endowment fund. In honor of his contribution for the OMA Museum renovation, he and his late wife will be recognized and honored in the conference center. He also established the J. Jay and Marlene Hines scholarship endowment for RSU GOLD students. J. Jay Hines recently lost his wife, and includes her name on everything. “Everything I do is with her by my side,” he says, “my job allows me to be home everyday, so I visit her and place a fresh rose on her grave each day, ‘COME RAIN OR SHINE’ and I carry her photograph in my pocket every day.” Hines sums up his fondness for the OMA Alumni Association simply: “I just enjoy seeing some of the guys I used to go to school with or have known a long time, being back on our beautiful campus and just reminiscing.” Jim Tanner ‘67 Nestled in one of Claremore’s historic neighborhoods sits a modest house where Jim Tanner has operated his law firm for over forty years. Once inside, surrounded by the ranchstyle furniture and old maps and photographs of Claremore, one may start to see the significance of Tanner’s practice and his involvement in the Claremore community. And if they are lucky, they’ll get to meet Tanner’s furry business partner, Fluffy, the affable stray cat Tanner took in. It is no
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surprise that one of Claremore’s most influential citizens spent his formative years at the Oklahoma Military Academy. “It’s immeasurable the things you learn to do at OMA that you don’t even realize you know how to do,” he says. As it would turn out, Tanner knew how to do a lot. In 1963, he enrolled at OMA high school as a day student. Once there, he took advantage of the school’s stellar music program by playing the trombone, baritone, and guitar in the various bands. He traveled with the Marching Band to countless places across the country, and he especially enjoyed the Dance Band. “It was really a lot of fun,” he says. Tanner received the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and because of his discipline and many talents, he became the Commander of the Day Students. Among his many awards, Tanner received an honorary saber for his leadership abilities. After graduating from OMA Junior College in 1967, Tanner wanted to enlist in active military service, but he was medically disqualified. Instead, he attended OU, where he received a law degree. “The other thing about going to law school,” he says, “that was probably as important as anything to me— I wanted to move back to Claremore.” Tanner’s family has lived in Claremore since the early 1900s. “I
can go out to the cemetery; there’s four generations of Tanners buried there.” He practiced at a small firm near the Rogers County Courthouse for several years, then, in 1981, he wanted to try starting his own practice. He also wanted to take care of his great aunt’s house after she passed away. “Moving out here was a leap of faith,” he says.
group undertook work on the OMA KIA Memorial, and again in 2019, when the project was the OMA Legacy Plaza commemorating the One Hundredth year of the Academy. “I was lucky enough to be the head of the organization while we accomplished those tasks, but it certainly was a combined effort,” he notes. “None of the
projects I’ve worked on could’ve been accomplished without the cooperation of a whole lot of people. This award is the culmination of the cooperation from just about every facet of the alumni association and the Rogers State University faculty and staff. They’ve always been on board with any significant project the alumni association has undertaken.
“My attitude toward being selected for this award is one of great humility,” he adds. “Both of those projects were ideas I conceived, and I think that’s why people want to give me this honor, but I don’t really feel like I deserve this. It represents the efforts of a lot of people, and that’s what I want to frame it around.”
It paid off. Tanner practiced diverse areas of law, grew his reputation, and eventually narrowed his specialty to real estate and probate. He is a highly respected attorney, and he has even served on the City Council. And the house, the one his great aunt’s husband spent so much time working on, remains in its original condition. Tanner’s true success, however, is in the enormous contributions he has made to the community. “My grandmother, who was a schoolteacher, she would drill into your head ‘when you die you need to leave the world a little better than you found it.’” And he has worked diligently to do just that. Starting in 1991, Tanner started an organization called Safenet Services, Inc, which serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. “We started out with nothing,” he says. Tanner used his business and legal tact to secure a grant and raise funds for the organization, which resulted in the construction of a multi-million-
1Lt. Logan Gear, Philip Alexander ’67, Dan Bolt ’69, Dr. Danette Boyle, President Larry Rice, Bill Ramsay ’61 and SFC Ruben Gonzalez with the spring 2022 RSU GOLD students.
Pictured: Dan Bolt ’69 and GOLD Student Tanner Tairent.
GOLD STUDENTS DINING OUT EVENT On April 19, 2022, the RSU GOLD Military students had their annual Dining Out dinner and program. Dining Out is a formal dinner and program completely organized and planned by the RSU GOLD Military Students. Special guests are welcome and encouraged to attend
The event showcased some of the talents of the students in the GOLD Program. Special guests included RSU President Larry Rice and First Lady, Peggy Rice, Dr. Danette Boyle, Dr. Robert Goltra, Vice President of Student Affairs and his wife Erica, Dan Bolt, OMA class of 1969, as
the Guest Speaker of the evening and his guests, Kathleen Cordell and daughter Lindsay Lynch, Bill Ramsay ’61 and his wife, Deann, Col. Joe Daniel ’69 and his wife, Susan. Philip Alexander ’67 and his wife, Debbie, and Bailey Thompson.
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