FOC US SPRING 2015
ALUMNI MAGAZINE of OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
OKCU.EDU
20 YEARS LATER
Oklahoma City University remembers through art and education
CONTENTS Robert Henry, President Susan Barber, Provost
ADMINISTRATIVE CABINET Jim Abbott, Assistant Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Kent Buchanan, Assistant Provost Joey Croslin, Chief Human Resources Officer Liz Donelly, Dean of Students and Acting Vice President for Student Affairs Gerry Hunt, Chief Information Officer Mary Jenkins, General Counsel Donna Nance, Chief Financial Officer Charles Neff, Vice President for University-Church Relations Marty O’Gwynn, Vice President for University Advancement and External Relations Sandy Pantlik, Senior Director of University Communications Elizabeth Sheppard, Assistant Vice President for Development Kevin Windholz, Vice President for Enrollment Management
ALUMNI RELATIONS Cary Pirrong, BS ’87, JD ’90, Director of Alumni Relations Mike Slack, BA ’07, MA ’12, President, Alumni Board
EDITORIAL STAFF Sandy Pantlik, Senior Director of University Communications Leslie Berger, BA ’02, Editor of FOCUS and Director of Public Relations April Marciszewski, Art Director of FOCUS and Graphic Designer
WRITERS Rod Jones, MBA ’12, Assistant Director of Media Relations Terry Phelps, Professor of English Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
PHOTOGRAPHERS Josh Robinson, Web Content Coordinator M.J. Alexander, School of Music Director of Media and Marketing Tanner Ives, Assistant Sports Information Director Michael Anderson, performingartsphotos.com Jerry Hymer, Hymer Photography
ON THE COVER
TIME HEALS TheatreOCU explores the lives of those affected by the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the School of Law works to further the legal profession with a new center supporting homeland security, and the Stars community reflects on the terrorist act of 20 years ago. PAG E 6 Members of the “20th Anniversary Oklahoma City Bombing Project” cast. Back row, left to right: Benjamin Roberts, BFA acting freshman; Lauren Matheny, BFA acting and English minor senior; Elizabeth McCreight, BFA acting senior. Middle row: Tanner Bradshaw, BFA acting senior; J.D. Whigham, BFA acting senior; Cody Wimmer, BFA acting senior; Michelle Roselle, BA theatre performance senior. Front row: Amy Fuhrman, BFA acting senior; Emily Hawkins, BFA acting senior. Not pictured: Corrinne Mica, BFA acting/theatre for young audiences and directing minor senior, and Ian McGee, BFA acting junior. Photo by Josh Robinson
FEATURES FOCUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73106-1493 (405) 208-7000 Story Ideas: focus@okcu.edu Alumni News: alumni@okcu.edu FOCUS is produced semiannually by the Communications and Alumni departments for alumni, parents, and friends of Oklahoma City University. Oklahoma City University pledges to recruit, select and promote diversity by providing equality of opportunity in higher education for all persons, including faculty and employees with respect to hiring, continuation, promotion and tenure, applicants for admission, enrolled students, and graduates, without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The Chief Human Resources Officer, located in Room 108 of the Clara E. Jones Administration Building, telephone (405) 208-5075, coordinates the university’s compliance with titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Printed on recycled paper.
Learning Grammar with Style
DEPARTMENTS 5
Witty Professor Wins Over Toastmasters, Students
14
Vocalist's Legacy Continues With Each New Scholarship Student
16
OCU Honors the Donors Who Have Given So Generously
26
Events Debut Symphonic Music, Celebrate President's Partners
37
President's Message
1
Letters
2
University Update
4
Alumni
12
Homecoming
13
Giving
16
Athletics
17
Class Notes
19
In Memory
23
Stay Up-To-Date Between Issues: okcu.edu // Read the Archives: okcu.edu/focus
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Left: Oklahoma City University School of Law's new building downtown. Right: The Survivor Tree at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. Photos by April Marciszewski
A University in Service and Connection to its City OUR UNIVERSITY’S BOND TO OKLAHOMA CITY has never been
stronger, as this issue of FOCUS will attest. More than a century ago, OCU, then Epworth, tied its future to Oklahoma City and we have never looked back. As this issue goes to print, we are preparing for the grand opening festivities celebrating the move of our School of Law to its downtown location, an evolution made possible by the support of our community, donors, alumni, and dedicated employees. All have chosen to invest in the bright future of our university and students. I believe it is an investment that will show extraordinary returns. We often say that OCU is “Oklahoma City’s University.” That sentiment has perhaps never been more evident than through the projects planned by our university to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. During the official weekend marking the anniversary, April 16 – 19, our School of Theatre will perform an original, verbatim play based on the interviews of people impacted by the bombing 20 years ago. This groundbreaking work by an award-winning playwright is a gift to our city and its people. The School of Law will open the Judge Alfred P. Murrah Center for Homeland Security Law & Policy to examine the legal issues central to protecting and securing our nation, especially in the area
of domestic terrorism. The bravery and commitment needed to do projects like these require special students and a special university. They also speak to our liberal arts core, reaching across schools and disciplines to create authentic experiences for our students to interact with their world. OCU alumni and supporters should be President Robert and Dr. Jan Henry Photo by M.J. Alexander very proud that the tradition of the Oklahoma Standard is alive and well at our university. This spring, there is much to celebrate across our campus and across our city. Jan and I are honored to be a part of this remarkable, resilient, and shining OCU family. Best Regards, Robert and Jan Henry
okcu.edu // 1
PRESIDENT’S POST Hundreds of letters come across President Robert Henry’s desk every semester. Following are excerpts of what friends of the university have to say about President Henry and OCU.
Tidings of Joy “Vespers” was the perfect way to remember the true reason for the season. It was spectacular. CHRISTOPHER REEN President, Publisher The Oklahoman
More than 250 Oklahoma City University singers and orchestral musicians celebrate “Songs of Comfort and Joy” at the Christmas Vespers performances. In its 36th year, this community Christmas tradition blends carols, scripture, poetry, and seasonal music. Photo by performingartsphotos.com
Lauded Leader President Henry received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service from Leadership Oklahoma on Feb. 28.
