Tung Manh Ho
CHARLES F. MCELHINNEY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

TOM HO SECURES MCELHINNEY AWARD

Tung Manh (Tom) Ho has always been determined to succeed — whether it was serving alongside American soldiers in Vietnam or fleeing the embattled country on a rickety boat in the 1970s.

His determination to get things done at the University of Houston has earned the journey locksmith the 2006 Charles F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award, which includes a $2,500 prize.

“I am very surprised that I was selected to receive the award,” Ho said. “I think there are other staff members who are more deserving than me.”

Before coming to the United States, Ho served as an engineering officer in the Republic of Vietnam Army. He maintained, repaired and rebuilt Photo by Thomas Shea

equipment on the battlefields until he lost his left arm and sustained other injuries after a landmine explosion. Later, he was fitted with a prosthesis and began a new life in Houston with his wife and two sons, both of whom are UH alumni and employees.

“In this country, you have the opportunity to do anything. In Vietnam, I couldn’t drive because of my handicap, but here I can drive and work. That’s pretty good,” Ho said.

Since February 1979, Ho has been a staff member in Residential Life and Housing (RLH). He ensures that all the locks in the residence halls and the A.D. Bruce Religion Center are functioning. He builds lock cores, keeps track of which lock is in which door, changes the locks as needed, makes and tracks keys and handles all emergencies related to doors, locks and keys. He also repairs small engines and appliances.

“His dedication to security and willingness to go the extra mile has not only made the residence halls more secure for our residents, but has prevented small problems from becoming big problems,” said Andy Blank, Residential Life and Housing executive director.

Ho’s expertise was instrumental in the department purchasing a patented key system that cannot be duplicated by regular means, according to Blank.

“He supervised the placement and installation of more than 2,000 locks in the residence halls and religion center, a project which could have cost thousands of dollars if outsourced,” he said.

When keys have been lost or stolen, Ho has been right there to resolve those problems.

“He has built lock cores and replaced as many as 250 locks and 280 keys at a time immediately, even when this meant late hours or returning to work after hours,” Blank said.

His loyalty to the department continued when he was faced with either taking two weeks of vacation or losing it, according to Thomas Glick, office assistant 1 in RLH.

“On the second day of his vacation, he came in wearing street clothes, checking what was going on and tinkering with things. On the third day, he was back in uniform and on the job,” Glick said.

His work ethic has not gone unnoticed by his other colleagues nor by his sons, Tuong and Toan.

“He would always have solutions that saved the department a lot of money,” said Tuong, an application developer 4 for Enterprise Systems.

Toan, application developer 3 for Cougar 1Card, was surprised that his father received the award so quickly after being presented with a Staff Excellence Award last year. He recalled a moment that reflects his admiration for his father.

“One day, my father picked me up from high school, and as I watched him, I was shocked that I had forgotten that he was handicapped,” Toan said. “I forget that he is handicapped since he lives like he is not.”

Francine Parker
Staff writer