The Columns Fall 2013

Look inside for more details on. . .

Grand Opening ’13 Homecoming ’93 Football Championship

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1 Roaming Roary 3 President Hargrave

of East Central University

Fall 2013

4 Grand Opening 7 Fine Arts Season 8 StableRidge Vineyards 12 Educators Hall of Fame 14 Louise Young Diversity Lecture 17 Honors & Recognition 22 Centennial Endowments 24 ECU Foundation, Inc. 29 ECU Alumni President 30 ECU Alumni Director 32 Homecoming 34 Pi Kappa Tau 36 Deborah Cornelison

The Office of Alumni Relations is dedicated to establishing and nurturing lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships with alumni, friends and future students. Dedicated staff members of this office manage friend-raising activities in order to preserve and enhance the traditions and pride of East Central University.

East Central University’s mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and community interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area, East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement.

East Central University will be recognized both within the state and nation as Oklahoma’s premier comprehensive student-centered regional university, offering outstanding academic programs and experiences for its students and contributing to the betterment of the region and beyond.

Reader’s Guide The Columns is published annually in the fall by the Offices of Alumni Relations and Communications and Marketing.

Feature Writers: Cathie Harding, Brian Johnson & Teri LaJeunesse Other Contributors: Catie Caton, Amy Ford, Phyllis Danley, John Hargrave, Elizabeth Vezina, Gerald Williamson & Katie Wellington Designers: Tanner Capps, Charlynn Estes, Amy Ford, Susan Ingram, & Gina Smith Photographers: Tanner Capps, Catie Caton, Charlynn Estes, Amy Ford, Susan Ingram, Katie Wellington, Gina Smith & Matthew Taylor Alumni News & Events: Katie Wellington Sports Information: Teri LaJeunesse

38 Boswell Chapel

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Post us: Alumni Relations

East Central University

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Ada, OK 74820 E-mail us: alumni@ecok.edu Call us: 580-559-5651 Fax us: 580-332-3042

43 Athletics Director 44 1993 Football Championship 54 Athletic Hall of Fame 59 Golden Tigers 61 Memoriam 62 Tiger Tracks 2 The Columns

Contact the Office of Alumni Relations in one of the following ways:

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In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other federal laws and regulations, East Central University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, handicap, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and education services. This publication is issued by East Central University as authorized by Title 70 OS 1981, Section 3903. Mercury Press in Oklahoma City, Okla. has printed 2,500 copies at a cost of $6,845.98.

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Postcard Photos sent from:

1. Rugetti, Roary’s Italian cousin, joined Pamla Armstrong (‘86) in Italy.

2. Tom (‘81) & Desri (‘77, ‘79) Richardson send greetings from the Galapagos Islands.

3. Arlie Daniel (retired professor) & Jomain McKenzie (‘10) visit the Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal.

4. Betty Smith (‘74) explored Arkansas & Missouri with her daughter Gina.

5. Rugetti enjoyed his new American friend so much, he also joined Pamla with her friends Sara Castleberry ( ‘07), Fleta Milner and Krissy Bohannon (‘03) at the Jenzabar convention in Dallas, Texas.

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president's circle

FOSSIL CREEK RANCH • AUGUST 9, 2013 The Columns Columns 44 The

Dear Alums

What another great and exciting time to be back at East Central University.

There is no better time to be on campus than in the fall semester.

I would like to personally invite you back to ECU on Oct. 4 & 5 for this year’s Homecoming, “Roary Loves the 90s.” We will be recognizing the 1993 NAIA National Championship Football Team, honoring Pi Kappa Alpha’s 50th year on campus, giving tours of the new Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business (located in the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center) and much more.

If you have not been back since 1993, you’ll notice several exciting changes throughout campus.

• New Linscheid Library — 1997 • New Bill S. Cole University Center — 1997 • New Tiger Commons (apartment living on campus) — 1997 • Renovated the old library, now Danley Hall (admin. offices) — 2004 • New Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center — 2009 • New Pat O’Neal Strength & Conditioning Center — 2009 • Renovated the Elvan George Building — 2009 • New Turf at the Football Stadium — 2013 • New Chickasaw Business and Conference Center and the Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business — 2013 The campus has never looked more beautiful. Alumni come every year and tell us they cannot believe the changes. So let’s bring the 2013 ECU Homecoming in with a ROAR! Call your college roommate. Facebook your friends. Tweet #ECUTigerHomecoming. And plan to meet them prior to the game and enjoy the Alumni Association’s sponsored Tiger Tailgate prior to kickoff.

Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger!

John R. Hargrave (‘77) ECU President

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The ceremonial ribbon is cut to officially welcomed the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center to the ECU Campus.

GRAND

OPENING

ECU Opens the Chickasaw Business & Conference Center and the Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business

Hundreds gathered at East Central University on Aug. 22 for the grand opening of the newest jewel on campus, the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.

The 59,111 square-foot facility, which houses the new Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business, awed governmental officials, community leaders, dignitaries and other attendees alike.

The $10.5 million building, which was paid for by donors and is debt free, sits directly west of one of ECU’s other new facilities on campus, the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, which opened in 2009, at Main and Center Streets in Ada.

The afternoon and night featured periodic tours of the facility, a reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a gala banquet, and speeches from Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby and Mike Turpen, vice chairman of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, who read a scripted speech for his friend, Harland C. Stonecipher, who was scheduled to speak.

Stonecipher was unable to attend the event due to a medical emergency. On Wednesday, the day before the grand opening, Mr. Stonecipher entered the hospital 6 The Columns

in Ada and that evening was sent, via mediflight, to Oklahoma City for an emergency medical procedure. On Thursday evening, at the same time the grand opening dinner began, Mr. Stonecipher underwent an operation to place a stent in one of the arteries to his heart. The procedure was successfully completed before the end of the grand opening ceremony and President John Hargrave announced it to the audience near the end of the event.

Gov. Fallin says the new facility will only enhance Oklahoma’s reputation for business and entrepreneurship.

“What a wonderful addition to your campus and to the Stonecipher Business School itself and your students,” said Gov. Fallin. “Business studies are very important to the state of Oklahoma. We’re a state of small businesses and entrepreneurs, so I know that your students are excited, along with your faculty, that you have a wonderful state-ofthe art and fine facility.”

Anoatubby stated he believes the partnership between ECU and the Chickasaw Nation has been strong and will be strengthened more in years to come.

“The Chickasaw Business and Conference Center is an important endeavor that we all know will impact the community for decades to come,” Gov. Anoatubby said.

President Hargrave speaks to the crowd about opportunities the new business building will bring to ECU.

“The potential for greatness lies within this facility. Outstanding leaders, thinkers and doers will emerge from the classrooms. Their futures will be bright and the Chickasaw Nation is proud to assist them in a small way in their journey.”

Turpen, reading comments from Stonecipher, talked about how Stonecipher was excited that the event fell on the 55th wedding anniversary for him and his wife, Shirley. Harland paid tribute to his wife in the speech.

“Had it not been that event 55 years ago, I would not have been here for this event, nor would my name be on this building,” Turpen reading Harland Stonecipher’s comments. “Shirley deserves every bit as much credit as I do if not more. Without her, this would have not happened. The opportunity I have to stand before you now is because she would not let me quit.

“She stood beside me when not many others would. She has always been my greatest fan, my greatest supporter and my greatest cheerleader.

She has always been my best business advisor. She was the one that never considered the word quit or the phrase, ‘I can’t do it.’ Shirley was the one who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She was and is the greatest mother in the world to our children. She took the kids to their ballgames while I was out trying to raise enough money to meet next week’s payroll.”

The Chickasaw Business and Conference Center’s first floor houses the ECU Police Department and a convenient snack bar to grab a Starbucks brewed beverage. Inside and above the main entrance to the center, visitors can observe a message board which scrolls the latest stock market data, news and sports scores.

Also on the first floor is a large conference room, named the ECU Foundation Hall, which doubles as a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) safe room. The safe room functionality is possible because of a $1.46 million grant awarded to ECU by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Matching grants came from the City of Ada and ECU along with financial support from the Ada Jobs Foundation.

The 9,361 square-foot multi-purpose room, complete with an audio visual digital projection system and the latest technology, can hold 989 people for a full theater-seating conference and 1,900 people can occupy the area in a safe-room form in case of an emergency. The conference room, equipped with partitions, can also be divided into three separate conference rooms. Also on the first floor are two synergistic learning rooms.

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The Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business occupies the second floor where each classroom will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a specialized financial lab/classroom and several student-friendly study areas and lounges. One feature is the Wilburn L. Smith Center for Entrepreneurship.

A second-floor section of the center will also benefit legal studies and criminal justice majors. A moot courtroom, named in honor of retired Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Rudolph Hargrave and father of ECU President John Hargrave, will also be utilized. The courtroom, equipped with the latest technology, will serve as a learning tool for legal studies students. A criminal justice lab is situated next door to the courtroom to benefit criminal justice majors.

The Kellogg and Sovereign Financial Lab, with funding provided by Kellogg and Sovereign Consulting of Ada, is equipped with an interactive market wall, which streams live data from stocks and bonds markets with just an approximate 20-minute delay. It is expected to help business professors, particularly in

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Chickasaw Business and Conference Center is an important endeavor that we all know will impact the community for decades to come.

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investment classes, according to Wendell Godwin, dean of the Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business.

The third floor contains offices for the dean of the business school and faculty members. Also included are conference rooms, technology lab/ classrooms, several faculty lounges and a balcony/reception area.

Miles Associates, of Oklahoma City, was the architect for this project, Mark Gandy served as project manager and the contractor was Piazza Construction Ltd. of Denison, Texas.

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StableRidge Vineyards 10 The Columns

How two East Central University Alums found success in the face of disaster.

ometimes the paths taken through life are unlikely ones. For Don (‘71) and Annetta (‘71) Neal, such is the case.

The Neals are the owners and operators of the StableRidge Vineyards and Winery, located just a mile west of Stroud, Okla. on historic Route 66.

Neither had a background in agriculture or even high school or college chemistry. But the path the pair have taken, rooted in an education from East Central University, have led them to a successful business venture. StableRidge is one of only 60-plus wineries in Oklahoma and is one of only a few which actually make their own wine not just bottle it.

“Notice that aggravation and agriculture have the same root word,” Don quipped.

Don, who received his dual degrees in sociology and communications from ECU, handles the vineyard portion of the business. He produces grapes on their acre-and-a-half lot on the business site and oversees several off-site vineyards across the state of Oklahoma.

Annetta, after achieving her degree in education with a minor in fine arts from ECU, later went back to school to study wine chemistry. She handles the production phase of the business.

Don, who hails from Ada, and Annetta, a native of Stroud, met at ECU in 1968 and were later married in 1970.

The pair met while being involved in fraternity and sorority events. Annetta was a member of Chi Omega and Don was a member of Phi Kappa Tau.

“It was a great deal of fun. Being involved in (a fraternity) was really good. It kept your nose on academics and kept you balanced and stretched to the point where you needed to be,” Don said.

Some of his fondest memories of campus life were the snow-sledding down 14th Street on the south side of campus during the harsh winters and dangerously walking on ice to the center island on the Wintersmith Park Lake.

“There were some that would sled down 14th Street and make it all the way to Wintersmith Park. I didn’t do it, but I had some friends that did,” said Don.

Annetta and Don were also involved in drama and appeared in one-act plays.

Annetta particularly remembers learning in Dorothy Summers’ classes and the special gesture Summers made toward her and Don.

“There was a party we were expected to be at, but it was on our first anniversary. What we didn’t know is that the party was a surprise for us. I really liked her,” Annetta said.

It is instances such as these that bring back fond ECU memories for the couple.

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“East Central is unique and it is dynamic. When I think of UCO, I think of a commuter college. I’m not sure I would have had a social life compared to what we had at ECU. We had students coming from Ardmore, Bixby and Sapulpa. That was your family…your school family.”

That family-like atmosphere has carried over to the business as classmates of the pair often stop in for visits and Annetta is still in contact with many via Facebook.

The winery and vineyard ironically came about as a result of two tornadoes. A massive 1999 tornado hit Don and Annetta’s home, along with the adjoining property. After the storm, the couple purchased the neighboring property which was transformed into a vineyard. The first grapes were planted in 2000.

Then in 2003, the winery came as a result of a tornado leveling the Neal’s downtown warehouse. The replacement building is now the winery to the east of the tasting room and gift shop. That tasting room used to be Stroud’s original Catholic Church, which was built from 1898 to 1902.

The church building’s wood was milled from local farms and ranches. The original beadboard ceiling and walls were covered in the 1950s and were rediscovered during the building’s renovation. Also located on the property, next to the tasting room, is a conference cottage, which is convenient for meetings since its location is midway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The business has been a learning process for the Neals. “Growing (grapes) here in Oklahoma is not the same as in Europe or California. Our soil and sunlight are going to treat it different. The soil, limestone, everything is going to affect the taste of a grape. We originally learned information from California, but it took us four years to realize it didn’t pertain to Oklahoma,” Don said.

According to Don it can be a meticulous process as well. Then you throw in the uncertainty of Oklahoma weather.

“We can’t afford mistakes. We have one crop a year, so you have to be detail oriented,” said Don.

In case of the unpredictable weather conditions, the Neals have some off-site vineyards spread out across the state.

The production of the wine comes from equipment directly imported from Italy, including the destemmercrusher, pump and wine press. From harvest to bottle, the process for white wine takes about six months, while red wine is a year-and-half to two-year process.

StableRidge Vineyards has been featured in the 2007-08 Oklahoma Small Business Resource Guide and in the November 2009 issue of Tulsa People Magazine.

StableRidge even earned a prestigious award at the 2008 Finger Lakes (N.Y.) International Wine Competition.

StableRidge Vineyards

1916 West Highway 66 Stroud, OK 74079 918-968-2568 • 800-359-3990 www.stableridgevineyards.com

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In December 2013, the University Chorale will be traveling to Washington D.C. where it will perform at various venues, including the Kennedy Center-Millennium Stage and the possibility to perform at the National Cathedral and White House.