Friday evening was glorious. We thoroughly enjoyed your holiday party. Thank you for making our holiday special by having us as your guests.
Congratulations on receiving the Lifetime Award.You are most deserving of it. Oklahoma is very fortunate, and you have served all of us well.
MELVIN AND JASMINE MORAN Seminole, Okla.
REGENT IKE GLASS JR. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
A very happy Christmas and greetings for 2015! EMMA NICHOLSON Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
I’m so proud to be a student in your school, Mr. Lifetime Achievement. NANCY BLANKENSHIP Oklahoma City
Future Counsel
BRAVO, ROBERT!
PRESIDENT HENRY,
This year, LOK definitely got it right! My applause and best wishes.
Thank you for taking the time to meet and have lunch with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation about law school, Will Rogers, crab cakes, and everything in between. I really appreciate your input regarding this next step in my life.
DON BETZ President, University of Central Oklahoma
Sincerely, TRIPP LOPEZ 2 // FOCUS Spring 2015
PRESIDENT’S POST
The postcard, mailed in 1935, describes OCU, saying, “the tower of the administration building may be seen from most parts of the city.”
Championship Team On behalf of the NAIA, our staff and the Lawrence Host Committee, I want to congratulate you on winning the 2014 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship! To achieve such success takes dedication, time and a tireless work ethic. It was great to see the Stars capture their second-consecutive national championship title. The student-athletes, coaches and fans that represented Oklahoma City University in Lawrence were excellent ambassadors for the university and the NAIA. JIM CARR President and Chief Executive Officer National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Charitable Notes Thank you so much for your generous support of the Basket Ball Cancer Gala. Together we made a significant difference in the fight against cancer. SHERRI COALE University of Oklahoma Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Thank you for coming to our philanthropy event this semester. At “Chops Tackle Hunger,” we raised over $800 for Feeding America! JOSEPH SIMPSON Vice Chair for External Relations Lambda Chi Alpha — Theta Delta Chapter
Friendly Exchange I sure hope this letter brightens your day. I was at an antique shop here and found this old circa 1935 picture card of your beautiful school. It’s an old-time classic for sure. So I thought to myself, “By golly, I’ll send it back home where it can be appreciated.” Our heritage is important to all of us. Lots of changes, too, over the years, I suppose. Enlarged, it will make a nice display. Well, I gave $5 for it so if you want it for $6 or $7 or so, why that’s sure OK. Throw in a little postage if you want, too. My wife says if I hear from you I will have to take her to lunch. I am 86 years old and still going strong. I like to call my little hobby “a redistribution of happiness.” Our world sure needs it. LOWELL JOERG Stockton, Calif.
MR. JOERG,
Thank you so very, very much for sending along the OCU postcard! I am glad your keen eyes spotted it and that you were kind enough to send it my way. I love seeing small artifacts such as this, so it truly did brighten my day with its arrival. I will find a nice spot to display the postcard, and I know others will enjoy it as well. Thanks again for taking the time to send it along, ROBERT HENRY
P.S. Enclosed is $10 — you lose — take your wife to lunch! DROP US A LINE: focus@okcu.edu // 3
UNIVERSITY UPDATE
Business Programs Among Nation’s Best OCU’s Meinders School of Business was ranked No. 2 in the country in the 30 Great Small Colleges for an Accounting and Finance Degree list by the Master of Finance Degrees website. The rank order among the top 30 schools — out of a pool of more than 500 — was determined by consensus of Master of Finance Degrees staff, “based solely on the presence of innovative and exceptional programs,” according to the report. The organization noted OCU’s Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation and stated that “many accounting firms, including the so called ‘big four’ audit firms — which are Deloitte, PwC, Ernst and Young, and KPMG — recruit Oklahoma City University graduates.” OCU earned the AACSB accreditation last year, joining the ranks of less than 5 percent of business schools worldwide. Master of Finance Degrees is a Web resource for prospective finance students in their schools search. The site also helps users explore career options.
Culture for Caring Broadway Banter: World-renowned actress and singer Patti LuPone answered questions from musical theatre students and City-Rep Artistic Director Don Jordan, BA ’80, during a visit to OCU. The Tony Award-winning performer brought her concert, “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, … Played That Part” to Oklahoma City in March. Photo by Josh Robinson
Kramer School of Nursing Professors Staci Swim and Vanessa Wright, BSN ’11 and MSN ’13, gave a presentation at the third annual Middle Eastern Nurses and Partners in Caring Science Conference this February in Jordan. Their talk, titled “The Lived Experience of Nurse Educators’ Encounters with Incivility in the Educational Environment,” was based on group research conducted last August as part of a qualitative research course.
Grad Admissions Gains Director Michael Harrington has joined Oklahoma City University’s admissions department as director of graduate admissions. He has spent 14 years working in higher education, including admissions roles at the University of Tulsa, Texas Tech University, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Oklahoma Baptist University. Michael Harrington He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master’s degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He also completed graduate studies in higher education at Texas Tech and is working toward a Doctor of Education from Oral Roberts University. 4 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Student Nurses Association members donate baby blankets to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Hospital. Pictured at center, Michelle McEver, MSN ’10, is the unit manager.
UNIVERSITY UPDATE
‘Soul of Society’ Released Child advocate and OCU sociology professor M. Nicole Warehime recently released a book about how children and youth are shaped by the cultures through which they are raised. “Soul of Society: A Focus on the Lives of Children and Youth” was printed by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Warehime hoped to raise a discussion about how people describe children and youth as the future of society. She explores how this future can create platforms for a cleaner environment, improvements in education, better health care systems, and increases or decreases in social welfare programs, among other issues. In the book, contributing researchers discuss children and youth as the “souls of society.” This perspective can be interpreted as analyzing how a society prepares them to become the future. Researchers from six different nations investigated the daily lives of children and youth in seven countries. Three broad themes emerged — interaction with place or environment, developing with the various agents of socialization, and reaction to deviance and crime in their daily lives. Warehime’s areas of research interest include aggression and violence, interpersonal violence and child maltreatment. She is an active member of the International Society for Research on Aggression, where she serves on the recruitment committee and received a Young Investigator’s Award for early scholars in the field. As a child advocate, Warehime serves on the board for the nonprofit organization Redeeming the Family. The organization serves Oklahoma children affected by the incarceration of a parent. Warehime earned her Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from OCU in 2002, and a master’s and doctorate in sociology from
Grammar Turned on its Head BY TERRY PHELPS, PH.D.
