Maverick Spirit and Pride
At age 96, Jack Brophy can look back on his life and identify two great loves: his family and Colorado Mesa University.
Honored in 2024 with the Doug Sortor Maverick Spirit Award, Brophy enrolled at Mesa College in 1946 after his family relocated from Kansas the previous year. He chose to attend Mesa to play football and baseball, and because his father enrolled him in classes.
“He signed me up to get me into school there. I didn’t even know that. First thing I knew, I was signed up for basic junior college,” Brophy explained.
He thrived at Mesa College, playing sports and studying for two years before transferring to Western State College in Gunnison to complete his engineering degree.
While his mechanical engineering career would take him as far away as Princeton University—where he helped install the university’s first phone system—love for one Leona Sanford brought him back to Grand Junction. He and Leona, now married for seventy-three years, raised two daughters, Amy and Treva. Both Amy and Treva attended Mesa College for two years, just like their dad, before moving on to larger universities.
“Everybody started at Mesa,” shared Brophy. “If they weren’t going to go to Mesa, I’d take them. I sent them all to Mesa.”
The Brophy daughters grew up cheering for the Mavs and attending football games, baseball games, and wrestling matches with their father. The tradition continued with Brophy’s grandchildren, three of whom — two grandsons and a granddaughter — are also Mavs.
According to Brophy’s granddaughter, Sadye Saad, former CMU Career Services director, her grandfather has been Mesa’s number one fan for eighty years. He has cheered from the stands, listened to the radio, and streamed out-of-town games. He enthusiastically encourages his family to show CMU spirit, proudly wears Maverick gear, and rarely misses a baseball game.
When asked about his favorite memory as a student, Brophy points to the camaraderie among the athletes, some of whom were GIs recently returned from World War II. He also takes satisfaction in how much the university campus has grown, pointing out that the baseball field in the 1940s was located between Houston Hall and repurposed army barracks that housed married students and the athletic department.
Summing up his experience at Mesa, Brophy responded with typical Maverick pride:
“I thought Mesa was a very good, fundamental place to start. They had good teachers. I enjoyed it all.”
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.