“A Very Chorale Christmas” is your chance to support the Chorale and be entertained by this extremely talented group of ECU students. All proceeds from the dinner go to the Chorale Tour fund at the ECU Foundation to provide for the Chorale trip and future trips. Plans are in the works for the Chorale to compete at multiple international competitions beginning in 2015. Help us show the world the wonderful talent we have at ECU.

“A Very Chorale Christmas” A Musical Dinner Variety Show December 5, 2013 | 6:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Catie Caton at 580-559-5611 • catncat@ecok.edu

East Central University School of Graduate Studies

Continue to breakthrough at ECU get your Master’s Degree today!

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East Central University Inducts 3 on July 9 Into The

EDUCATORS’ HALL OF FAME

Dr. Pam Deering (‘73)

Pam Deering is currently the superintendent for Midwest City-Del City Schools after serving as deputy superintendent of fiscal services and human resources there from 2011-12 and assistant superintendent of fiscal services and executive director of fiscal services from 19952011.

She also held positions of executive director of budget and financial management for Moore Schools (1993-94); director of budget and financial management for Oklahoma City Schools (1988-93); and assistant state superintendent, director of finance, assistant director of financial services, assistant administrator coordinator and coordinator for the special education department for the Oklahoma State Department of Education (1977-88).

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Deering also served as a floating teacher specialist and special education teacher for the Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District (1973-77). She received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from ECU in 1973, master of education in supervision and special education from Texas Woman’s University in 1976 and a doctor of philosophy in education administration-curriculum and instruction from the University of Oklahoma in 1977.

Deering has received numerous honors and awards, including the OASA Central Office Superintendent of the Year for 2009-10 and Oklahoma Association of School Business Officials’ School Business Official of the Year, also for 2009-10.

She is active in professional and civic organizations and currently serves on the Oklahoma Council for Educational Opportunity for Military Children, Central Oklahoma Red Cross, Tinker Air Force Base COMMSTAR Leadership Program and the State Superintendent’s Superintendent Advisory Board to name a few.

Deering lived and attended school in Elmore City, before graduating from there in 1970.

She is married to Maj. Gen. Myles Deering (‘73), the adjutant general for the Oklahoma National Guard and a former Ada resident. They are the parents of Daniel and wife Heather and granddaughter, Adelyn.

During the ceremony, Deering reflected on how ECU set the bar high and pushed her to be the educator she became.

She talked about making a ‘D’ on her first term paper in one of her classes, but through encouragement, pulled off an ‘A’ in the class. Deering met her future husband Myles at ECU and many members of her family also attended ECU.

Paula Green accepting on behalf of

Dr. Tim Green

The late Tim Green taught undergraduate and graduate courses in reading methods while serving as director of athletics at ECU for 25 years until his retirement in 2006.

He also served on numerous committees at ECU and was ultimately inducted into the ECU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Green was editor for 25 years of the “Oklahoma Reader”, a state publication for reading teachers. He also served the community in many capacities, including a term as director of the board of directors for Valley View Regional Hospital.

He was born in Asher and graduated from Asher Public Schools before attending East Central State College his freshman year. He transferred to Oklahoma State on a baseball scholarship, while majoring in business administration. While at OSU, Green was a member of the Cowboys’ baseball team which won a 1959 national championship.

Green went on to graduate from Henderson State College (Ark.) with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education. He completed his doctorate at the University of Oklahoma in 1970. He went on to teach at Memphis State University before coming to ECU.

At the time of his death in 2011, Green had been married to his wife, Paula, for 52 years. Their daughter, Kelly, is married to Jeff Maloy and they have four children.

Paula, speaking on behalf of her late husband at the ceremony, reflected on his post-retirement and how she and Tim went to various schools for advisement purposes.

Paula would load up his wheelchair and she would drive him to various schools, some she never heard of. Once inside those school buildings, there were many people, particularly women, who would shout out “Hello Dr. Green or Mr. Green.” Paula jokingly admitted he must have had hundreds of girlfriends.

Jackie ‘Tex’ Rollins (‘70)

Jackie ‘Tex” Rollins began his educational journey under the tutelage of Mrs. Shirley Durkee-Logan, his history teacher at Burnett High School in Terrell, Texas. She directed him to ECU (then called East Central State College), where he earned his bachelor’s degree and was a member of the Tiger football team.

Upon returning from a tour of duty in Vietnam, Rollins taught at Byng and received his master’s degree from ECU. While working on a degree in administration at Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma), he was offered a teaching and coaching position at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City. He continues to teach there and serves as head track coach and as an assistant football coach for the Titans.

Rollins serves on the Mid-Del School District’s negotiating team and is retired from the Oklahoma National Guard and from officiating high school and college football.

During the ceremony, he reflected on his time when he first came to ECU and attended a swimming class. He and his fellow students were told by their instructor Billie Floyd to go to the deep end of the pool if they knew how to swim and go to the shallow end if they couldn’t. Though Rollins could not swim, he opted to go the deep end anyway which led to him sinking quickly to the bottom of the pool. Before he knew it Floyd was there with a pole for him to grab on to and Rollins was pulled to safety. Hence, he learned to be truthful from then on!

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Code Talker

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Bill Toledo speaking at the Louise Young Diversity Lecture in the Ataloa Theatre at ECU. Bill Toledo, a World War II Navajo Code Talker from 1942 to 1945, spoke at East Central University’s Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center in the Ataloa Theatre on Feb. 28, 2013, to a capacity crowd. His speech was part of the annual Louise Young Diversity Lecture Series.

As Toledo recounted his experiences during the war, he often had the crowd chuckling at his humorous stories and anecdotes. The highlight of the evening was when Toledo stood tall at the podium, gently cleared his throat and began to sing the Marine Hymn in his native Navajo language.

“Nin hokeh bi-kheh a-na-ih-la, Ta-al-tso-go-nahe-seel-kai, Nih-bi-kah-gi do tah kah-gi.” (We have conquered our enemies, All over the world, On land and on sea.)

As his voice grew stronger and louder, the crowd fell into absolute silence, followed by a thundering of applause when he finished.

After the lecture, hundreds of people waited in line for a chance to have Toledo sign their books, take a photo or just say a few words with him.

During the war, Toledo served in engagements such as the Battle of Bougainville in the British Solomon Islands and the battles of Guam and Iwo Jima. Toledo’s

work and use of the Navajo language helped block Japanese intelligence experts from breaking United States and Allied codes. The Japanese were well-versed in the English language and were able to anticipate American and Allied actions. The United States Marine Corps employed the Navajo Indians, who used their native language to help disguise American and Allied moves, which proved to be highly successful.

While serving with the United States Marine Corps, Toledo had many near-death experiences, including being mistaken for a member of the Imperial Japanese Army by a fellow Marine and a near miss by a Japanese bomber.

After his unfortunate run in with a fellow Marine, Toledo’s commander assigned him a bodyguard, Richard Bonham, to accompany him for the remainder of the war.

Toledo and Bonham formed a close bond while serving together and continue to keep in touch to this day.

Toledo now devotes his time to traveling the country sharing his story in lectures like the one given at ECU. The goal, says Toledo, is to remind younger generations about the sacrifices made on their behalf.

Join us for the 2014 Louise Young Diversity Lecture featuring one of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen formed a group of African-American pilots that served in the United States Army Air Corps (United States Army Air Forces after 1941).

Active from 1940 to 1942, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military airmen in the United States Armed Forces. Throughout their existence, the Tuskegee were awarded many military decorations, including 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals and 8 Purple Hearts.

A specific date and speaker have yet to be determined for the 2014 Louise Young Diversity Lecture. Details will be made public as they become available.

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“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up.�

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

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2013 Distinguished Honorees

2013 Evening of Honors & Recognition

May 10, 2013

R. Alan Marcum (‘90) DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS OF 2013

Distinguished Alumnus R. Alan Marcum has served as executive vice president of administration at Devon Energy since 2008. He is responsible for office administration, information technology, project management and records management.

Marcum is one of eight members of the company’s executive committee and has been involved in Devon Energy’s massive growth from a $200 million company in 1995 to the largest company in the state of Oklahoma with an enterprise value of $28 billion.

Devon, located in Oklahoma City, currently employs more than 5,000 employees located across North America. Marcum was also a part of the team that oversaw construction of the Devon Energy Tower, the company’s new headquarters. He helped ensure the project was completed on time, within budget and that the facility included appropriate amenities to improve the company’s efficiency.

A 1990 graduate of ECU with concentrations in accounting and finance, Marcum was a four-year starter on the Tiger football team and received all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons, as well as an honorable mention All-American award as a senior. He also competed on ECU’s track team.

In 2009, Marcum received the Joe Milam Award, named in honor of the former football coach and educator in Oklahoma. The award is given annually at ECU to a former football player who not only excelled on the gridiron but in his chosen profession or career.

Marcum joined Devon in 1995 where he held the position of vice president and controller.

Prior to joining Devon, he was employed by KPMG Peat Marwick (now KPMG LLP) as a senior auditor. Marcum is a certified public accountant and is a member of the Oklahoma State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

A native of Pauls Valley, he is committed to enhancing the community and has served on numerous boards

R. Alan Marcum and committees. He is on the ECU Foundation Board of Trustees, Purcell Board of Education, Oklahoma River Boathouse Foundation and the Petroleum Club.

Marcum also serves on the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s board and is on the organization’s fundraising cabinet. He also serves on the Allied Arts fundraising cabinet and MAPS 3 subcommittee. He is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City and has served on the YMCA’s board of directors. Last summer, he served as a mentor to high school students in ECU’s Oklahoma Business Week Camp.

Marcum’s wife is Jana, a 1988 ECU graduate. They have two children. Their daughter Taylor, is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and is currently pursuing her doctorate in physical therapy. Their son, Hunter, is studying accounting at Oklahoma City University.

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2013 Distinguished Honorees

Joe Steven Stokes (‘73, ‘74) (posthumous) DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS 2013

Distinguished Alumnus Joe Steven Stokes was a longtime advocate for the state’s disabled before his death at the age of 62 on Jan. 10, 2013. He was director of the state Office of Disability Concerns and was appointed to that position in 1989 by Gov. Henry Bellmon.

Stokes was disabled in 1967 at the age of 17 when he suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident. He graduated from ECU in 1973 and was hired as a counselor at ECU for its special services program. He also went on to earn a master’s degree in 1974.

He later worked for the State Education Department in 1980 and remained there until he was appointed to head the Office of Disability Concerns. He worked under five governors – Henry Bellmon, David Walters, Frank Keating, Brad Henry and Mary Fallin.

As director of the agency, Stokes worked with lawmakers to help with legislation intended to assist Oklahomans with disabilities, as well as their families and friends.

Stokes served as delegate to the White House Conference on the Handicapped in 1975 and was named handicapped citizen of the year in Oklahoma in 1985.

In 2007, Stokes received the George B. Lewis Award, named after the former chairman of the Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns, for his work in helping Oklahomans with disabilities. Stokes was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Rehabilitation Services in April.

Would you like to make a nomination for the 2014 Honors & Recognition Ceremony?

Contact Catie Caton today or visit the alumni website to download the official nomination forms.

580-559-5611 • catncat@ecok.edu www.alumni.ecok.edu

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2013 Distinguished Honorees U.S. and was a member and chair of the Oklahoma State Board of Nursing.

Schmelling had a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cornell University, a master’s degree in community mental health nursing from the University of California at San Francisco, and Ph.D. in nursing from Texas Woman’s University.

Donations from Schmelling’s family and friends support the Frances W. and Elizabeth Schmelling Nursing Scholarship for ECU nursing students.

After retiring from ECU in 2002, she died in 2003. She was married to Dr. Stephen Schmelling. They have two sons, Frederick, of Dallas, Texas, and Daniel of Arlington, Virginia.

Dr. Elizabeth Schmelling (posthumous) DISTINGUISHED FORMER FACULTY 2013

The Distinguished Former Faculty Award went to Dr. Elizabeth Schmelling, who came to ECU in 1975 as the lead instructor for the Nursing Department’s courses in community health and mental health nursing, with 15 years of public health nursing in Massachusetts, California and New York. She rose through the ranks to become a full professor, and in 1983, was appointed chair of ECU’s Department of Nursing.

Schmelling brought to her chairmanship of the nursing department the belief that ECU could have a baccalaureate nursing program that would equal any other baccalaureate program in the nation. By the time she retired in 2002, Schmelling and the rest of the nursing faculty had accomplished this goal.

Her work on creating a first-rate program began with first-rate faculty and first-rate facilities. Schmelling worked hard to find ways to make it possible for many of her faculty to complete doctoral degrees – finding grant funds, adjusting schedules, and anything else she could think of to help them through. She also led her faculty in getting grants to supplement state funds to build first-class nursing labs on campus and to give ECU students the preparation and confidence they needed to go out to off-campus clinical facilities.

Schmelling and the ECU administration recognized that the need for bachelors-prepared nurses throughout southeastern Oklahoma was an opportunity to expand the nursing program beyond the ECU campus. Her work and leadership, along with that of several other ECU nursing faculty and administrators, led to the creation of the ECU Nursing Programs in Durant and Ardmore.

She was a long-time program evaluator/site visitor for the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, the primary accrediting agency for nursing education in the

Margaret ‘Peggy’ Nims (‘63, ‘64) DISTINGUISHED FORMER FACULTY 2013

A Distinguished Former Faculty Award was presented to Margaret ‘Peggy’ Nims, who began teaching at ECU in 1963. During her 27-year tenure in the English Department, she became a charter member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and later co-sponsored it with Dr. John Densford.

She was one of the first four faculty members to receive a Teaching Excellence Award.

Nims was president of the Oklahoma Council on the Hearing Impaired and taught composition to hearingimpaired students. She taught in the Upward Bound Program for three summers. She also served as president of the ECU Alumni Association for a year and was later active on several committees of that organization.

Nims graduated from Ardmore High School as valedictorian in 1942 and married her high school sweetheart, Fred W. ‘Bill’ Nims, Jr., and they were happily married for 68 years. She received a bachelor of arts degree in education in English from ECU in 1963 and her master of teaching degree in 1964. She did post-graduate work at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City University and The Columns 19 21

2013 Distinguished Honorees the University of Oklahoma.

She did her student teaching at Ada High School and was hired the next semester to teach everything except English. A faculty member had died unexpectedly and she was required to teach his subjects in speech, drama, sociology, psychology, problems of American democracy and government. She then taught English Composition at Ada High School for the next three years.