Grammar often prompts frustration, embarrassment, insecurity, miscommunication, and debate. Why? Grammar books are loaded with abstract, terminology-laden rules and exceptions that hinder understanding. Consequently, I have written an e-book, “Grammar Upside Down,” to make it easier to understand grammar and to show applications beyond correctness: clarity, conciseness, and style. The title comes from the method I employ: instead of beginning each concept with a rule or definition and terminology, I begin with examples of patterns and lead the reader through simple analysis to see the patterns. Then I provide the rule/definition/terminology for what the reader has already figured out. The focus is on learning the patterns, not the
the University of Oklahoma in 2004 and 2008, respectively. She now serves as the chairwoman of the department of sociology and criminal justice and the director of the Master of Science in criminology program at OCU.
Career Services for Life The Martha Burger Career Services Center recently welcomed Amelia Hurt and Casey Theivagt to its staff as director and assistant director. Both are dedicated to helping students and alumni with career planning and development goals. “Alumni are a very special part of the OCU Amelia Hurt community, and our commitment to success extends beyond the classroom walls,” Hurt said. “The mission of Career Services is to prepare individuals for a lifetime of professional and life success, not just the job that comes after graduation.” Staff members are available to assist students and alumni who are navigating the professional world for the first time and those considering a career change. The center also seeks to connect with Casey Theivagt alumni who are in a position to provide leadership and insight to students and graduates. Among the services offered are resume review, interview preparation, on-campus recruiting events, job fairs and various online resources. For more information, call (405) 208-5171 or email careerservices@okcu.edu.
terminology. Many students have told me that after completing my book, they really understand grammar for the first time. Example? Consider the semicolon. When renowned novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. spoke in OCU’s Distinguished Speakers Series 12 years ago, he disparaged semicolons: “All they do is show you’ve been to college.” On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “With educated people, I suppose, punctuation is a matter of rule; with me it is a matter of feeling. But I must say I have a great respect for the semicolon; it’s a useful little chap.” Indeed, semicolons are useful. SCHOOLED ON SEMICOLONS Read Terry Phelps’ short lesson at okcu.edu/focus Editor’s Note: “Grammar Upside Down” will be available soon at amazon.com. BOOST YOUR CAREER: okcu.edu/careers // 5
Emerging THROUGH HISTORY The ‘20th Anniversary Oklahoma City Bombing Project’ depicts ‘new chapters’ through first-person stories
Stories by SANDY PANTLIK
6 // FOCUS Spring 2015
W
HEN BRIAN PARSONS INTERVIEWED FOR THE ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THEATRE POSITION AT OCU
last February, he proposed the School of Theatre do something to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in downtown Oklahoma City. When Parsons got the job, he quickly emailed Music Dean Mark Parker and reconfirmed his commitment to lead a project exploring the healing process that followed the tragic April 19, 1995, event when 168 lives were lost and a city was forever changed. Parson’s dream, the “20th Anniversary Oklahoma City Bombing Project,” will come to life April 16 – 19 when OCU students and faculty produce and perform an original play based on interviews, conducted two decades after that fateful spring morning, with more than 35 first responders, family members of victims, survivors, and officials. “OCU is Oklahoma City’s University,” Parsons said. “We have a unique opportunity and responsibility to respond through art. In some ways this work is a living memorial and a celebration of the tenacity, recovery, and healing process.” Performances are free to the public, and a percentage of proceeds from the play’s publication following the event will be donated to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. “We are extremely grateful for the help we received from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and its executive director, Kari Watkins,” Parsons said. “It is our intent for this play to parallel the mission of remembrance, resilience, and hope.” Parsons said when he proposed the play, OCU’s theatre season had already been set with 58 shows, more than any theatre school in the country produces. Due to the project’s importance, the play was worked into the season on the weekend of the official anniversary commemoration of the bombing. OCU commissioned award-winning playwright Steve Gilroy, author of several works, including “Motherland,” which toured the United Kingdom in 2009. The powerful drama shared the stories of women whose everyday lives were touched by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gilroy, who lives in England and is director of performing arts at Northumbria University, specializes in the genre of verbatim theatre, a documentary for the stage usually based on personal interviews and transcripts. Gilroy and Parsons had worked together at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London years before. “When Brian approached me about the project, initially I wasn’t sure,” Gilroy said. “Partly due to the logistics of working on a project so far away, and I had a number of other projects going on in the U.K., and I had just become a new father. “In the end, I thought this opportunity is never going to come around again. What an amazing chance to learn about a whole community coming together around
The Oklahoma City Bombing Project cast meets with director Courtney DiBello and playwright Steve Gilroy for a read-through of the original script. Photo by Josh Robinson
this seismic, tragic event. I thought, ‘This is going to be a really interesting journey. Hold on to your hats.’ And that’s what it’s been like. I have no regrets.” The personal interviews that form the foundation of the play were conducted by OCU students, faculty, Gilroy, and Parsons. OCU English professor and Carrithers Endowed Chair in Writing and Composition, Brooke Hessler, played an essential role in the project. Through a service-learning initiative since 2002, Hessler has been teaching OCU students to conduct oral histories related to the Oklahoma City bombing. She and her students collaborated with Parsons and Gilroy to collect and transcribe interviews. Hessler is also the dramaturg for the project. Gilroy listened to the hours of recorded interviews to write the script for the two-hour play. He said the Oklahoma City bombing project reminded him of his work on “Motherland” when he met and interviewed women who witnessed severe injury to their sons and daughters through war. “The most dominant feeling at the beginning was trying to process the emotions. If I’m not in the interviews, I am listening to the recordings. Sometimes
TEXT: text // 7
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OCU is Oklahoma City’s University. We have a unique opportunity and responsibility to respond through art. —BRIAN PARSONS Associate Dean of Theatre
