Irving ISD surprised longtime supporters of district athletics, Joy and Ralph Elllis, by renaming the Irving Schools Stadium in their honor. A special ceremony was held prior to kickoff of the MacArthur High School homecoming football game on October 28. On hand for the celebration were (second picture from left) Board Vice President Larry Stipes; Trustee A.D. Jenkins; Superintendent of Schools Jose L. Parra, Ed.D.; Ralph and Joy Ellis; Board President Dr. Steven Jones; Board Secretary Randy Randle; and Irving Schools Foundation Executive Director Crystal Scanio. Additional photos from the event can be found on the district Photo Gallery.
Joy and Ralph Ellis have been making a difference in the lives of Irving ISD student athletes for more than four decades. For their benevolence and contributions, the Irving ISD Board of Trustees voted on July 25 to rename Irving Schools Stadium the Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium. The couple married in Houston and have lived most of their married life in Irving, where their children, Kathryn and Ralph, both graduated from MacArthur High School. Joy and Ralph Ellis’s first association with Irving ISD athletics came as members of the MacArthur High School Booster Club when Kathryn and Ralph were students. Soon after, the couple began giving four-year scholarships to four graduating student athletes under a program now called the “Joy and Ralph Ellis Scholarship for Athletes.” That program has continued, and as of 2016, they have awarded more than 160 scholarships. In addition to the scholarships, Joy and Ralph have made many other contributions to Irving ISD for athletic, academic and library programs.