After she retired in 1993, she devoted her time to family, her husband, Bill, her son, Bill III, and her daughter, Marilyn. Her son passed away in 2001 and her husband in 2011. Her daughter currently lives next door to her.

Monica Neal (‘92) DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD 2013

The Distinguished Service Award went to Monica Neal, who has served as senior vice president for corporate services for People’s Electric Cooperative since 2006.

Prior to that, she was vice president for corporate services and director of public relations.

In her current role, she provides general supervision and overall direction for the organizational components of the Corporate Services Division, including public relations, government affairs, community and business development and human resources for the cooperative.

Neal has served three terms as chairman of the board for ECU’s Alumni Association and is currently an active board member. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XVI and currently serves on their board and as their program committee chair.

She is also chairman of the board for the Tri-County Indian Nations Community Development Corporation and is a member of the board of directors for the National Resources Foundation and Valley View Regional Hospital Foundation.

Neal serves as chair of the Legislative Committee for the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Executive Committee for Oklahoma Business Week and Pontotoc County Career Discovery Day. She is a member of the Lion’s Club of Ada. 22 The Columns

Neal grew up in Ada and graduated from ECU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a marketing concentration in 1992 and received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the School of Business that same year.

Her husband Rob is an attorney in Ada. She has two sons, Riley and Conner Keith, and two step-daughters, Taylor Booth and Maci Neal.

The Ramadan Family DISTINGUISHED FAMILY 2013

The Distinguished Family Award goes to the Ramadan family, which has been instrumental in various capacities in encouraging and influencing students who are interested in research and the medical profession.

Dr. Tawfik Ramadan and his wife, Siham (‘91, ‘07), along with their children, Deemah, Salam (‘92), Suha (‘92), Shadin (‘95), Raniyah and Mohammad, have provided many opportunities in the advancement of higher learning and research at ECU. The first Dr. Raniyah Ramadan Symposium was held this past January to honor the legacy of their daughter. A scholarship was also established in Raniyah’s name for an ECU student interested in the research and medical field. Raniyah was a promising research scientist from Ada who passed away in 2011 at the age of 34.

The Ramadan Family has also provided a $250,000 gift to go toward a state-of-the-art research facility and program for undergraduate students. The facility, which will be located in the lower level of the ECU Education Building, will promote research-based learning and will better prepare ECU students in all disciplines for their careers, including those studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Dr. Tawfik Ramadan provides campus health services for ECU students. Siham and three of their daughters are ECU graduates.

2013 Distinguished Honorees

Chickasaw Nation

Gov. Bill Anoatubby (‘72) DISTINGUISHED PHILANTHROPIST 2013

The Distinguished Philanthropist Award was presented to the Chickasaw Nation with Gov. Bill Anoatubby accepting on its behalf.

The Chickasaw Nation has been a vital partner with ECU, particularly with the construction of the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center and sponsorship of the new football turf at Norris Field.

Anoatubby has served as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation since 1987. Prior to that, he served as the first lieutenant governor from 1979-1987. He has been active in tribal government since 1975. His previous positions included director of tribal health services, director of finance, special assistant to the governor and controller.

Today, the Chickasaw Nation employs nearly 12,000 people. Funding for tribal operations has grown exponentially and tribal assets have grown 20 fold.

Anoatubby has been committed to meeting the needs and desires of Chickasaw people by providing health care services, opportunities for employment and career advancement, heritage preservation, cultural preservation and growth, and the chance for every Chickasaw to obtain a higher education.

Prior to his involvement with the Chickasaw Nation, Anoatubby managed office operations of American Plating Company and was the chief accountant of Little Giant Corporation.

He received his associate’s degree in business from Murray State College in 1970 and a bachelor of science degree in accounting from ECU in 1972.

Anoatubby and his wife Janice have two sons, Brian and Chris, and five grandchildren, Brendan, Eryn, Chloe, Sydney and Preslea.

C

hickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby addressed candidates for bachelor’s and master’s degrees during fall Commencement ceremonies at East Central University.

Congratulations Graduates

TheThe Columns 23 21 Columns

Centennial MILLSAP CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT Norma Millsap (‘61) and her son Michael (‘95) (center) accept an award recognizing the creation of the Millsap Centennial Endowment for Health Professions at ECU. Dr. Mark Millsap, an ophthalmologist in Owensboro, Ky., established the scholarship to assist students who will be going to medical school. His mother Norma and his three siblings all are ECU alumni.

CRABTREE CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT Tom Crabtree (center) accepts an award on behalf of the Crabtree family recognizing the creation of the Judy Crabtree Memorial Psychology Centennial Endowment at ECU. The scholarship was established in memory of Judy Crabtree (‘67) by her husband and family and was the first scholarship for the psychology department.

SHARE CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT Dr. Adrianna Lancaster (‘90) (center) accepts an award recognizing the creation of the Ross SHARE Centennial Endowment at ECU. SHARE, “Student Help and Resources in Emergencies,” was established to assist students in emergency situations so they can stay in school and was the brainchild of Lancaster, dean of the Linscheid Library.

MURRAY CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT Duane Murray (left) and his son Scott accept an award recognizing the creation of the Linda Murray Centennial Flute Endowment at ECU. The scholarship was established in memory of Linda Murray (‘89) who attended ECU where she was an outstanding flute player. Linda passed away last December and her family and friends established the scholarship in her honor to assist music students, especially those who study the flute.

24 The Columns

Endowments President John Hargrave and Phyllis Danley, executive director of the ECU Foundation Inc., made presentations for newly created Centennial Endowments at the Evening of Honors and Recognition ceremony on May 10.

TAYLOR CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT Sharyn Taylor (center) accepts an award in memory of her late husband Virgil, recognizing the creation of the Virgil Taylor Vocational Rehabilitation Centennial Memorial Endowment at ECU. Virgil Taylor (‘70) was influential at the state level in the area of vocational rehabilitation. The scholarship is funded by family and friends and an annual golf tournament.

AINSWORTH CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT Linda Ainsworth (center) accepts an award recognizing the creation of the Gary and Linda Ainsworth Centennial Russian Travel Endowment at ECU, established in memory of her late husband Gary. The Ainsworths, whose love of traveling often took them to Russia, established the scholarship to help give students the same opportunity.

ECU’S WILLIAMSON ACCEPTS AWARDS FOR CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENTS Gerald Williamson (center) accepts awards recognizing the creation of the Dr. Gerald Williamson Business Administration and the “Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger” Centennial Endowments at ECU. The scholarships will assist exceptional students in the business administration area and those in leadership positions on campus.

ECU’S ANDERSON RECOGNIZED FOR CREATING CENTENNIAL ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Dr. Duane C. Anderson (center), provost and vice president for academic affairs at ECU, is recognized for his efforts in creating the Centennial Endowments Scholarship Program at ECU. In 2009, while acting as interim president, Dr. Anderson challenged the university and its various departments to raise five $15,000 scholarships to honor the university’s 100th birthday. To his surprise, 22 scholarships were established that year for a total of over $350,000. To date 53 endowments have been established totaling $1,185,000.

The Columns 25

How an

Endowment Works

A donor gives to the Foundation to establish a named endowed scholarship in an area of his or her passion. The minimum amount for a Foundation Endowment is $10,000, while the minimum for Centennial Endowment recognition is $15,000.

The gift is entered into the ECU Foundation Endowment fund.

A portion of the earnings on the invested funds will be used for distribution as scholarships to students, while the fund’s principal amount remains intact.

The donor works with the Foundation staff to develop criteria for the scholarship and guidelines for its distribution.

A scholarship agreement is signed by both parties.

The Foundation’s Investment Committee invests the donor’s gift in accordance with the Foundation’s investment objectives to maximize returns and minimize risk.

By reinvesting the remainder of the earnings, the scholarship continues to grow and is protected from inflation, providing annual support to ECU’s students for decades to come.

For questions contact: Phyllis Danley, Director of Foundation, University Advancement & Alumni Relations 580-559-5514 • pdanley@ecok.edu • www.ecok.edu/foundation 26 The Columns

How to Give

to YOUR

Donors give to the East Central University Foundation, Inc. for many different reasons. Some want to repay the investment that others made in them. Some want to give a gift that adds value to the university, and that also brings deeper meaning to their lives. Some simply want to support the ECU family and make a positive impact on the faculty, staff and students of the future.

Whatever the reason, donor gifts are important to the ECU Foundation and to the university, and we want to make sure that you are aware of all of the different ways that you can donate.

University

The ECU Foundation will accept any level of gift, and in all cases, the wishes of the donor will be the guiding principle as to how the funds are used.

Donors frequently specify an endowed scholarship, academic department fund, endowed lectureship/ professorship/chair or capital improvement project as the target of their benevolence.

The ECU Foundation encourages you to discuss the various methods of giving with your accountant and/or attorney in order to select the giving mechanism which best fits your circumstances. Flexible options allow you to demonstrate your commitment and maximize your support of the university’s mission.

There are many ways to give to ECU. Here are the most common types of gifts...

Gifts of Cash, Check or Credit Card These gifts are always welcome because they are available immediately to strengthen the ECU Foundation and the university or begin earning income for the future.

Gifts-in-Kind Donations of software, licenses, services, vendor products and other property also support the mission and programs of ECU. These gifts-in-kind allow the ECU Foundation to use our resources for other needs while you get credit for your support.

Gifts of Trusts This can include charitable remainder trusts, unitrusts, lead trusts, family trusts, annuity trusts, etc., that can avoid capital gains taxes and provide an annual income for life.

Gifts of Real Property

Gifts of Insurance

Real estate, homes, business property and farmland which have grown in value can result in capital gains taxes if sold, but tax advantages are available through a charitable gift to the ECU Foundation. When the ECU Foundation acquires your gift of appreciated stock or property, you receive a tax deduction equal to its fair market value and also avoid a costly capital gains tax on the increase in value.

Naming the ECU Foundation as the owner and/or beneficiary of your life insurance policy is also an option, especially when your policy has a face amount that is much greater than the amount you could afford to give in cash.

Gifts of Securities These gifts include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and IRAs, and are also available immediately to impact the work of the ECU Foundation.

Gifts of Personal Property Personal property can include coin collections, antique cars, gun collections, artwork, musical instruments, etc.

By assigning ownership to the ECU Foundation and making the ECU Foundation the beneficiary of an old policy that is no longer needed for its original purpose, such as sheltering children’s education, you can make a substantial gift at a low cost and take an immediate income tax deduction for the value of the policy. You can then contribute an amount equal to the policy’s premiums to the ECU Foundation and deduct that gift as a charitable contribution.

Proceeds of the policy will pass to the ECU Foundation free of estate taxes.

New policies may also be obtained listing the ECU Foundation as the owner and/or beneficiary as a part of financial or estate planning.

The Columns 27

The

UltimateGift

Wills & Estate Planning

The will is the most widely used estate-planning tool in America today.

A simple document that is easily drafted and updated, it remains the most popular method of planned giving for almost every charity, including the ECU Foundation.

There are five types of charitable bequests you can make when directing all or part of your estate to the foundation:

1. General Bequest: an agreed-

upon dollar amount.

2. Specific Bequest: a specific,

identified property or security, including real estate, stocks or bonds.

3. Residuary Bequest: all or a portion of an estate’s property after all debts, taxes, expenses and other bequests have been made.

4. Contingent Bequest: the foundation serves as an alternate beneficiary in case a beneficiary dies or disclaims a bequest.

5. Restricted Bequest: any of the above bequests with a specific purpose for the property, such as establishing a scholarship or endowment.

While a will can be a simple and effective option for many, a living trust might allow assets to be distributed to heirs without the delays or costs of probate. Be sure to consult with a qualified professional before you draft your will or trust, and review it often.

Jerry (‘68) and Mamie Farnham A gift from Mamie Farnham after Jerry’s death in 2006 and a subsequent gift from Mamie after her death in 2012 are excellent examples of the “Ultimate Gift.”

Jerry and Mamie met at a bridge game his first semester at ECU in 1951. They played both bridge and canasta throughout their college years, marrying while they were still in school and starting a family shortly after that. Jerry served as the City Finance Director in Ada, Okla. for 30 years, while Mamie worked as Ada’s Chamber of Commerce Executive Director for 30 years. They have two children, a daughter in California and a son in Pauls Valley, Okla.

They both retired at age 58 and began traveling the US in their travel trailer. They visited all of the states except Alaska and Hawaii during their 15 years of travel, and only stopped when Jerry became ill.

Mamie established the Jerry Farnham Centennial Accounting Scholarship at the ECU Foundation, Inc. in memory of her husband. “Even though it took him 20 years to complete his accounting degree at ECU, he was dedicated to the university and what it had provided to him and his family,” stated Mamie. She wanted to start this scholarship because both she and Jerry knew the value of a good education, and they were fortunate enough to be able to give back to the school which meant so much to them!

After Mamie’s death in 2012, the Farnham Living Trust designated over $100,000 to the ECU Foundation to be added to the scholarship. Accounting students for years to come will benefit from the Farnham’s generosity and their appreciation of the value of higher education.

28 The Columns

Check out our

Planned Giving Website!

www.ecok.edu/give2ecu

The The Columns Columns 29 27

“In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, and bridge to our future.� - Alex Haley 30 The Columns

Hello Fellow Tigers!

Alumni President’s Letter

My name is Elizabeth (Beth) Spence Vezina. I’m a 1979 graduate of ECU and I am very happy to be your newly elected president of the ECU Alumni Association. I live in the Dallas area with my husband, Normand, and we have two grown children. Roger helps his dad with Backyard BBQ & Catering, Inc. and Mary, of Houston, has a marketing degree and is in sales with AT&T. I am a CPA/Consultant with Accenture where I have worked for over nine years.

Why am I interested in being your president? Because it is so much fun to COME BACK to the campus where I spent four of the best years of my life. To see the changes in the campus and achievements of the school administration, faculty and students is very exciting. I’m proud to be a small part of that ongoing tradition.