it kind of creeps up on you. I am making lots of notes, thinking about it from a technical point of view, how one story connects to another story, how are we going to theatricalize this. Then afterward, maybe an hour later, I find myself choking on my dinner because I’m welling up. Through the interviews, you hear people revisit the pain of these experiences, but also you get to share the joy of their recovery and their transformation through their experiences.” Gilroy said in this verbatim process, usually interviewers have to work quite hard to coax stories from people. “For this project, there is this incredible honesty that comes from people. I haven’t seen that before in any other project I’ve done. I think that is something about the people of Oklahoma City. As soon as you start, people will talk about their experience of the bombing and that’s one thing; but once they start to go beyond that, there are all sorts of different stories that say a lot about peoples’ ability to recover. They find themselves 20 years later where they are no longer defined by what’s happened and they are able to open new chapters in their lives.” In verbatim theatre, the way the interviewee tells a story is exactly how the dialogue is represented in the play, resulting in an authentic, truthful experience for everyone involved, from the actors to the audience. The playwright weaves the dialogue together to create a story. “What’s been amazing is we had our first conversation in October. Normally this process would take at least a year to complete,” Parsons said. “It shows how much the people of Oklahoma City and those involved in this project are keen to share their experience and take the time to continue the process of healing and remembrance.” Courtney DiBello, instructor of stage management and faculty adviser at OCU, will direct the production. She believes another special part of the play is that the student actors and crew were either not born yet or were babies at the time of the bombing. “For these students who are participating in the production, and to a large extent the students who will be seeing the production, this is an education as well as a theatrical experience. Especially for the student actors, it is a new experience for them to work on a character that isn’t fiction. They are going to be playing contemporaries who went through something. Even though they (the students) weren’t personally impacted, their lives’ trajectory would have been different without this event. Their parents raised them differently because of this event. The world was different because of this event. I think there is a huge impact not just for the global audience but for the micro community of us. It will change them.” 8 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Cast member Emily Hawkins, a BFA acting senior from Dallas, has a role in the play and conducted interviews for source material. She has been in theatre since she was 8 years old. Photo by Josh Robinson
20th Anniversary Oklahoma City Bombing Project Presented by TheatreOCU Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center, OCU Campus Burg Theatre • • • •
Thursday, April 16, 8 p.m. Friday, April 17, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 18, 8 p.m. Sunday, April 19, 2 p.m.
Admission is free. Four-ticket limit per reservation. Call (405) 208-5227 for tickets, or visit okcu.edu/ticketoffice
At left: Writer Steve Gilroy explains to the cast how to approach verbatim theatre. At right: Cast member Corinne Mica gives her thoughts on student presentations researching the Murrah Bombing. Mica is a senior working toward a BFA in acting and theatre for young audiences with a minor in directing. Photos by Josh Robinson
Emily Hawkins, a senior BFA acting major from Dallas, has a role in the play and conducted interviews. “It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, personally and professionally,” Hawkins said. “It is a story of strength, as opposed to a story of weakness.You have an immense responsibility to do these people and their stories justice. It’s a bit daunting. Along with the significance They find themselves of the project, it has been amazing to really learn how 20 years later where to put a show together from they are no longer scratch so when we are out in the industry, we can create defined by what’s our own work as well.” happened and they Bryan Bauer, a junior BFA are able to open new theatre design and production major and business major chapters in their lives. from Edmond, and stage manager for the play, said —STEVE GILROY Playwright the entire cast and crew is emotionally invested. “Everyone has been so kind and gracious — because we are students, we were babies when this happened, we are learning alongside the people watching the play,” Bauer said. “I think there is something fascinating about new works in general. It is awesome to be a part of something that is bringing new theatre into the world. It is even more impactful because I grew up in Oklahoma, we go to school here, it is close to home. This play is going to be published with the original cast listed. In all the plays we’ve read before, we see the original cast on that first page of the script. Now that will be us.” Gilroy said there are about 30 characters in the play. “The student actors will never forget the relationship they make with the person they play or have interviewed. It becomes quite a special experience. One that isn’t like any other acting experience they will have in their
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lives unless they do another work like this. They don’t know yet how they will be transformed, but it will stay with them for a long time.” Living in London, Parsons experienced the constant domestic terrorism threat of the Irish Republican Army, and was within a mile of the Harrod’s department store bombing in 1983 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. “The OKC bombing is vivid for me. I was 27 years old and I remember the images from the aftermath of the bombing. I would have never imagined then that I would someday interview people directly involved in the event, or commission a play about it. This is a common humanity story of that day and every day after. A story about every single one of us and the ways we adapt and survive. We have been truly blessed by the people who have spoken to us. It is an incredible range of testimony and experience. This play is about today, 20 years after the event. It’s been an honor and a privilege. It is our gift to the city and to the people.” Parsons has a vision for the play beyond the April 2015 production. He wants every high school in Oklahoma to have access to the play by creating an educational package that includes scripts, a documentary produced by OCU about the making of the play, a teacher’s packet, and all the materials students will need to research, rehearse, and create their own productions. “This play offers a way to educate children about the Oklahoma City event and about terrorism. It is our role as artist educators to document this history and make sure the day is never forgotten, the victims are not forgotten, and the people who remain with us are not forgotten.” OCU has created a fund to accept donations to produce the materials needed to make the script available to more than 1,400 high schools in Oklahoma. To learn more, contact Kassie McCoy, OCU director of development, at kmccoy@okcu.edu or (405) 208-5435. “The overwhelming message that comes from everybody interviewed for this project is the regeneration of the city as the background. But I think in the end, it is going to be about these very powerful individual stories that when woven together are going to create quite a much bigger human story about recovery,” Gilroy said.
