at Children’s to spread joy or broadcast Stories and Songs directly into the rooms from the hospital’s wonderful Seacrest Studios.

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing smiles on children's faces and being a part of spreading joy. It’s so good for the soul!

What skills from engineering help you as Santa? How does your engineering mindset influence your interactions with children?

In my many decades of designing and manufacturing aircraft, I've seen a lot of plans and schedules to make millions of parts come together and fly. I recognize that live performance requires great improv skills, but the more contingencies you've planned for, the easier the performance becomes.

Root cause analysis is a great tool in finding and correcting a design flaw or manufacturing glitch. Santa's time face to face with a child is limited, but I've found that listening is my best tool. Santa can't necessarily solve problems (if there are any), but just allowing folks to express themselves, their joys, their reservations, hearing what's important to them, and letting them speak helps so much.

What advice would you give young kids interested in engineering?

My advice to young people: Do the math. That's when the MAGIC happens!

Do you have a favorite memory as Santa?

My first outing as Santa will always be my favorite. It was a brisk, 32-degree night in November 2018, when I donned the red suit, grabbed a guitar, and led 100 folks through a neighborhood to sing Christmas carols for a friend in hospice that would not live to see another Christmas Day. They thanked me as we finished up and I confessed to it being my first time. But I would forever continue to show others peace, love, and joy, just as they had to their friend. I was hooked.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Stories and Songs with Santa at NorthPark has quickly become my favorite holiday tradition. Reading holiday stories and singing festive songs with the children every day is always a highlight of the season.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans are simple, and I'll quote Charles Dickens' Scrooge here: “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

 

About the Bobby Lyle School of Engineering
SMU's Lyle School of Engineering thrives on innovation that transcends traditional boundaries. We strongly believe in the power of externally funded, industry-supported research to drive progress and provide exceptional students with valuable industry insights. Our mission is to lead the way in digital transformation within engineering education, all while ensuring that every student graduates as a confident leader. Founded in 1925, ÃÛÌÒ½´Lyle is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees.

About SMU
ÃÛÌÒ½´is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU’s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, community and the world.