My goal is to GIVE BACK to the University that helped mold me into the business woman I am today. As your president, it is extremely FUN for me to be involved with a group of people that are as passionate about the school we adore as I am. The Officers and Board of Directors of the ECU Alumni Association as well as the ECU Alumni Office have FUN planning and attending special events for the Alumni, obtaining and bestowing grants and scholarships to current students, attending events at the university and pinning each graduating class.

Very Sincerely Yours,

Elizabeth A. Vezina, CPA

President of ECU Alumni Association

Officers & Board Members President - Beth Vezina ‘79 Vice President - Barbara Miller ‘09 Secretary - Pat Fountain ‘80 Treasurer - Tommy Vass ‘88 Past President - Tiffany Grant ‘07

Jesse Allen ‘09 James Brown ‘75 Dare Chronister ‘10 Jill Clark ‘10 Robyn Elliott ‘02 Hillary Farrell ‘00 Chris Feiler ‘80

Kendall Foster ‘09 Kyle Foster ‘09 Carol Goodwin ‘09 Karen Hudson ‘85 Willie Hughes ‘86 Ronda Martin ‘82 Monica Neal ‘91

Ray Nicholas ‘83 Tori Petete ‘08 Rodney Phillips ‘73 Mark Prentice ‘84 Monica Suffal ‘10

Alumni Re unions in d/FW, T ulsa & Ar dmore

OKC Reunion @ Devon Tower, Nov. 22 from 7-9 p.m.

To register for the OKC reunion or find out the dates for the 2014 Alumni reunion dates, visit the alumni website: www.alumni.ecok.edu 31 The Columns The Columns 31

New Director of Alumni Relations

Katie Wellington ‘Once a Tiger...Always a Tiger’ Holds True for New Director

Many people have a long history with East Central University, but how many can say they have one that begins before birth?

Katie Wellington’s family connection with ECU dates back to her grandfather. A Tiger since her parents took her to her first homecoming parade when she was eight months old. Wellington truly calls the university home. In her new role as director of alumni relations, her mission is to bring every Tiger home.

“My family has been here forever, and we are probably never going to leave,” Wellington said. “I love ECU. It’s better than anywhere else.”

Katie’s combined family has over 20 degrees from the university.

“Between the Brusters and the Wellingtons, we have so many Tigers in the family,” she said.

Her grandparents and parents all are educators. Mom, Kathy, retired as elementary principal at Vanoss Public Schools and currently teaches at Byng and supervises ECU student teachers.

Dad, Rodd, teaches at Ada High School.

Katie started attending college early. As a little girl, she accompanied her dad to his ceramics class where she majored in making clay whistles.

“She was very interested and liked getting her hands dirty,” Rodd said. “It was a good father-daughter moment and one that I will always remember. Katie is the artsy child and her school did not offer ceramics, so it was a good experience for her as well as for her dad.”

As a fulltime student, Katie majored in mass communications and received her bachelor’s degree in 2010 and a master of human resources in 2013.

32 The Columns

“When I heard Katie had been hired in alumni relations, my first thought was, ‘Wow,’ what a great hire. Not only does she possess an effervescent personality and perpetual smile, but she has an ECU pedigree second to none” said Dr. Jack Paschall professor of education who taught her grandmother, dad and mom.

Wellington brings her own unique perspective on ECU Homecoming to her job. She has attended every parade since she was born and most of the events.

“We would have to get to the parade early to get our spot so no one would be in our way,” her mom said. “We wanted to be on the front row or even better yet be able to sit in the back of a pickup or in the car if it was cold or rainy.

We would plan what snacks we would take and where on Main Street we would meet the family.”

Katie fondly remembers the huge floats and traditions of the past and would like to revive some of them.

This year she would like to do homecoming nationwide and involve as many friends, alumni and graduates as possible with special emphasis on bringing alumni back to campus and getting the whole town of Ada involved. “I remember the parade being a big deal. It was something everyone wanted to go to,” she said.

“It was a coming home party for the whole community. I would like to bring that feeling back to the community and the campus.”

“Let’s have a huge reunion with everyone,” she said.

“Come back to your home and see all that is new at ECU!”

U CS C E I M

CO

Recap! ...Football Game

Alumni 5K Tiger Run...

Alumni Golf Tournament... ...Golden Tiger Brunch ...Coronation

...Parade

The Columns 31 The Columns 33

SAVE TH * y a d o T rnament r e t s i eg f Tou

*R

Gol i n m • Alu un nch u R r B K 5 r • Tige n du e e . d l k o o G c • ni.e

m

lu www.a

34 The Columns

HE DATE Monday, Sept. 30th

Saturday Oct. 5th

• Pep Rally & Bonfire

7:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. Norris Field

Tuesday, Oct. 1st

• Volleyball vs Northwestern

7 p.m. Kerr Activities Center • 90s Trivia Night

5:30 p.m.

Bill S. Cole University Center

Wednesday, Oct. 2nd • Powder Puff Football Game

8 p.m. TBA

Thursday, Oct. 3rd

• Soccer vs Southern Nazarene

4 p.m. Soccer Field • Comedian

8 p.m. Dorothy Summers Theatre

Friday Oct. 4th

• Alumni Golf Tournament* Oak Hills Golf & Country Club

11:30 a.m. Lunch for Golfers

1 p.m. Tee Off

• 5K Run*

8 a.m. Wintersmith Park • Funky Fall Festival

9 a.m. Centennial Plaza • Golden Tiger Brunch*

9:30 a.m. ECU Foundation Hall

in the Chickasaw Business &

Conference Center • Athletic Alumni Meeting

11 a.m. Kerr Activities Center • Homecoming Parade

12 p.m. Main Street • Alumni Baseball game

1 p.m. Tiger Baseball Field • Band Alumni Meeting

2 p.m. Kennedy Band Hall, HBFFAC • Tiger Tailgate Sponsored by the Alumni Association

1-4 p.m. Softball Field Parking Lot • Football Game

4 p.m. Norris Field • Alumni Social

8 p.m.-1 a.m.

Oak Hills Golf & Country Club

Check the alumni website for additional Homecoming events as they are scheduled.

Office of Alumni Relations 580-559-5651 www.alumni.ecok.edu

The The Columns Columns 35 33

50th Anniversary for PIKES atECU 1964 Pesagi Yearbook

36 36 The The Columns Columns

Memories from

East Central State College

[Charles Martin taught at East Central for five years, from 1959 to 1964, and was involved as sponsor of several different organizations. One of the most enjoyable was his affiliation with Sigma Tau Gamma, later going national with Pi Kappa Alpha.]

I remember going (“sneaking”) with the pledges to Arkansas to the races at Hot Springs. We were just going to observe the action before betting any money. Richard Thompson just couldn’t wait to start betting on the horses and turned to a gentleman next to him and said, “How do you make a bet?” The man said, “Well, sonny, first you’ve got to have some money.” We soon got into the action. I think I came out ahead with a few dollars. The actives soon arrived to spoil our “sneak,” but we did have a lot of fun on

the trip.

As sponsor of the fraternity I was initiated into the original group. I was taken into a room, placed in a chair and blindfolded. Then someone was supposed to put his hands on my shoulders while reading some formal statement from the ritual. He clamped his hands down on my shoulders with more force than necessary, causing me to practically jump out of the chair. The other members of the initiating party started snickering and trying to stifle their laughter. I, too, had trouble keeping my composure.

I remember a combo in The Tiger Tangles 1963 made up of Duane Ratliff, Jim Martindale, Bob Caldwell, and Jim Kingery, with Duane wearing a blond wig. I also remember the Pi Kappa Alpha float in Homecoming of a Trojan horse, one of the best crafted in the parade.

I have always been amazed at the quality of the men in the fraternity. Some I had as students and others as members of the group. We have had a few reunions since the founding, and it is always a pleasure to renew friendships and find out how successful our group has been, both in the world of work and in their family lives.

Charles Martin

The Columns 35 37

ECU Graduate Making a DIFFERENCE

in the lives of STUDENTS

Deborah Cornelison (‘83, ‘85) will do anything for the sake of science from putting on her rubber boots and wading out into the creeks and stinkiest mud with her students to working all night to adapt an innovative computer system to her classroom. She doesn’t quit when the bell rings at the end of the school day. In fact, she never stops being a teacher.

“It takes up my whole life,” she said.

Cornelison has taught physical science at Byng Junior High School for most of her 28-year career, and has unlocked the potential and challenged the minds of her students and colleagues while gaining national recognition along the way.

“Her passion for teaching and her genuine love for each and every student are undeniable,” former student Casey Chatfield said. “It is also contagious. She is the most compassionate person I have ever been in contact with. The only thing more impressive than her vast education and numerous honors is how much she truly values her role as a teacher and loves her students.”

Cornelison and four other educators were inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in June following a week long series of events celebrating the profession.

“I was honored by the selection,” she said. “The induction was very humbling. Thousands and thousands of teachers deserve recognition.

38 38 The The Columns Columns

Those of us who have been selected for this honor feel like we are representing them.”

The NTHF, located in Emporia, Kan., is committed to drawing the public’s attention to exceptional teachers through a recognition program which honors five of the nation’s most outstanding pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educators each year.

“It was a first class affair,” Cornelison said. “Emporia is really ‘teacher town USA.’ The whole town came out for all the activities.”

A week of activities culminated with a banquet and induction ceremony.

“When they announced Mrs. Cornelison’s name, the entire room erupted into a standing ovation,” former student Courtney Cowley said.

“In that moment, I have never felt so much pride and appreciation.”

Cornelison’s moment stemmed from what she considers one of the most important aspects of her career, a strong connection to other colleagues.

Hector Ibarra, a retired science teacher from Iowa, placed her name in nomination.

Once nominated she had to submit a written application responding to questions over teaching practices, her views on major issues in education and other documentation for screening by local and national committees.

“The starting point for selection was some kind of national recognition,” she said.

Applicants are then narrowed down to semifinalists. Finalists are chosen from three-minute videos showcasing their work.

“It’s challenging to give a big picture of your teaching career in three minutes,” she said.

After much debate, a selection committee narrowed the pool from 22 to 10 to five.

“I am very thankful to have had Mrs. Cornelison as a teacher and thankful for the NTHF for recognizing how outstanding she truly is,” Cowley said.

Cornelison has received over 20 local, state and national awards through the years including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, National Science Teachers Association/Shell Science Teaching Award, Microsoft Innovative Teacher Best Practice Award and USA Today All-USA Teacher Team Honorable Mention.

“You don’t really learn how

to teach until you start”

Cornelison discovered a bit late in life she wanted to teach.

“I always loved school but didn’t realize I wanted to be a teacher

until my son was in kindergarten and I volunteered at Glenwood,” she said. “His teacher approached me and encouraged me to go back to school.”

She finished her bachelor’s degree, took the required education courses and then went on to get her master’s, all from ECU where she taught biology and physical science for three and a half years before the job opened up at Byng.

Her first semester was a struggle. After a few months teaching at the junior high level thoughts like “What have I done here?” crossed her mind.

“It was a whole new experience,” Cornelison said. “I had all this content knowledge and I had to learn how to effectively help them learn it. I had to adjust daily what I was doing. I am still adjusting.”

Kevin Wilson was one of her first ninth graders.

“As a student, you knew immediately she meant business,” he said. “She challenged us as much as we have ever been challenged.”

Wilson worked alongside Cornelison when he was a history teacher and now observes her as principal.

“She is so knowledgeable,” he said. “Nothing catches her off guard. There is no question a student can ask that she can’t answer.

She hands that knowledge over to her kids.”

Cornelison has found her place at Byng with her junior high students.

“She was more of a teacher inside of class and a friend outside of class,” said ECU freshman Jaden Miller. “Nowadays, a lot of teachers do it the other way.”

“All of the recognition I have received has been based on the successes of my students”

In addition to grounding thousands with the basics of physical science, Cornelison mentors students in the field of her passion with individual and team research projects that have earned them over 300 awards at regional, state, national and international levels.

“I owe her for always pushing me to succeed and always believing that I would,” Cowley said. “She spent countless hours off the clock before and after school, most weekends and holiday breaks in her classroom with us. She never did any of the work for us, but she didn’t hesitate to review everything with her red pen, fine-tooth comb and educated opinion.”

Seventy-two student research papers presented at the Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science regional and state meets resulted in numerous publications and state awards.

“I admire students who find the drive or develop the initiative to find a niche, whatever that might be, and to put effort into being successful,” Cornelison said. “For many, that comes naturally and easily. They have lots of support. Others have obstacles to their learning and overcome those with the help of teachers, community members, whoever influences them to overcome their difficulties to do more.”

Many people have impacted what Cornelison was able to accomplish and is still able to accomplish.

“I had a lot of really good teachers,” she said.

Cornelison fondly remembers the Warrenburgs from tiny Varnum, Public Schools. Mrs. Warrenburg taught seventh grade reading and English and was a role model in and out of the classroom.

“She was kind and graceful but kept control of her classroom,” she said. “She was the epitome of the professional.”

Cornelison has tried to follow in her footsteps.

Superintendent Warrenburg taught science. Approachable, genial

and the consummate professional, he was always thinking of something to get her attention.

“If I can ever get to the point where as a person I can have that type of influence, that’s what it is all about”

Elmer Brown, professor emeritus of biology, was the first person Cornelison met when she started at ECU.

“I came here scared and enrolled at the last minute,” she said.

“He took care of me and got me into closed classes. As a student, as a returning student nine years later, as a part-time instructor and during my teaching career, he has always been supportive.”

Dr. Brown made sure students, many of whom came from small schools like Varnum, felt welcome at the university.

“I tried to keep an open door policy,” he said, “so students could feel confident to ask questions. I tried to give them the foundation to explore the curiosities of science and the incentive to explore more.”

He said Cornelison was an excellent student and he knew she would make a great teacher.

“Not only does she have the talent, but she has the desire,” Brown said. “I really enjoyed encouraging all these things to come to fruition.”

Jack Paschall, John Bulman, Bill Carter and several other ECU instructors saw the same something her son’s kindergarten teacher had seen and helped develop it.

“We probably had one of the best biology departments in the state,” Brown said. “Schools from all over the area were recruiting science teachers from here. We had to be doing something right.”

Clyde Butler asked Cornelison to teach general biology.

“He was the first one who had confidence in my teaching,” she said. “I cringe when I think about those people in my first classes. I’ve learned as a teacher. I regret that when I first began I wasn’t as skilled and knowledgeable as I am now.”