“I think there is a huge impact not just for the global audience but for the micro community.” —COURTNEY DIBELLO, Director
ATTEND THE PLAY: okcu.edu/ticketoffice // 9
A Uniquely Liberal Arts Experience OCU’s engagement with preserving the personal stories related to the Oklahoma City bombing began more than a decade before the current theatre project. Since 2002, OCU English professor and Carrithers Endowed Chair in Writing and Composition, Brooke Hessler, has guided her students in conducting oral history interviews with people whose lives were connected to the bombing. More than 300 students have participated in service-learning collaborations at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum through this initiative. Hessler teamed up with Parsons and Gilroy to bring those years of perspective to the theatre verbatim project by conducting oral histories, establishing contacts for interviews, and providing dramaturgical assistance with the script. This semester, Hessler’s Honors Composition students earned service-learning credit for transcribing oral history interviews for the script, and Hessler is leading a unit on verbatim theatre as a form of arts-integrated social activism in the tradition of the WPA “Living Newspapers” performances. Additionally, Hessler, Parsons and Gilroy are working on a scholarship of teaching and learning project to examine how verbatim theatre helps students learn and why it is an especially important genre for college students. “What they are really doing is learning the story behind the story they are telling,” Hessler said. “As a researcher on storytelling, I’m looking at verbatim theatre to see how it embodies storytelling. It is a different way to experience history by being inside it yourself, and the students are doing that. They are living the stories as the people who lived history and it’s becoming a part of them in a way that it wouldn’t ordinarily.” Hessler believes this project offers a uniquely liberal arts educational experience by reaching across disciplines and into the community. “There’s this complex web between general education and what we do out in the world. My students are able to see that because of this project.”
Adrienne Pierce, a BFA acting freshman, and professor Brooke Hessler discuss the personal significance of items that people attach to the fence at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The fence originally served to create a safety barrier at the bombing site but quickly became a site for remembering the victims and expressing resilience. Hessler has taken her honors English composition classes to the memorial for years to volunteer and help catalog the items for the museum. Photos by Josh Robinson
Brooke Hessler's class talks about why people would feel drawn to leaving objects on the memorial’s fence.
Bombing victim Paul Gregory Beatty Broxterman had a collection of patches in his Murrah Building office, and patches came to have significance for one of Hessler’s first students who volunteered at the memorial and later became a firefighter.
10 // FOCUS Spring 2015
2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the loss of life, loss of innocence, and loss of the building that once bore the name of Judge Alfred P. Murrah. Taking inspiration from the city’s legacy of resilience, Oklahoma City University School of Law is establishing a unique center for homeland security law and policy dedicated to preventing such tragedies.
With the recent move of the Oklahoma City University School of Law to its new downtown location, proximity might seem to be the strongest tie between the law school and the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. However, the bond goes much deeper. The historic Central High School now home to the School of Law served as the command center following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building 20 years ago. For several weeks, the building,
that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards,’” said Dean Valerie K. Couch. The Murrah Center opening includes a National Summit on Homeland Security hosted by the School of Law in collaboration with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security.
Building on a Legacy of Resilience
The aftermath of the bombing and the 9/11 attacks brought to the legal forefront a need to further explore homeland security law and policy. The Murrah Center will offer analysis of the legal issues the U.S. Department of Homeland Security faces, including national security, counterterrorism, disaster and crisis management, domestic use of the armed forces, cybersecurity, and more. The center will serve as a voice on domestic security matters for states, towns, and municipalities, and provide insight and support to public and private sectors on matters of homeland security. “We want to continue the conversation on how to prevent domestic extremism,” said Josh Snavely, dean for advancement and external relations at the law school. “Integral to our mission is the education of the next generation of lawyers in this relatively new field of law. Our goal is to prepare future military lawyers, Department of Justice lawyers, and Department of Homeland Security lawyers.” Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and former General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Joe Whitley chair the advisory board for the new center “We launched this center,” Snavely said, “because we need to talk about how to create a legal framework and policies to prevent these acts, not react to them.”
then the offices of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, housed first responders, medical teams, and service providers, and city, state, and national leaders directing the rescue and recovery efforts at the bombing site. Building on that unique connection and filling a critical need to examine the legal issues central to protecting and securing the nation, the School of Law partnered with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to open The Judge Alfred P. Murrah Center for Homeland Security Law and Policy. The Murrah Center officially launches April 17 – 20, 2015, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the bombing. “The Oklahoma City bombing was one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in our nation’s history. The Murrah Center enables us to commemorate the victims, honor the citizens who have labored to rebuild our city, and work collaboratively with partners to fulfill the Department of Homeland Security’s mission of ensuring a ‘homeland
On the Forefront and Home Front
For more information about The Alfred P. Murrah Center for Homeland Security Law and Policy, and the National Summit on Homeland Security, visit murrahcenter.org.
