Dominating the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo plays an important role in the lives of many.  “The Helium Capital of the World,” named for its abundance in helium, is home to about 180,000 people.  Amarillo has over four times the population it had in 1930.

Since the year of 1931, Tom Amason has watched this city grow and develop, excluding 12 years in which he attended college at University of Arizona, lived there, and played football with the Los Angeles Rams.  Afterwards, he returned to his hometown of Amarillo to start a family.

“[I attended] Amarillo High School, the only high school in Amarillo at that time,” Amason said.

Currently, there are five high schools in Amarillo, and Amason said that their rivalries give the city some flavor.

“The natural rivalries of the high schools in Amarillo keep it interesting, while the students still have a good attitude and are nice to each other,” Amason said.

Amason said he can see excellent character in the citizens of Amarillo that he interacts with daily.

“[Amarillo] has some of the best people you can find,” Amason said.

 Amarillo’s strength and the great environment that the city provides came through hardship, Amason said.

“When the [Amarillo] Air Base was shut down, everyone thought Amarillo was going to fade away and die,” Amason said.

Amarillo now has a more stable economy, with its broad variety of businesses supporting it, according to Amason.

 “Amarillo has gotten a lot of employers,” Amason said.  “[Back then], we mainly had the air base and the big hospitals.”

Some difficulties came with the closing of one of these important industries, Amason said.  The air base was a major employer and was a vital key to Amarillo’s economy.

“The loss of the air base made Amarillo stronger in the end,” Amason said.

The population growth of Amarillo is still an important thing, Amason said.

“I’d hate to see this community die,” Amason said.  “We need to keep attracting young people for Amarillo to really flourish.”

After living here practically his whole life, Amason said that Amarillo is more than just a city to him.

“It’s a good place to raise families,” Amason said.  “Good values are always present.”