Part of the learning process centers around professional development all over the country. Engaging in other learning opportunities for teachers helps her be a better teacher, something encouraged early on by her current superintendent, Todd Crabtree.

“A lot of my success, I credit to his influence,” she said. “I take what I learn and help other people help other people grow.”

Not that anyone could every replace Mrs. Cornelison in the hearts and minds of her students, but for those in the process of trying, she has this advice.

“Prepare yourself to the best you can. Learn as much as you can about your content knowledge then you are going to learn how to teach. Don’t be afraid if it is a challenge. Learn as you grow. Seek out professional development activities that are going to help you grow and help your students learn.”

Deborah Cornelison and Courtney Timmons-Cowley take time for a photo at the induction ceremony.

The The Columns Columns 39 37

Marriedat the

Chapel

The Boswell Chapel on campus has witnessed countless weddings since it opened in 1957. Here are four stories of alums tying the Tiger knot.

40 The Columns

We really loved the sport. Gymnastics, at that time, was just becoming big in the United States. After a year of research and planning, we resigned our school teaching jobs and moved to Sherman to open our business, Gymnastics Sport Center. Now fulltime, we began to teach many children the sport of gymnastics. The community received and supported us beyond our dreams.

During the first 17 years of summers, we came back to the Kerr Activities Center at ECU and held gymnastics camps there before moving those to our facility in Sherman. We owned the gym for 32 years and then sold it to one of our long-time employees, so the Gymnastics Sport Center is still operating in Sherman. We are now retired and loving it. We are still extremely busy with lots of service activities that we enjoy. And of course, we thoroughly enjoy our grown son and daughter and their spouses and our one fantastic grandson.

Janet (Thomason) (‘74) and Dick (‘72) Freeman

Dick and I met at ECU in September, 1970. I was enrolled in a gymnastics class for P.E. credit, taught by Billie Floyd, and Dick had a really good friend who was also in that class. He told Dick about me and said that he knew that I ate lunch every day in Briles Cafeteria, so they arranged to eat lunch one day there so Dick could, “check me out.”

Dick saw me, but I never met him that day. Later I got a call from Dick asking me to go out for dinner and a movie that next Friday night. My mother had advised me against blind dates when I first left for college, but I decided to go.

Dick said he would be wearing a red shirt when he picked me up, so that I would know who he was. We had a great time, laughed a lot, and that was the beginning of this wonderful 40-plus-year journey of life that we have been on together.

We got married on Saturday, Sept. 9, 1972, in the Boswell Chapel. It was an 8 p.m. ceremony and it had rained that day. The chapel was decorated with white candelabras, holding yellow candles and standing baskets of white gladiolus and yellow daisy poms. Yellow bows were on the pews. I just remember it being a beautiful place for a wedding.

After getting married, we lived in the married student housing until we finished our degrees. Dick graduated and taught school at Latta while I finished up my degree. Dick went on to get his master’s at Oklahoma University while I got mine at ECU and began teaching at Pickett Center and then Latta. We lived in Ada and taught school for five years before moving to Sherman, Texas.

It is interesting how life takes its turns. After meeting Dick through that freshman gymnastics class, it turned out that gymnastics would become a huge part of our lives.

While teaching at Latta, Dick began teaching gymnastics after school to interested children. The after-school program grew so much at Latta, that we ended up moving it to ECU and were able to teach more of the area children.

Cheryl (Beck) (‘93) and Richard (‘93) Carvajal

Richard and I met in the theatre at ECU during his first year on campus. His brother Christian and I were both in The Importance of Being Earnest. We first met when Richard came to see his brother in the play.

We stayed active in theatrical productions for years.

In some plays I’d be on stage and he’d work behind the scenes. In others he’d be on stage and I’d be backstage.

We also acted in a few together.

We dated all through college, and when he proposed, we both knew we had to get married on campus. Less than a month after graduation, we married in the campus chapel and had our reception in the Regents Room of the Memorial Student Union. Fellow students came, and quite a few professors. We had wedding photos taken in the ECU rose (rock) garden, which was in full bloom that June.

It could not have been more perfect.

Our whole romance began at ECU, and many of our early romantic memories involve the university in some way. Getting married on campus just put the icing on the cake, so to speak.

The Columns 41 39

Glen studied industrial arts at ECU and graduated in 1962. In the late 1970s, Glen and Betty worked together running Quick Print, which was located in the Ada Mini Mall. The business grew into Federal Printing and Office Supply, which Betty continued to operate until 1993.

In 1978 Glen became a founding partner of Childers and Childers Architects, which is still a prominent architectural firm in Ada today.

Glen passed away in the summer of 2013. Glen and Betty have two daughters, Amy Childers Elliot and Cara Childers Waters.

Betty (Skinner) (‘65, ‘71) and Glen (‘62) Childers

In what have must been a case of love at first sight, Glen Childers proposed to Betty Skinner on their second date.

Betty was working at the soda counter at Kirk’s Soda Shop and Glen worked next door at Ray James’ Architect office, both of which were located were the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center sits today.

They were later married at the Boswell Chapel on Aug. 14, 1964.

The chapel was decorated with an archway adorned with in greenery and white wedding bells. On each side of the arch stood seven-branched candelabras. Baskets of Killian daisies sat in front of the candelabras.

Betty wore a gown of white satin, fashioned with a sweetheart neckline and tapered sleeves of alencon lace.

The gown was designed and fashioned by the groom’s mother.

The bride’s only jewelry was a single strand of her mother’s pearls. Betty’s bouquet consisted of white daisies and rosebuds intertwined with ribbons tied in love knots.

She carried her bouquet on a white Bible given to her by Glen.

The Childers’ wedding reception was held in the North Lounge of the Memorial Student Union and featured a twotiered wedding cake and pink cherry punch.

Betty graduated from ECU in 1964 with a degree in education and went on to complete a master’s degree in elementary education. She started teaching at Homer School in 1964 and later moved to Hayes School and taught until 1970.

42 The Columns

Darlean(Osborn) (‘90) and Brad (‘87, ‘93) Calip

Brad and I met on Oct. 27, 1983, at a Halloween dance in Pesagi Hall. From there we started dating and were married on June 8, 1990. We were married in the chapel on campus.

We reside in Tulsa. I teach at Sapulpa High School and serve as the girls basketball head coach. Brad is a teacher at Jenks High School and is an assistant high school football and track coach.

We have two amazing children - son, Braden attended.

He is attending UCO and playing football. Our daughter Brice plays basketball and runs track at Sapulpa High School.

Were you married on campus?

Submit your stories online at www.alumni.ecok.edu and we will print them in an upcoming edition of The Columns!

BENCH DEDICATIONS Dr. Norman Frame

came to ECU in 1964 from Fort Hays State in Fort Hays, Kan. Originally from Checotah, Okla., Frame attended Northeastern State University and later attained both his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Oklahoma.

During his 33-year tenure at ECU, Frame served as director of elementary education and taught math, reading and language arts for teacher preparation. Since his retirement in 1997, Norman and his wife Mary Ann have continued to reside in Ada.

Dr. John Bulmanpassed away November 6, 2011 at the age of 82. Bulman’s tenure

at ECU spanned 50 years. He taught physics, served as a department chair, division head and culminated his career as the vice president of academic affairs. Immediately following retirement, John served ECU as the campus’ project director on numerous new building and restoration projects, including the construction of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.

John and his wife, the late Berta Nelson Bulman, raised two children, Suzanne Bulman Coyle (‘91, ‘04) and David Bulman (‘89).

Dr. Joe Parsons (‘48, ‘50) served ECU for 35 years in numerous capacities.

He returned to his alma mater in 1966 to teach in the College of Education. He later became the vice president of student affairs and then the vice president for development. Immediately following his announced retirement in 1998, Parsons was contacted by the Board of Regional Oklahoma Colleges and asked to become the interim president at ECU. He held this position during the 1988-89 academic year. His prior experience had been as a teacher, principal and superintendent in multiple Oklahoma public districts. Joe passed away in October of 2011.

He and his wife Harol Deane (‘68), were the parents of ECU alumni Paula Kedy (‘76), Penny Martin (‘80) and Patrick Parsons (‘85).

Kenneth Clinton graduated from ECU with a master of education degree in 1960

and was an elementary school teacher for several years. In 1966, Clinton became the manager of the ECU Bookstore, a position he held until 1985. Clinton passed away on Dec. 23, 2012 at the age of 89. He had five sons, two of whom are ECU alumni, and attended the Central Church of Christ in Ada.

The Columns 41 43

“Future...that period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured.�

- Ambrose Bierce

44 The Columns

Jeff Williams Named Director of Athletics

Coming off one of the most successful school years since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, East Central University is gradually climbing the ladder of athletic success and continuing a strong academic foundation. ECU Director of Athletics Dr. Jeff Williams is glad to be at the forefront.

Williams, who assumed the athletic director’s position on Jan. 1, has been extremely pleased with what took place in the athletic program, both on and off the playing field, since taking over the duties eight months ago.

“We had some great successes in the spring with our women’s basketball team winning, our women’s tennis team winning a conference championship and our men’s tennis team finishing runner-up,” said Williams. “Our softball team experienced success, and in golf, both of our teams had strong finishes.”

Not only did more than 30 student-athletes achieve allconference success during the 2012-13 school year, more than 50 student-athletes garnered academic awards as well.

“I’m more proud of the academic success that our athletes had,” Williams said.

In all, there were three conference championships as the men’s and women’s cross country teams also earned Great American Conference championships last fall and the football team rolled to three straight victories to conclude the 2012 season and finish with a winning 6-5 record.

Along with the successes have come changes, including new football turf at Norris Field, which is one of several gradual changes to come with the stadium. A new athletic website was launched during the summer at www.ecutigers.com.

“The new turf has generated a tremendous amount of

excitement and the new website is now more fan-friendly,” said Williams.

One of the newest and most exciting endeavors this fall will be the first-ever live coaches’ show to be broadcast on 105.5 FM, The X-Factor. Plans are to have the show run each Monday, beginning in early September through March, ECU football play-by-play man Mike Manos and ECU basketball voice Kenny Morrison will host the shows from Rib Crib in Ada.

“We hope to have all of our coaches on the air at some point,” Williams said.

The X-Factor also serves as the flagship station for Tiger football and basketball.

Another goal of Williams’ is to gradually improve the game-day experience through facility improvements, programming and promotions.

“We would like to get more involvement from the community and get more student involvement in the gameday experience,” said Williams.

In his first eight months on the job, the challenges have been many, particularly with the time element, according to Williams.

“It feels like there’s not enough time in the day. There’s so much to promoting intercollegiate athletics,” Williams said. “Since we’re in higher education, you always have to compete for state funding. But we’ve been relying on corporate sponsorships and donors to help us. We’ve been building and solidifying relationships. I feel like we’re partnering with great people.”

Williams says he has a long list people to meet in the future.

“My goal is work harder on building relationships with people who value Tiger athletics and want to get involved,” said Williams.

Prior to serving as chair of ECU’s Kinesiology Department, Williams was director of ECU’s Athletic Training Education Program, coordinator of the Master of Secondary Education – Sports Administration Program at ECU and head athletic trainer at the Ada institution.

Williams, who had served as an assistant professor and was tenured at ECU in 2012, received his doctorate of philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in 2011, master of human relations from OU in 1999 and a bachelor of science in health and sports sciences from OU, with an emphasis on exercise science, in 1996.

He attended ECU from 1991-1993.

Williams’ other professional credits include clinical instructor and supervisor of the athletic training program at Rose State College (1997-1999), Midwest Regional Medical Center Sports Medicine Program Coordinator (1997-1999) and Physical Performance Center Staff Certified Athletic Trainer in Norman (1996-1997).

He replaced Matt McGaha, who had served as ECU director of athletics on an interim basis since August of 2012.

Williams and his wife, Shelly, have three children – Jace, Kale and Kate.

The Columns 45 43

Greatness Breaking Through to

In 1990 a group of 11 freshmen started for first-year head coach Hank Walbrick and went 1-9. That group continued to fight and improved to 5-4-1 in 1991 and 6-3 in 1992. Then in 1993 they accomplished something that no team from East Central University, in any sport, has repeated. They won a national championship.

“It was a dream year that didn’t start out that way,” said former head coach Hank Walbrick. “We had built the team since 1990, with 11 freshmen starting.

Of those 11, 10 were still with us in 1993 and were the nucleus and leadership of the team. I didn’t have to do a lot of motivating, when I had players like that

46 The Columns

doing it for me.”

This year’s Homecoming will be all about remembering the 1990’s and what better way for the ECU Athletics Department to get involved than to honor its national championship.

“Everything that season was very consistent,” said ECU flanker back Jason Clements. “The Monday practice before the national championship we started out doing the same thing that we did on the first day of August two-a-days.

The coaches did a super job of having a plan for the year and taking the talent and players we had and knowing what to do with them that year.”

The 1993 ECU football squad

finished the season 10-3 overall, 3-2 in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference and had a perfect 7-0 record at Norris Field. After going 7-3 in the regular season and earning a No. 7 ranking, the Tigers had to wait to find out if they would make the eight-team field due to a final regular-season loss at Southeastern.

“After we lost to Southeastern we thought that we had lost our chance to make the playoffs,” Walbrick added.

“But we were fortunate enough that a lot of the other teams below us also lost. So we got a second chance. When I talked to the team I told them that while we didn’t take care of business at Southeastern we had a second chance and we couldn’t let that one slide.”

The notification to the team came on a non-practice day and most would expect that once the players were released by the coaches, they would head home for some rest. But the players on the 1993 team had other plans.

“While that was all I had to say there was something that went through the locker room that day,” remembered Walbrick. “We weren’t practicing that day, but they stayed around and visited.

That showed the coaching staff that they had taken this second chance to heart and we played our best football in the final three games of the season.”

The Tigers went on the road for the first game, only to return home with a 24-22 victory over Western New Mexico.

“It was a 17-hour bus ride that started Wednesday night for that first game and we had a bus burn up just as

we got into town,” commented Walbrick.

“So we had to load all the players on to one bus after we checked into the hotel to head over to practice, but they didn’t let that bother them.”