Reflections: A Defining Moment Ron Norick serves as chair of the Oklahoma City University Board of Trustees and was Oklahoma City mayor when the Murrah building bombing happened. “It wasn’t a moment you train for,” Norick said. “It was the furthest thing from my mind that we would have a terrorist attack in Oklahoma City.” In December 1993, voters had approved the first round of Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS 1) that would become the impetus for the city’s renewal. When the bombing occurred, work halted. “We immediately shifted our priority from planning MAPS to taking care of the city.” Norick remembers the overwhelming response from not only Oklahomans, but from across the globe. “The first telegram I received that day was from Yehud, Israel, one of Oklahoma City’s sister cities. We were getting telegrams and phones calls from around the world. More than $3 million was donated for the victims without even asking for
Ron Norick
it, from change sent from school children to $1,000 checks. The world stood by us.” He also remembers the command center set up in the Central High School building, which is now the Oklahoma City University School of Law. “I still think of it today every time I enter the school from the underground parking area on the west side. After the bombing, that’s where all the services were set up to provide food and medical attention for rescue and recovery workers, and communication posts for all the agencies involved. In the building itself, Southwestern Bell made space available where the first response teams could sleep when they came off a shift.” ADVANCING LAW: murrahcenter.org // 11
ALUMNI A M IS SI O N TO SE RVE
Struggles Aid Alumna’s Ministry to the Needy BY ROD JONES
It’s been a long, bumpy road in life for Claudia Lovelace. After spending much of her younger years either on the streets or behind bars, she’s now on a smooth and more predictable path as executive director of Skyline Urban Ministry. As rough and chaotic as her former years were, Lovelace says her life experiences make her uniquely qualified for her position. “I am able to relate to prison inmates and people who are on the fringes of society, probably because I have already been where they have been,” Lovelace said. Born in southern California, Lovelace ran away from home at the age of 14 and raised herself on the streets of South Central Los Angeles. Drugs and prostitution were the cornerstones of her life. SKYLINE’S MAJOR PROJECTS Lovelace talks about the United Methodist ministry: okcu.edu/focus
Claudia Lovelace, executive director of Skyline Urban Ministry, stands in the organization’s Food Resource Center in February. Photo by Rod Jones
“Everything you hear people say about the ’60s is true — drugs, sex, and rock and roll. That was how I was living,” she said. Lovelace promised herself that if she were still living on the streets by the time she turned 24, she would leave the city in search of a better life. She sought help through a government program, earned some money and explored new states and cities. She came to Oklahoma on a vacation and “fell in love with it in a week. I gave my two-weeks notice at work and moved out here, mostly out of excitement by Oklahoma’s liquor-by-the-drink laws.” She later joined the Army in her early 30s, but was kicked out after two years because of drinking problems. 12 // FOCUS Spring 2015
“My life was a mess, and the problems escalated. I was in relationship after relationship. “Around 1993 I decided to get sober. I checked into a treatment center in Tulsa and eventually became a counselor. It didn’t last — I relapsed.” She studied the Bible while serving time on a DUI conviction — not her first — and joined a United Methodist prison ministry. “I was 46 years old and on my way to prison. Most women slept in, but I got up early and watched TV. I prayed, ‘If this is how I’m taking care of myself, I’m through.’ I felt immediate relief from that. “Shortly after I was released from prison, I gave my life story at St. Luke’s (United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City). The whole congregation stood up and applauded. I knew right then that I was where I needed to be,” Lovelace said. She worked in prison ministry for a while, and soon decided to grow into higher church leadership positions. For that, she would need more education. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University while working as a drug and alcohol counselor. She had previously obtained credentials as a licensed practical nurse, so she fit right in at the treatment centers. After graduating from OCU in 2002 with a religion degree, she became a pastor at a church near Pauls Valley. Desiring more education, she went to Perkins Theological Seminary at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned a Master of Divinity in 2007. She returned to Oklahoma City and became pastor of the South Lee United Methodist Church, across the street from Capitol Hill High School. While there, the conference district superintendent asked her to consider moving to Skyline. “I was known for preaching and teaching the homeless. The bishop asked what I had to give. I said, ‘I’ve been on assistance, I’ve been homeless, I’ve been in the same situation as the clients. That’s what I have to give — my experience.’” With very little administrative experience, Lovelace became a student again, taking classes on her own and from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits to learn how to run the ministry. As someone who has failed herself on multiple occasions, Lovelace says she understands the patience sometimes required to turn a life around. “We should accept people who are struggling to change, not run them off for being different. When they want help, we should help them, and not be obsessed with disappointment if they slip,” she said. “There are no ‘throw-away’ people.”
ALUMNI 3 0 YEA R S O F C LASS
Student’s Knowledge Pursuit Leads to Lifelong Learning BY ROD JONES
Longevity and consistency — two words that would certainly apply to the college career of Oklahoma City University student Nancy Blankenship. Actually, career might be an understatement — Blankenship has taken a class per semester for nearly 30 years now, only taking a break whenever major life events occur like welcoming a new grandbaby. She’s not working toward a particular degree, just enjoying the classroom experience. “Every class I take just makes me want to take another,” Blankenship said after running down the list of classes she has completed, which includes the entire course catalog of the School of Religion. She has since moved on to take almost everything offered in the English department and is working her way through the history course listing. After hearing a college professor give a lecture at her church in the 1980s, Blankenship decided she needed to learn more about the topic of his lecture. “Bill Martin spoke to our Sunday School class,” she recalled. “I realized he knew a lot of things the rest of us didn’t know, and I’d have to take the class to find them out.” After finishing Martin’s intro to biblical literature class in 1988, Blankenship took another class, then another, and another until there was nothing left to take in religion. As an avid fan of literature, she moved on to the English catalog. “People ask why I’m still in school,” she said. “It’s because I don’t know everything yet.” Blankenship said by taking one class at a time, she’s able to focus on one topic and is less likely to become overwhelmed. Even though she has held a 3.95 GPA, she has taken some classes for no credit. She’s not so much interested in grades as she is the simple pleasure of learning new things. Blankenship’s transcript shows all “A’s,” except for one “B” in a drama class she took about 10 years ago. Before coming to OCU, Blankenship earned a degree from the University of Oklahoma. She taught high school and junior high in Moore while her husband went to law school. She says she met her husband while they were in third grade together in Clinton, Okla., and they’ve been together since. “On our first date, I was taller than he was,” she noted. “The next year he grew and didn’t stop until he was 6-2.” After he finished law school, Blankenship herself returned to the
Nancy Blankenship has been an OCU student almost 30 years. Photo by Rod Jones
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People ask why I’m still in school. It’s because I don’t know everything yet.
classroom, eager to gain new knowledge. Her inquisitive nature extends to the class discussions. “I admit, I ask a lot of questions in class,” she said. Nearly all of the Petree College of Arts and Sciences faculty know who she is. The professors who have taught her — many of them for multiple courses — have come to appreciate her willingness to learn for the sake of learning. Although she hasn’t officially walked through Commencement at OCU yet, the English department presented her with an Honorary Master of Liberal Arts Award in 2010. “(OCU has) opened my world and made me interested in so many new things,” she said. “This is my school. I would feel like a traitor if I went anywhere else.”
