Fallen WT Officer Honored with Street Naming

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — The only West Texas A&M University police officer to lose his life in the line of duty was honored today in a joint ceremony between the University and the city of Canyon.

Monty Platt Drive formally was unveiled in a ceremony that included remarks from city and University officials, honoring Cpl. Monty Platt, who died Aug. 8, 2017. Platt was bitten by a feral cat July 24, 2017, while trying to capture the injured animal on campus.

Platt, a WT alumnus, had served with the University Police Department for almost 17 years and for about 24 years total in law enforcement.

“His path was clear from the beginning: He wanted to serve, to protect, and to make a difference. And that’s exactly what he did,” UPD Chief Shawn Burns said in prepared comments. “From this day forward, Monty Platt’s name will not only be in our hearts—it will be a part of this campus and city’s map. And as people drive this street, they’ll see his name and ask, ‘Who was Monty Platt?’

“And we’ll be proud to say: ‘He was one of the best this community ever produced.’”

Platt is survived by wife RoseAnne, who works as an administrative assistant in WT’s Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences; son Thomas, a sophomore animal sciences / pre-vet major; mother Patricia Platt, a retired WT employee; sister Melissa Mosley and her husband Richard Mosley.

“I’m proud of him, and our son Thomas is over the moon. This is such an honor,” RoseAnne Platt said before the ceremony. “Monty loved being out with students. And he really loved WT.”

In March, the WTAMU Foundation made a $25,000 donation to the Texas Panhandle First Responders Memorial. A project of the nonprofit Friends of A.J. Swope, the memorial will be built in downtown Amarillo; construction is expected to begin this year.

“To those who knew, loved, and served with Monty, nothing we say or do can change the past,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said in prepared comments. “However, what we do and say today may give us hope, courage, and new meaning for living and for serving others.”

The newly named Monty Platt Drive formerly was named Hospital Drive and runs from Fourth Avenue to Russell Long Boulevard.

The Canyon City Commission approved the name change March 18.

“The City of Canyon is honored to partner with WT to remember the legacy of Monty Platt,” Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders said. “When UPD Chief Burns approached the City Commission with this request, it received unanimous support. The Canyon community remembers Monty, and our hearts are with his family as we pay tribute to him.”

Coming soon to Monty Platt Drive will be WT’s new public safety offices, currently being remodeled in the north wing of WT’s Palo Duro Research Facility, formerly the Palo Duro Hospital.

Interior walls have been removed and renovations are now underway on new offices, meeting rooms and a UPD command center. The space also will house Fire and Life Safety and the Lock Shop. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2026. Total estimated project cost is nearly $10 million.

“The location of our new public safety offices are a memorial to a WT police officer who died in the line of duty, epitomizing the virtues of what it means to be a public servant,” said Dr. Todd Rasberry, vice president of philanthropy and external relations and executive director of the WTAMU Foundation.

Platt embodied such values as service, respect and engagement, core values of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: RoseAnne Platt and son Thomas Platt, center, unveil the newly renamed Monty Platt Drive on the West Texas A&M University campus. Cpl. Monty Platt, a former University Police Department officer, died in the line of duty in 2017. The newly renamed street, formerly Hospital Drive, will be the home of WT's new Public Safety Building. Also pictured are WT President Walter V. Wendler and Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders.

—WT—