ECU continued its run by making a strong statement with a 27-0 victory over future conference foe ArkansasMonticello to reach the championship game against Glenville State.

“The atmosphere at home was very inspiring,” Walbrick said. “We had several pep rallies, but the one before the championship game at the Kerr Activities Center was packed. During the pep rallies one of our players went over and banged on the drums with the band.

That is the type of players we had. They were students first and wanted to be part of the atmosphere.”

On what was described on the box score of the game as perfect conditions for a mid-December football game, 5,750 fans packed Norris Field for what would become a 12-touchdown offensive battle.

“We played a top west coast passing offense. We had never seen it and we had no idea how to defend it, but at the same time they had not seen a big, physical run game like we had,” said Clements. “So it was two polar opposites that were slugging it out and both teams were very good at what they did. I distinctly remember the coaches saying ‘this is going to be a shootout, it is going to come down to who guts it out and gets it done at the end of the game.’”

After trading the first eight The Columns 47

touchdowns, the Tigers took control of the game with 2:16 left in the third quarter, when Tyler Jack scored his third of four touchdowns for the day on a one-yard run. Richard Peoples put ECU up 42-28, at 5:59 in the fourth, and Jack added the game-securing TD on a 20-yard run, with 3:32 remaining on the clock. While GSC added one more score with less than a minute left, the lead that the Tigers built was strong enough to earn the first national title for ECU. Tiger Facts

“The biggest moment is always looking up at the clock, seeing the in the 1994 seconds tick down and realizing that it (winning the national title) is actually happening,” Clements added. “You reflect back through all the hard work that everyone put in, you are seeing it pay off and that is very rewarding.”

While winning the national championship was exciting for the team, they took more than just a ring from that season.

“What really sticks out to me is that when I looked around the locker room I truly knew every one of the players,” said Clements. “We had so many players from that team that had come up with each other and we knew each other and that made a huge difference.”

The football program was not the only area on campus that benefited from the extra excitement from playing for the title. As a whole the student body and campus community came out to support the team on the 48 The Columns

field, but the players and coaches knew that the campus was impacted as well.

“Winning always brings a lot of pride, but it also spilled into every aspect of the school,” Clements commented.

“When you have a success like that it breeds excellence all around and raises the bar for everyone.”

Football is not just about what you learn to do on the field. Like any other sport it is about it teaches you to succeed once Recorded what you leave school and enter a career.

“There is a quote that I used to tell my players, which is ‘Winning is not a sometimes thing,’” added Walbrick. “If you are going to be a winner you are going to win on the football field, in the classroom, with your family, or in your career. I think if you look at that entire team, pretty much everyone has been successful in their careers.”

“Being shown that when you do things right day-in and day-out very well translated into my career,” Clements added. “You have teachers, parents and friends that always tell you that if you apply yourself, there is nothing you can’t accomplish and we all walked away with living, breathing proof of that.”

Pesagi

ECU TIGER Athletic Schedules SOCCER

DATE LADY TIGER SOCCER

9/6 9/8 9/10 9/15 9/18 9/20 9/22 9/27 9/29 10/3 10/6 10/11 10/13 10/18 10/20 10/25 11/1 11/3 11/8-10

at Colorado State Pueblo at Colorado Springs VS NORTHEASTERN STATE VS MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE at Texas Woman’s at Midwestern State VS MCMURRY VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE VS SOUTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE at Central Missouri VS HARDING VS OUACHITA BAPTIST at Northwestern Oklahoma State at Southwestern Oklahoma State at Southern Nazarene at Harding at Ouachita Baptist at GAC Tournament

VOLLEYBALL

DATE LADY TIGER VOLLEYBALL

TIME

6:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 2:00 PM 6:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM

TIME

7:00 PM 12:30 PM 4:00 PM 1:00 PM 7:30 PM 5:00 PM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM 2:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 1:00 PM TBA

TIME

9/5 at Hawaii Hilo 2:00 PM 9/7 at Hawaii Hilo 11:00 AM 9/13 VS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA (Tiger Classic) 1:00 PM 9/13 VS MARYVILLE (Tiger Classic) 7:00 PM 9/14 VS CAMERON (Tiger Classic) 1:00 PM 9/14 VS MACU (Tiger Classic) 7:00 PM 9/17 VS ST. GREGORY’S 5:00 PM 9/21 at Wayland Baptist 1:00 PM 9/21 at Oklahoma City University 3:00 PM 9/24 VS SOUTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE 7:00 PM 9/27 at Southeastern Oklahoma State 7:00 PM 10/1 VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE 7:00 PM 10/4 at Harding 7:00 PM 10/5 at Arkansas Tech 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 10/11 vs Pittsburg State (MSSU Invitational) 4:00 PM 10/11 vs Washburn (MSSU Invitational) 10/12 vs Missouri Western State (MSSU Invitational) 11:00 AM 3:00 PM 10/12 vs Southwest Baptist (MSSU Invitational) 10/15 at Arkansas-Fort Smith 6:00 PM 10/18 VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 7:00 PM 10/19 VS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 2:00 PM 10/22 at Southern Nazarene 7:00 PM 10/26 at Henderson State 12:00 PM 10/29 at Northwestern Oklahoma State 7:00 PM 10/31 VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE 7:00 PM 11/5 at Southwestern Oklahoma State 7:00 PM 11/9 VS OUACHITA BAPTIST 2:00 PM 11/14 VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE 7:00 PM 11/16 at Central Oklahoma 4:00 PM 11/21-23 at GAC Tournament TBA

* HOME GAMES

DATE

LADY TIGER CROSS COUNTRY

LOCATION

DATE

TIGER CROSS COUNTRY

LOCATION

DATE

TIGER GOLF

LOCATION

DATE

LADY TIGER GOLF

LOCATION

9/5 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/9 9/5 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/26 11/9

9/8-10 9/22-24 9/29-10/1 10/20-22 10/27-29 9/15-17 9/27-28 10/6-8 10/13-15 10/20-22

at Strohman Dental Stampede at Texas-Arlington at Missouri Southern Stampede at OSU Cowboy Jamboree at Chile Pepper Festival at Midwestern State at GAC Championship at NCAA DII Central Regional at Strohman Dental Stampede at Texas-Arlington at Missouri Southern Stampede at OSU Cowboy Jamboree at Chile Pepper Festival at Midwestern State at GAC Championship at NCAA DII Central Regional

Wichita Falls, Texas Arlington, Texas Joplin, Mo. Stillwater, Okla.

Fayetteville, Ark. Wichita Falls, Texas Russellville, Ark. Sioux Falls, S.D.

at GAC Preview Tournament at NSU Men’s Classic at 2013 Texoma Championship at Bruce Williams Memorial at Texas A&M-Commerce Fall Review

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Tulsa, Okla.

Kingston, Okla.

San Antonio, Texas The Colony, Texas

at NSU Women’s Classic at Lady Reddie Invitational at Broncho Fall Classic at GAC Preview Tournament at Oklahoma Intercollegiate for Women

BASKETBALL

DATE LADY TIGER BASKETBALL TIME 11/9 11/12 11/16 11/21 11/23 11/25 12/5 12/7 12/14 12/17 1/2 1/4 1/9 1/11 1/16 1/22 1/25 1/30 2/1 2/6 2/8 2/13 2/15 2/20 2/27 3/1 3/6-9

Wichita Falls, Texas Arlington, Texas Joplin, Mo. Stillwater, Okla.

Fayetteville, Ark. Wichita Falls, Texas Russellville, Ark. Sioux Falls, S.D.

VS SOUTHWEST CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM VS ST. GREGORY’S 7:00 PM VS ROGERS STATE 2:00 PM VS OUACHITA BAPTIST 5:30 PM VS HENDERSON STATE 2:00 PM at St. Gregory’s 7:00 PM at Harding 5:30 PM at Arkansas Tech 2:00 PM at Midwestern State 2:00 PM VS MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM at Arkansas-Monticello 5:30 PM at Southern Arkansas 2:00 PM VS NWOSU 5:30 PM VS SWOSU 2:00 PM VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE 5:30 PM at Southeastern Okla. State 5:30 PM VS HARDING 2:00 PM at Henderson State 5:30 PM at Ouachita Baptist 2:00 PM VS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 5:30 PM VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 2:00 PM at Southwestern Okla. State 5:30 PM at Northwestern Okla. State 2:00 PM at Southern Nazarene 5:30 PM VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE 5:30 PM VS ARKANSAS TECH 2:00 PM at GAC Tournament TBA

LIVE STATS • LIVE VIDEO • RESULTS • UP-TO-DATE INFO

VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO at Southern Arkansas VS OUACHITA BAPTIST at Henderson State VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE (HC) VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE at Southwestern Oklahoma State VS ARKANSAS TECH at Harding at Southeastern Oklahoma State

www.ecutigers.com

9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/19 10/26 11/2 11/9 11/16

CROSS COUNTRY

DATE TIGER FOOTBALL

GOLF

FOOTBALL

SEE YOU AT THE GAME!

Tulsa, Okla.

Arkadelphia, Ark. Oklahoma City, Okla.

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Lawton, Okla.

DATE TIGER BASKETBALL 11/8 11/9 11/16 11/21 11/23 11/30 12/5 12/7 12/14 12/20 1/2 1/4 1/9 1/11 1/16 1/22 1/25 1/30 2/1 2/6 2/8 2/13 2/15 2/20 2/27 3/1 3/6-9

TIME

vs Angelo State (SWOSU CLASSIC) 3:00 PM vs Midwestern State (SWOSU CLASSIC) 3:00 PM VS DALLAS BAPTIST 4:00 PM VS OUACHITA BAPTIST 7:30 PM VS HENDERSON STATE 4:00 PM at Tarleton State 7:00 PM at Harding 7:30 PM at Arkansas Tech 4:00 PM at Rogers State 4:00 PM VS SOUTHWESTERN ADVENTIST 11:00 AM at Arkansas-Monticello 7:30 PM at Southern Arkansas 4:00 PM VS NWOSU 7:30 PM VS SWOSU 4:00 PM VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE 7:30 PM at Southeastern Okla. State 7:30 PM VS HARDING 4:00 PM at Henderson State 7:30 PM at Ouachita Baptist 4:00 PM VS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 7:30 PM VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 4:00 PM at Southwestern Okla. State 7:30 PM at Northwestern Okla. State 4:00 PM at Southern Nazarene 7:30 PM VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE 7:30 PM VS ARKANSAS TECH 4:00 PM at GAC Tournament TBA

The The Columns 49 47 Columns

‘If You Work Good Things Happen’

Hard

;

final loss of the regular season to Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5348).

“There was a lot of talent in the conference that season and every game came down to the last minute of play,” said forward/center Vernell Kemp. “After we were able to beat Northeastern on the road we started to think that we could win the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference and a ring!”

Twenty-five years ago a group of 15 players and two coaches from East Central University used the saying ‘If you work hard, good things happen’ to accomplish something that only three teams in school history have been able to complete. They played in a national championship game.

This time it was the 1988-89 men’s basketball team, which fell just short of the national title.

When you look back at the start of that season, most wouldn’t think that they would reach the top game in the country. The team lost the first two games of the season and was 5-4 at Christmas break after a scheduled filled with tough teams.

“We had played a pretty good schedule before the break,” said head coach Wayne Cobb. “We didn’t get things together early, but we were able to put them together when it counted.”

After the break things started to change. The Tigers won the next four games before falling to Southwestern by one (63-62). ECU then added three more wins before the 50 Columns The Columns 50 The

That was when the real magic started, as the team went on an 11-game winning streak to Kansas City, Mo., and the NAIA National Championship game.

“I felt at the break this was going to be a good team and I thought we had a chance to go to the national tournament,” said Cobb. “Once we got there I felt that we were going to make the championship game and I thought we could win it.”

After defeating Oklahoma Christian in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference championship to earn their ticket to Kansas City, not many, including the team, expected to get past the first round of the national tournament.

“We were just tickled to death to be in the championship series after beating Oklahoma Christian,” said Kemp.

“We figured we would be one and done, but after playing the first half against Brigham Young (Hawaii) so well, we started to think that we could win the tournament and it got a lot more exciting for the whole team.”

Despite their original thoughts, the team earned a, 66-55, win over BYU (Hawaii) and then two more wins by 10-or-more points in the first three games of the tournament before earning a 58-56 win over Wisconsin-Eau Clair in the semifinals.

Then came the Sunday media day with ESPN, since the national championship game was going to be aired on national television.

“We went up to the tournament as loose as we could be. But on Sunday afternoon ESPN was there to film practice and interview and that made the players realize where they were,” added Cobb. “That’s when the team started to play really hard not to lose instead of playing to win like they had been the rest of the season.”

The Tigers went into the locker room with a slight 3230 lead at the half of the championship game against St. Mary’s, but fell just short in the second half (61-58). Despite losing in the championship game, Kemp was bestowed with the honor of the NAIA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Kemp is one of a handful of student-athletes to earn the honor after playing on a team that did not claim the title.

“Getting to play at Kemper Arena with some of my best

friends for a national championship was one of the most exciting moments of my life,” said Kemp. “We couldn’t have asked for a better year and it was great for Coach Cobb because he deserved to be there.”

But just making it to that level was more than enough to engage not only the rest of the athletic department, but the rest of the ECU student body.

“We had a tremendous reaction from the student body and the community as a whole,” commented Cobb. “We had a couple of charter buses that brought students to the national tournament and many that showed up on their own.”

That level of support spilled over to the rest of the teams in the years to follow. It helped increase enrollment and helped recruit high quality of student-athletes for the athletic department. The next season a group of 11 freshmen joined the football team who would work just as hard as the 1988-89 basketball team. They were rewarded with ECU’s first national championship.

“That season helped show me that if you work hard and put your team first you will succeed,” Kemp commented.

“I still use that with the players I coach now. If you put yourself aside and come together no one can beat you.”

Quality student-athletes were a mainstay for Cobb and is reflected in the success of his student-athletes after they left the program.

“Every player that I have ever coached is a quality person,” added Cobb. “I was able to help them a little further in life and they have all accomplished great things.”

“Coach Cobb taught me how to grow up,” Kemp added. “He was a tough guy, but if you could learn from him you were almost guaranteed to be successful.”