okcu.edu/alumni // 13
FACULTY FEATURE
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Finance Class BY TERRY PHELPS, PH.D. OCU Professor of English
Finance professor Ron Shaw with Jose Andrade, BBA ’10, ME ’11, and Su Cheen Theng, MBA ’14, at the 2013 Toastmasters International state conference. 14 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Jose Andrade, BA ’10, BSB ’10, and ME ’11, remembers a pun from Dr. Ron Shaw’s class in Finance: “Interest has ‘accrual’ way of accumulating, payable or receivable, the result of different timing in cash flow.” Another pun: “Two banks with different rates have a conflict of interest.” Andrade said Shaw’s humor not only made classes more interesting but helped make the concepts memorable. According to Evan Way, MBA ’12, Shaw’s technique also worked in evening classes “when even with ample amounts of coffee, it was sometimes difficult to stay focused while discussing the nuances of corporate finance. Nonetheless, he always managed to keep the entire class engaged with energetic lectures and anecdotes from his past experiences working in industry. I always enjoyed his teaching approach, which encompassed mathematically working through financial scenarios, because it so precisely married academic applications to real-world issues affecting businesses and governments.” Andrade once made a video introducing Shaw as the Godfather, and the nickname stuck. Four years ago, Shaw established the Meinders School of Business Toastmasters Club, where as “Godfather,” he mentors anyone who wants to put in the effort to become a better speaker. Shaw won the club, area, and division contests to make it to the state humorous speech contest in 2013 and was named one of the five funniest Toastmasters in Oklahoma in 2013. Giving a speech or teaching a class, Shaw has a definite persona. Way recalled, “Only once did I see him without a tie at OCU, but he made sure to note that he was still wearing a jacket.” And Andrade described Shaw’s style in telling a joke: “He stops for a second, removes his glasses, holds them in his hand, tells the joke or interesting fact/story/detail, and then puts his glasses back on.” Shaw’s humor shines in his pig story. Raised in Gause, Texas, population 400, he was president of the Future Farmers of America chapter and planned to show a pig at the Houston Livestock Show. This required training because, as Shaw said: “You do not want a fat, out of shape pig. Since by nature pigs are prone to be couch potatoes, it requires some road work and some body building to develop a show pig. The animal does not need to learn tricks, just stand and walk and look good — similar to the Miss Universe contest or one of the big dog shows.You want to develop the Schwarzenegger of swinedom. It was a little embarrassing to be seen taking my pig for a walk or jog around the pasture, particularly in cattle country. Since he could not pump iron, I constructed stairs that he would have to
FACULTY FEATURE climb to get to his food. I took him to the big show in Houston but won no money. However, I sold him at the local FFA competition and made some money there.” Life on the farm led to an undergraduate major in food science, which encompassed commercial food product development, quality assurance, manufacturing processes, and distribution, with lots of chemistry and microbiology. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food science at Texas A&M in 1970 and 1971. Then he completed Naval Officer Candidate School and served as an officer on a naval destroyer during the Vietnam War. He initially deployed to the Western Pacific for artillery support for ground forces and plane guard duty for aircraft carriers, but his ship was eventually based in Seattle, where it made local news. “The headline sounded like it came from World War II: ‘Naval Destroyer Torpedoes Japanese Toyota.’ Our ship had torpedo tubes mounted on the deck. The tubes used compressed air to launch torpedoes into the sea with the torpedoes becoming self-propelled thereafter. Though empty of torpedoes while in port, each tube had a protective cap over the seaward end to protect the contents and inner workings from the elements. During routine maintenance and testing of a tube, the cover would be removed, and the compressed air blast would be released. This time the sailor conducting the test failed to remove the cover These illiterate before releasing the compressed 2-year-old rodents air. The heavy cap was blown across the pier into a line of have discovered the new Toyota sedans just off a concepts of assembly ship from Japan.” lines, mass production, After leaving the Navy, Shaw worked as a food and division of labor. manufacturing production manager for a food manufacturing company in Seattle and a director of product development for a pizza chain in California. Then he and his wife, Dorothy, opened a couple of pizza restaurants and a Mexican food restaurant in Texas. While there, he earned a Ph.D. in finance at the University of Texas at Arlington, teaching as an adjunct and visiting professor. He came to OCU in 1995. Andrade said: “Dr. Shaw was a demanding yet kind professor. He encouraged me and fellow students to be prepared for class and in general. With his example and encouragement, others have followed in his footsteps to achieve success.” Meinders School of Business Dean Steve Agee lauds Shaw for his Toastmaster honor and contributions to the school’s “continuous improvement, engagement, innovation, and impact. He is wellliked by his students as a classroom teacher and by his peers in the
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business school with regard to his academic research, participation on committees, and work with the Toastmasters.” Shaw has been married to Dorothy since 1971, and they have two children and three grandchildren. His hobbies include cooking, ballroom dancing, shooting, hunting, and fishing. He is an elder in the Messiah Lutheran Church. He has taught several classes with Junior Achievement, a national organization in which volunteers teach short courses in business, economics, and career preparation in public schools to help young people think about and prepare for careers and understand the economic system. He has published and presented numerous articles and papers and has been interviewed frequently by local television reporters about state and national financial issues.