The Columns 49 51

It’s Here...and

“We think this not only gives us an advantage in recruiting football players, but also recruiting other students to the university. The football field is the most visible place on our campus. Thousands of people visit ECU’s football stadium, whether it’s for band contests, football games, or the little league football program. The entire community will benefit from this.”

- ECU President John Hargrave

“I think it’s a great statement by the university and friends of the university that we are moving our program forward to be on par with the other great programs in the nation. This surface is not just a great addition for the ECU football program, but also will be great for the Ada community.”

- ECU Head Coach Tim McCarty

9/7 vs UA-M* 6 PM • 9/14 @ SAU* 6 PM • 9/21 vs OBU* 6 PM • 9/28 @ HSU* 3 PM • 10/5 vs SNU (HC)* 4 PM 52 The Columns

•

Ready for Battle

“When you are recruiting, 18-year-olds make decisions with their eyes. The new turf will help that process exponentially.”

- Jason Clements,

Former ECU Football Player from

1993 National Championship Team

“I think this turf is going to be really beneficial for us, especially in the offseason. Now we can workout no matter the weather and the turf will not wear out. We can work on the little things, like footwork, to help us get ready for the season.”

- Spencer Bond,

ECU Soph. Quarterback

10/19 vs NWOSU* 2 PM • 10/26 @ SWOSU* 6 PM • 11/2 vs ATU* 2 PM • 11/9 @ HU* 2 PM • 11/16 @ SE* 2 PM The The Columns Columns 53 51

Athletic Success 13 Sports...1 Team

M/W Basketball • Baseball • Football • Volleyball • Soccer • M/W Cross Country • M/W Tennis • Softball • M/W Golf

Dilan Webster (#14), Ashley Robison (#33)

The women’s basketball team improved from an 8-19 overall record in 2011-12 to a 19-9 mark in 2012-13. That included a 13-7 mark in the Great American Conference, with just nine players in the program. The Lady Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the GAC Tournament, had two players (sophomore Dilan Webster and junior Ashley Robison) earn All-GAC honors and were ranked in the top-50 in seven NCAA statistical categories.

Shelby Simmons (#25)

The ECU softball team kept the ball rolling, and finished the season with a 43-13 overall record and advanced far into the GAC Tournament. Senior Shelby Simmons led the team with several postseason awards: All-GAC First Team, GAC Player of the Year, Daktronics All-Region Honors and Daktronics All-America Honorable Mention. Freshman Lacey Paulk was also named the GAC Freshman of the Year, while junior Gina Mengwasser was a Daktronics AllRegion honoree.

Marta Valles (left), Benardito Muscillo (right)

The success continued into the spring sports, with the women’s tennis team and head coach Charlie Hibbard earning their first conference title. The Lady Tigers tied as regular-season champion and defeated Arkansas Tech to win the 2013 GAC Tournament Title. Senior Marta Valles and sophomore Bernardita Muscillo were honored as First Team All-GAC picks.

54 The Columns

Lacey Paulk (#14), Gina Mengwasser (#7)

The 2013 Spring semester was filled with athletic and academic success for the ECU Athletics Department.

The men’s tennis team fought through a tough season, but fell just short of the GAC Tournament title, earning the runner-up trophy. For their efforts sophomores Max DeJuan and Marc Fillat and senior Stefan Stein were named to the All-GAC First Team. DeJuan was also honored as the GAC Newcomer of the Year.

Ashley Cardwell

Dakota Robbins

Max DeJuan (left), Marc Fillat (right)

Stefan Stein

On the academic side, ECU saw a student-athlete earn only the second CoSIDA Academic All-America honor, when women’s golf senior Ashley Cardwell was named to the Women’s At-Large Second Team. Cardwell joins football senior Courtney Karner (2003) as the only two members of either a first, second or third team CoSIDA Academic All-America team from ECU.

Cardwell was one of three student-athletes to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 honors. Men’s golf senior Dakota Robbins was named to the Men’s At-Large First Team and cross country junior Cale Eidson was named to the Track & Field/Cross Country First Team.

Cale Eidson

55 Columns The Columns The 55

East Central University

Induction

Christy Burdon (Jones) Christy Burdon (‘99) is the first women’s soccer player to earn the honor of a spot in the ECU Hall of Fame after playing for the Lady Tigers from 19992002. The Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada native, is the ECU leader for goals in a season (16), goals in a career (41), assists in a career (17), points in a season (37), and points in a career (99).

Burdon was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000.

She also earned All-LSC Second Team honors as a freshman and sophomore and was named to the All-LSC Academic Team, Commissioner’s Honor Roll and All-LSC Tournament Team during her time with the Lady Tigers. In her freshman campaign she finished the season ranked No. 30 in the NCAA for her 2.18 points per game and 23rd for her 0.94 goals per game.

Burdon is married to ECU baseball alum A.J. Jones (‘01) and the couple currently lives in Denver with their three children Kenzie and twins Ty and Easton. Burdon is a physician’s assistant working at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

56 The Columns

Jason Wilkerson Jason Wilkerson (‘07) was a member of the men’s basketball team from 1999-2004 and played for ECU Hall of Fame Coach Wayne Cobb. Wilkerson started all but one game in his career and left the Tigers ranked second in the ECU record books for three-pointers made in a career (213), fourth in scoring (1,641 points) and fourth in rebounding (768).

He also has the top spot for the most three-pointers made in a single game (9).

Wilkerson is currently the head boys basketball coach at Durant High School. He is married to Stephanie Wilkerson and the couple has three children, Ethan, Jaci and Jaden.

East Central University welcomed three new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame this year with the addition of Christy Burdon (Jones), Gerome Castleberry and Jason Wilkerson.

Gerome Castleberry Gerome Castleberry (‘02, ‘04) was a standout on the ECU football team from 1999-2002 before signing to play in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals in 2003.

He also went on to play professionally in Germany, where he had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and played in the German Bowl XXVII in 2006.

In 2001, Castleberry led ECU and the LSC with 1,308 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. The twotime, All-LSC First Team selection was named to the Daktronics All-West Region First Team and to Dan Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America Third Team at the end of his junior season.

Castleberry currently works for the Bedford Police Department in Texas and will soon be relocating back to Germany. He has two children, Kendra and Neree.

The Columns 57

58 The Columns

"Knowledge is love and light and vision."

- Helen Keller 57 The Columns 59

Show your ECU Tiger Pride!

Become a Silver Tiger or a Future Silver Tiger A Silver Tiger or Future Silver Tiger is someone who

Future Silver Tiger & Silver Tiger Medallions

wants to give back a little to ECU and show their Tiger Pride by proudly wearing their Silver Tiger/Future Silver Tiger medallion at university events such as graduation.

Future Silver Tiger medallions have been approved to be worn by those graduating from ECU during their graduation ceremony. This would be a great way to recognize your favorite graduate at their ceremony.

Silver Tiger: If you (or someone you wish to recognize) have at least a 25-year association with ECU as an alumnus, faculty, administrator, staff member or friend then you can be a Silver Tiger.

Future Silver Tiger: If you (or someone you wish to recognize) have a less than 25-year association with the university then you can be a Future Silver Tiger.

Lapel pins

Because pride in ECU is something that grows year-

Recognition Shadow Box

by-year we ask that you show your pride, gratefulness and willingness to give back with a small donation that will allow current students to benefit as Tigers have in the past. By donating the amount indicated for Silver Tigers and an amount based on the number of years of association with ECU, you can become a Silver Tiger or Future Silver Tiger. As part of this program, you can designate which ECU college or school will receive your donation.

Future Silver Tiger to Silver Tiger: For Future Silver

Tigers, when your association hits 25-years, let us know and you will receive your Silver Tiger regalia (medallion and lapel pin) for a small postage and handling fee.

Benefits of the Silver Tiger Program

a

rla

60 The Columns

es

H

s

1. Medallion and lapel pin 2. Recognition on ECU’s website 3. Recognition on digital display boards located in the

Chickasaw Business & Conference Center 4. Special introductions at many university events

nd

C.

S to n

eciph er S c h o o

lo

u fB

si n

For more information contact Karen Davidson at 580-559-5274 s karadav@ecok.edu

President John Hargrave (far left) and Phyllis Danley (far right) congratulate Leland Newton (‘41) and Jane Muntz (‘40) as being the “oldest” Golden Tigers to come to this past year’s Golden Tiger Brunch. Join us this Homecoming as we honor the class of 1963.

Join us this Homecoming at the Golden Tiger Brunch.

ECU Alums from the class of 1963 will be honored and all previous Golden Tigers are welcome!

Contact Catie Caton at 580-559-5611 for more information or visit www.alumni.ecok.edu for registration details.

The The Columns Columns 61 59

RETIRED FACULTY Dr. John Bedford,

Yvonne Bedford,

Dr. Anne Fine,

Dr. Robert W. Greenstreet,

professor of education, taught at ECU for 15 years.

Dr. Carol J. Bridges,

professor of human resources and Adolph Linscheid Distinguished Teaching Professor, taught at ECU for 35 years.

Dr. Ben W. Harper,

professor of education, taught at ECU for 37 years.

Susan Hudgins,

assistant professor of business administration, taught at ECU for 10 years.

Kathleen Rivers,

associate professor of art, taught at ECU for 13 years.

62 The Columns

professor of mathematics, taught at ECU for 18 years.

Dr. Starla Hibler,

professor of music, taught at ECU for 21 years.

instructor of education, taught at ECU for 12 years.

professor of communication studies and longtime director of forensics, taught at ECU for 29 years.

Edward L. Hobbs,

assistant professor of accounting and Horne & Company Endowed Professor, taught at ECU for five years.

Dr. R. Sterling Lynd,

Dr. Richard Putnam,

Dr. Ralph Sharp,

Dr. Carolyn Thomas,

associate professor of psychology, taught at ECU for 36 years.

associate professor of education, taught at ECU for 29 years.

associate professor of psychology, taught at ECU for 20 years.

professor of education, taught at ECU for 15 years.

In Memoriam

The ECU family offers our deepest sympathy to the families of the alumni and friends we have lost.

Glenn Stratton Agnew, 1967 Norma Nell Barnes, attended Burl Bartlett, 1949 LaVerne Bates, attended Charles Blackwell, 1964 Dale Boatwright, 1974 Helen Dalene Graham Boren, attended Donald Ray Bowers, attended Rebecca Ann “Becky” Brown, attended Thelma “Fern” Carter, attended Kelly Linn Chapman, 1992 Glen Childers, 1962 Lula D. Clark, 1953 Kenneth Clinton, 1957 & 1960 Andrea Harper Cole, 1993 Wayne Dale Cope, 1965 Amy Lou Coventon, attended Quanah Edward Cox, 1977 Twylah Ann Dickson, 1970 Betty Rae Duty, attended Mamie Frances Farnham, attended Mary Kathryn Floyd, attended Jo Anne (Brundage) Fullbright, attended Jessie Don “Jess” Green, 1974

Jean Gregory, 1943 Ola Hamilton, attended Gerald D. Harrel, 1960 Estelle Hill, 1940 Megan Hoppe, attended Jannette Carrolyn Jacobs, 1978 Robert Kelso, 1968 Wanda Landrith, attended Bettie Cordelia (Delia) Jo Taylor Leddy, 1952 Gene Austin Loftis, 1952 Joan Patricia Martin, attended Georgina Ann “Jeannie” McCurley, attended Reva A. Melton, 1940 Steven Joe Moon, 2001 Lois Marie (Gains) Morgan, 1943 Belinda Marie Goodson Moss, 1999 Linda Murray, 1989 Zoe Arliss Brown Murray, attended Kimberly Raye Northcutt, 1998 Scott Dale Parker, attended Carmoleta Vaughn Paul, 1963 Chad Pierce, 2000 John Edward “Johnnie” Ray, attended Robin J. Rogers, 1996 & 1998

Marjorie “Margie” Ross, 1968 Velah Lois Ross, attended G. Keith Sales, 1951 Mamie Sue Sams, 1965 Charles Scroggins, 1973 George Lee Seaton, 1946 Kenneth Smith, 1984 Carl Dwain Stewart, 1962 Anita Kay Stewart, attended Ray O. Stuckey, 1949 Ralph E. Sutter, 1951 Rufus Robert Sweeney Jr., 1951 Teresa Lynn Tenney, 1991 William C. “Bill” Thrash, 1961 Suzanne Throne, attended Velma Ann Tinch, 1966 Micah Turner, 2003 Ronald Dean Vaughan, 1959 Marvanell Poe Walker, attended Mattie Bulman Warren, 1946 Vaskon White, attended Jerry R. Wiginton, 1961 Ronald Wilkerson, 1959 Norma Price Wood, attended

Tim Green All-Sports Golf Classic

Dr. Gil Morgan (‘68), PGA Champions Tour Professional, hosted a golf clinic during the annual Tim Green All-Sports Golf Classic in July. Patriot Ford of Purcell sponsored the tournament and all proceeds will help fund the athletic department.

The Columns Columns 63 61 The

Tiger See what’s up with your fellow alums Tracks...

- 1960s Don and Shirley C h a m b e r s Boatright (’67 & ’82) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 1, 2012. They were married on June 1, 1962, at Fitzhugh by Frank Thompson, pastor of Fitzhugh Baptist Church. In honor of their 50 years together, the Boatrights took a trip to Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas. Shirley retired after 40 years of teaching and is presently working for NAEP as a test administrator in schools in Oklahoma and is also employed by Citizens Bank of Ada. Don is retired from his home construction company. The Boatrights have two daughters: Keisha Brewer and her husband Randall, Roff; and D’Ann Wyche and her husband Dan, Fitzhugh. Keisha works for Citizens Bank and D’Ann teaches in Latta Schools.

They also have five grandsons: Dakota Brewer, Zack Brewer, D.T. Wyche, Dash Wyche, and little Mookie Wyche (deceased). Shirley earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from ECU. She began her teaching career at Dougherty.

After three years there, she started a 37-year career at Roff. During the last five years of her teaching career she also directed Roff’s first 21st Century Grant. Don and his brother-in-law, Alvin Chambers, began their own business in home construction.

After Alvin’s death, he worked with Jerry King in home construction until his retirement. Mr. Boatright also spent six years in the Oklahoma National Guard.

- 1970s Mike Brown (’70), a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow and MassMutual agent in Oklahoma City, was recently elected to the board of trustees of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, a trade association representing the interests of life insurance agents and financial advisors, on Sept. 11, 2012 in Las Vegas, during the Career Conference and Annual Meeting. Mike has been an active NAIFA member for 41 years and also has been a Life Qualifying member of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table for 36 years.

He is active in local and state charitable and political 64 The Columns

organizations and has served as a 10-year member of the Board of Regents for Oklahoma Colleges.

Judge Robert Davis (’72) and his wife Kathy Hoggatt Davis (’72) met at ECU. They were married in late 1970 and were dorm directors at Fentem Hall until they graduated. After attending ECU, Judge Robert Davis graduated from Oklahoma City University Law School in 1976 and practiced law in Kingfisher County until becoming a judge 10 years ago. Currently he is the associate district judge in Kingfisher. Their daughter, Whitney Alvarez, also graduated from ECU in 1999 with a degree in communications. Whitney was Pesagi Queen in 1997.

Dr. Betsy Ballard (’73) received a prestigious Medal for Excellence Award from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as an outstanding educator in Oklahoma’s public schools. Ballard was one of five state educators receiving $5,000 cash prizes and glass “Roots and Wings” sculptures designed by the late Oklahoma artist Ron Roberts. Medals are awarded annually to outstanding teachers at the elementary, secondary, community college/regional university and research university levels. She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech, theatre and English from ECU in 1973. She is a National Board Certified teacher who has won numerous national honors, including the National Forensic League’s Five Diamond Coach Award. Ballard also holds master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Oklahoma. She retired this spring after 36 years at Norman High School where she taught English, debate and competitive acting.

Donna Cox (’78) was named Stonewall Schools Teacher of the Year for 2012-2013. For the past two years, Cox has taught K-4th physical education, coached K-4th basketball and taught adaptive physical education at Stonewall School. Some of her student highlights were participating in Hoops for Heart and raising $3,000 for research and education, participating in the Elks Hoop Shoot and coaching the Special Olympics athletes. Cox also organized a coin drive in order to raise money for the Stonewall Special Olympics state qualifier to attend the State Special Olympics. Cox received her bachelor of science degree in K-12 physical education, health, recreation and dance from Texas Woman’s University. She received her master’s degree in secondary education from ECU.

- 1990s Marcy Jack (’92 & ’94) was Ada City Schools Teacher of the Year for 2012. It was Marcy’s first year of teaching at the newly-opened Ada Early Education Center. Jack has taught for 14 years with the last four being at the former Glenwood Early Childhood Center and now at the AEEC. She graduated from ECU in 1992 with a double major in psychology and sociology and in 1994 with a master’s in psychological services. She received alternative certifications in 2006 for early childhood, school counselor and psychology/sociology. Marcy Jack is married to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler Jack and they are the parents of a daughter, Taryn, and son, Tanner.

Ford Mastin (’94), Oklahoma Baptist University head track and field coach, was selected by the Sooner Athletic Conference as its Coach of Character for 2012-13. Mastin is a five-time NAIA National Coach of the Year with five NAIA national championships since starting with the Bison in the 1996-97 campaign. Along with the championships came National Coach of the Year awards to bring Mastin’s total to five — one each in 1998, 2005 and 2012, and two in 2007. Since arriving in 1996-97, the OBU cross country and track programs have produced more than 300 All-American awards under Mastin, who was named OBU’s Most Promising Teacher in 2001. His coaching career began at Texas Christian University as assistant track and head cross country in 1979. He became teacher and coach at Happy Hill Academy in 1980-81. From 1982 to 1996, Mastin served as track, cross country and assistant football coach at Prague High School. While there, he coached 13 All-State award winners. He was named Oklahoma Track Coach of the Year and USA Track and Field representative of Olympic development in Oklahoma in 1994. Mastin, who has a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary and a master of education degree from ECU, is a 1977 graduate of OBU. Ford and his wife, Terri, have three children — Linsey, Trevor and Kaeley.

Brad Williams (’97 & ’00) was appointed as vice president for student services at OSUOklahoma City. Before this position, Brad was the associate vice president of special projects. Prior to OSUOKC, Williams served as the deputy director of strategic planning & initiatives at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for six years. He also served as director of development at the Price Tower Arts Center and gained experience in higher education during his time as the interim director of the University of Central Oklahoma Foundation.

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing and music at ECU, and a master’s degree in human resource administration at ECU. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in educational leadership and higher education from Oklahoma State University.

Whitney Alvarez (’99), daughter of ECU alums Judge Robert Davis (’72) and Kathy Davis (’72) was Pesagi Queen in 1997. She has worked several years in Norman and Oklahoma City for various companies in marketing and event planning.

Whitney married Major Brian Alvarez, a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He intends to be a career Officer and Whitney will see the world with him.

- 2000s -

Shawnee Public Schools as a baseball coach and history teacher.

Erin Creach (’03) is the new Pauls Valley Tourism Director.

With deep roots in the Pauls Valley area, Creach has a passion for the community.

Before accepting her new position, Creach was a territory sales director for Pepsi for five years. Erin graduated from Pauls Valley High School in 1998, and in 2003, graduated from ECU with degree in business and mass communications with a focus on public relations. Creach lives in Wynnewood with her husband and four-year old daughter and is looking forward to making the Pauls Valley area something all families can enjoy.

Amy Nicole York (’10) and Jeremy Douglas Haney (’06) exchanged vows on June 2, 2013 in Panama City Beach, Fla. Amy is a 2010 graduate of ECU and is employed

by Electra Link in Edmond as account executive for marketing and sales. Jeremy graduated from ECU in 2006. He received his doctor of medicine from the University of Oklahoma in 2010, and is currently completing his final year of residency in anesthesiology at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Will Gray (‘00) has a bachelor’s of arts from ECU. He began his banking career at Security National Bank & Trust Co. of Norman in 1995 at their East Norman branch. Upon completion of college, he came back to Security National in 1999 as a supervisor, which transitioned into Arvest Bank OKC in 2000. He has remained with Arvest throughout his professional career, steadily moving up the managerial ladder to his current position as assistant vice president, branch manager of the Del City branch. Since locating to the Del City branch in 2008, Will has been active with the Del City Chamber on their board of directors as well as the executive board.

He is currently the Del City Chamber of Commerce president. Will has been married to his wife, Erin, for nine years and they have two children, Grant Henry and Amelia Grace.

Debbie Blackwood (’07) was Stratford Public School’s 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year.

Blackwood teaches prekindergarten students at Stratford Elementary.

Her passion and love for teaching is evident to her students and coworkers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from ECU, where she was inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society and named Outstanding Early Childhood Major. Debbie and her husband, Scott, have four children.

Shea Posey (’10) and Matt Pierce (’02), exchanged wedding vows Dec. 22, 2012, at Trinity Baptist Church in Ada. Shea graduated from Ada High School in 2006. She graduated from ECU in 2010 with a business finance degree. She is employed by Sandridge Energy Inc. as a treasury assistant. Matt graduated in 1998 from Byng High School. He graduated in 2002 from ECU with a degree in education. He is employed by

Catie Jill Newport (attending) and Clovis McLane Hamilton (’08) exchanged vows June 1, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Ada. Catie is a 2010 graduate of Ada High School in Ada. She is a junior at ECU, majoring in business administration management. Catie is currently employed with the Chickasaw Nation in the Department of Culture and Humanities. Clovis is a 2002 graduate of Madill High School. In 2008, he

graduated with a bachelor’s degree from ECU, majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in recreation and minoring in Native American Studies.

Clovis is employed with the Chickasaw Nation as a language outreach specialist for the Division of History and Culture.

Allie Plunk (’09) and Joey Gastineau (attending) exchanged wedding vows Aug. 3, 2013, at Bethel Free Will Baptist Church.

Allie graduated in 2004 from Byng High School. In 2009, she graduated from ECU and teaches English at Allen High School. Joey is a 2006 graduate of Allen High School. He graduated from Murray State College in 2009 and attends ECU. He is employed by Mercy Hospital in Ada. Jessica Dee Fixico (’09 &’12) and Brandon Lee Preston (’10 & ’12), exchanged wedding vows May 18, 2013 at First Methodist Church in Ada. Jessica is a 2005 graduate of Konawa High School and completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at ECU. She is employed by the Chickasaw Nation Division of Education. Brandon graduated in 2005 from Dickson High School and completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from ECU. He was a member of Zeta Phi Lambda Christian Fraternity. He is employed at Educational Talent Search at ECU.

- 2010s Scott Elmore and Brandi Brasiel (’10) were united in marriage on Oct. 27, 2012, at Stonewall First Baptist Church. Brandi graduated from Bethel High School in 2005 and from ECU in the spring of 2010 with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology. She works at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center.

Scott graduated from Stonewall High School in 1998 and works at ECU as a carpenter.

Brittney Weeks and Chad Carson (’10) exchanged wedding vows July 7, at the Praise Fellowship Hall in McAlester. Brittney is a 2009 graduate of Kiowa High School and graduated from Kiamichi Area Vo-Tech with RMA certification. Chad is a 2005 graduate of Savanna High School and graduated from ECU with a degree in physical education and math.

The Columns 65

Stacy Forehand (’10) and Cameron Brady exchanged wedding vows Sept. 14, 2012, at Fossil Creek Ranch. Stacy is a 2005 graduate of Byng High School. She graduated from ECU in 2010. She is employed by Halcón Resources. Cameron graduated in 2003 from Ada High School and is a 2008 graduate of Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City. He is employed by OG&E.

Kimber West and Dylon Howard (’11) exchanged wedding vows on June 15, 2013, at the Myriad Gardens in Oklahoma City. Kimber graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2012 and works at Stillwater Dermatology Clinic. Dylon graduated from ECU in 2011 and is a third-year medical student at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa.

Hannah McCracken (’11) and Jacob Lempges (’10) exchanged wedding vows Sept. 8, 2012, at Fossil Creek Ranch in Fitzhugh.

Hannah graduated from Plainview High School in 2008 and earned a bachelor of science degree in biology in the fall of 2011 from ECU. She plans on pursuing a career in physical therapy. Jacob graduated from McLoud High School in 2007 and earned a bachelor of science degree in cartography from ECU in the fall of 2010. He is a GIS analyst at Chesapeake Energy.

Kara Byers (’12) and Jake Foran exchanged wedding vows June 29 at The Boswell Chapel.

Kara graduated from Byng Schools in 2006.

She received her degree in early childhood education in 2012 from ECU. She is employed at the Ada Early Childhood Center as a kindergarten teacher. Jake graduated from Byng Schools in 2007 and from Gordon Cooper Technology Center. He attends ECU, where he is a criminal justice major. He is employed at Chaprell Dodge as a mechanic.

Johnna Nicholson (’10) is a lifelong resident of Bowlegs, Okla., where she lives with her mother, younger sister, and fiancé. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in history from ECU in 2010.

She wrote her first book Why Not Forever? Johnna is currently working on the sequel with co-writer Emily Mullen.

Savannah Jo Daniel (’12) and Jake Clark Boyd exchanged marriage vows on Aug. 11, 2012 in Cancun, Mexico. Savannah graduated from ECU with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Jake graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Jake is employed as a state trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety and is stationed in Texarkana, Texas, where the couple currently resides.

Susan Rindal (’10) is a prekindergarten teacher at Vanoss Elementary School.

Susan was one of 12 finalists in the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year competition, which recognizes educators with a track record of creative and imaginative teaching. She earned a master’s degree in reading from ECU and was certified as a reading specialist in 2010. A native of Montana, Rindal earned her degree in elementary education from Montana State University. She taught school in Montana for 12 years before moving to Oklahoma, where she earned certification in kindermusik (an early-childhood program combining music and movement) early childhood education and other subjects. Rindal is a member of the Professional Educators Association and serves as secretary/ treasurer of the Vanoss chapter. She was named Vanoss’ Teacher of the Year for 2012-13.

Heather Michelle Holland (’12) and Forrest John Cave exchanged wedding vows Oct. 27, 2012, at Camp Simpson in Bromide.

Heather graduated from Ada High School in 2008 and is a 2012 ECU graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in human services counseling. Forrest graduated from Antlers High School in 2002 and from Oklahoma State University in 2006. He is currently employed as the project manager of the engineering department for the City of Ada.

Send us your update & photos...email them to:

alumni@ecok.edu

66 The Columns

Future Tigers 1. Carsyn Leigh Lovelis & Masen Gregory Lovelis Children of Greg (’04, ’07) & Buffy (’05, ’08) Lovelis 2. Dashiell Deacon Armstrong Son of Shane Armstrong Grandson of Pamla Armstrong (‘86) 3. Tyler Cannon Zmek Son of Steve (’04) & Kendra Zmek 4. Caleb Johnson Son of Brandon (‘96) & Melody (‘00, ‘01) Johnson 5. Addy Jones Daughter of Melissa Jones (‘07, ‘09) 6. (L to R): Kylee Swarthout, Melanie Heintzelman, Desiree Koppenhofer, Mary Hoogerhyde (‘12) holding Jensen White (grandson), Destany Koppenhofer holding Kayla Swarthout, (all Mary’s granddaughters) and Madelyn Skinner (Mary’s niece) 7. Miles Edward Gober Grandson of Dewey McClain (‘76) 8. Kaden Reddick Son of Thurman (’07) & LaRonda (’04, ’07) Reddick 9. Cash Michael & Blayke Avery Cummins Son & daughter of Vic (’03) & Suzann (’04) Cummins 10. Madeline Belle Caton daughter of Sam (’09, ’13) & Catie (’08, ‘12) Caton The Columns 64

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9.

We want to send a FREE T-shirt or bib to your child &/or grandchild! Share your photo & we’ll publish it in an upcoming edition of The Columns. alumni@ecok.edu The Columns 67

East Central University 1100 E. 14th Street, PMB Y-8 Ada, OK 74820

Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 162 Ada, OK

SAVE THE DATE

OCT. 5, 2013

Whether you played in the 1993 championship game or you attended the game, we’d love for you to join us for Homecoming!

68 The Columns