A Prize-Winning Speech, Condensed “I was at war. I was under attack. I was outnumbered. I had a gang of squirrels stealing the nuts from my pecan tree. My pecans are important to me. Holiday food! I’m not going to let a bunch of bushy-tailed bandits — overgrown rats — steal my nuts that I grew, on my tree, in my yard. I get emotional. I get angry. Then I think: Be logical. First, squirrels are really small and I am big. Second, stupid squirrels can’t even count and I have gone to college. Third, these squirrels can’t even read the words ‘12-gauge shotgun’ and I have three of those. Reading up on squirrels, I understand that the squirrels we see are only 1 to 2 years old. Most squirrels in the wild don’t live past three years. Isn’t that great?! So I’m dealing with a bunch of illiterate 2-year-olds. No problem. … I wrap the tree trunk with smooth sheet metal. Their greedy little claws can’t climb smooth metal. Stupid squirrels.” Shaw’s Toastmasters speech continues with squirrels jumping from his neighbor’s garage, so Shaw adds steel higher in the tree and then places a metal backboard between the garage and tree, but the squirrels outsmart him, with one squirrel somehow climbing the tree and dropping pecans to other squirrels below. “What is going on here? These illiterate 2-year-old rodents have discovered the concepts of assembly lines, mass production, and division of labor. I must be dealing with Albert Einstein of squirreldom. Well at least I’m still bigger than they are.” Shaw erects more barriers so “Now my tree looks like some kind of outer space communications antenna. So I hook it up to my television and get 110 channels and watch ESPN for free. I sleep well that night. I dream. I dream of pecan pies. I dream of chocolate covered pecans. I dream of roasted pecan pepper sauce served with a big platter of roasted squirrels. “Next morning, what do I see? Yes! I see no squirrels on my fence. Yes! I see no squirrels on my neighbor’s garage.Yes! I see no squirrels in my … no! I see no nuts left in my tree.” okcu.edu // 15
GIVING
Alumna Gives Voice to New Students Singing has been a lifelong love for Frances McMillan Oney, BM ’54 and MAT ’67. Growing up two blocks from Oklahoma City University, she remembers walking through campus in the 1940s and marveling at the architecture while dreaming of attending OCU. Frances and Ted Oney Oney thought her family’s economic hardships would prevent her from attending college, but little did she dream that the generosity of a donor would give her the opportunity to study music at OCU and change the course of her life. While growing up, Oney was active in church, singing in the choirs at Wesley United Methodist Church and University Place Christian Church. A fellow member at University Place recognized her talent and her family’s inability to afford higher education. He responded by helping award an Elks Club Scholarship to cover the cost of her OCU education. After decades of teaching voice, including three years on the OCU
faculty, directing choir in numerous churches, and “realizing it was time to give back,” Oney and her husband, Ted, BS ’56, recently established the Frances McMillan Oney Endowment for students enrolled in the Bass School of Music’s vocal program. “My life was totally changed — who I am and the opportunities I have had — because one man believed in me,” she said. “I can do no less. I call it completing the circle because there are still students who need someone to believe in them financially.” Oney has many fond memories of her time as a student. She served as vice president of Phi Delta Sorority and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity and was named OCU Princess in 1953. She values the personal connections she attained with faculty and staff, in particular her vocal instructors Vera Neilson and Inez Silberg. A desire to provide a similar student experience for others led Oney to designate her scholarship for undergraduate soprano students. “I am a soprano and it influenced me so much,” she said. “I want to make it possible for others, and I want it to go on in perpetuity.” Oney considers her scholarship gift akin to her decades of work in music, “a gift of love.”
Mehr Endowed Scholarships Fund Students’ Dreams When Charles Mehr, BA ’43, graduated from OCU he was half a world away, serving as a Navy ensign in World War II. As the Commencement announcer read his name, Mehr’s mother walked across the stage to accept his diploma. Decades later, Mehr’s generosity has enabled dozens of OCU students to receive their own diplomas and make their mark in the world of performing arts. Through a series of donations — including real estate, cash gifts, and planned gifts — Mehr established several endowed scholarships at OCU to support dance performance and music theater students. Mehr’s brother-in-law, Richard Poole, Ph.D., recalled a conversation the two had when Mehr first considered forming the scholarship programs. “I told him, ‘Don’t wait until you die because if you do it now, you’ll get to have a lot of interaction with it,’” Poole remembered. Mehr took that advice. He passed away last year but enjoyed several years of interacting with his scholarship recipients, attending their performances, and encouraging them in their dreams for their careers. Mehr took time to write to each student. Poole continues to receive letters on Mehr’s behalf from past recipients who express deep appreciation for his support, encouragement, and influence. Mehr Scholarship recipients have gone on to perform on Broadway, in professional musical tours, as Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, and in other highly successful careers. “Because Mr. Mehr made it possible for these students to receive 16 // FOCUS Spring 2015
the comprehensive training in dancing, acting, and singing with the solid liberal arts education available at Oklahoma City University, they are living their dream,” said John Bedford, dean of OCU’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management. “Scholarships supported by an endowment continue in perpetuity. There will be many more dance performance majors in the future who will be able Charles Mehr to live their dreams because of Charles Mehr.” Mark Parker, dean of OCU’s Bass School of Music, recalled Mehr as a man of the arts. “He cared about students having access to opportunities that the arts schools at OCU provide so well,” Parker said. “He was so generous and gave from his heart so that talented students could have the chance to receive an OCU education. The scholarship endowments he created will affect untold numbers of students for generations to come.” Poole noted that Mehr set up the scholarship programs to support high-quality students who want to pursue performing arts studies. “He wanted deans and department heads to have flexibility in the criteria for awarding scholarships. His idea was to provide administrators with a tool to get the best students and enhance the programs at OCU,” Poole said. “Charles was very talented, had an excellent voice himself, and he loved the performing arts.”
ATHLETICS
OCU’s Emily Webster finished her college career undefeated and with four national crowns. Photo by Tanner Ives
Webster Triumphs for Fourth National Title BY RICH TORTORELLI
OCU’s Emily Webster captured her fourth 101-pound Women’s College Wrestling Association title Feb. 14 at the Petty Sports and Recreation Complex in St. Louis. Webster, a senior from Sedalia, Mo., finished her college career 118-0 as the first OCU wrestler to end unbeaten with four national crowns. Webster, the top-ranked 101-pounder, became the third wrestler to win four WCWA individual championships. She reeled in WCWA wrestler of the year after her 10-0 technicalfall victory over Marina Doi of King (Tenn.). Webster completed
her senior season with 31 victories and five falls. She tore through the tournament with four technical-fall wins for her 12th career tournament title. Second-ranked Oklahoma City finished third nationally with 195 points as King took its second team title in a row. Nine Stars took all-America honors as Cody Pfau became the 109-pound national champion, and Kayla Aggio finished as 143-pound runner-up. OCU’s all-Americans included Brieana Delgado, who finished third at 130 pounds, Shelby Morrison, who was fourth at 116; Heather O’Connor, in fifth place at 191; Heiley Garcia, sixth at 143; Carla Ponce, seventh at 130; and Yvonne Galindo, eighth at 155.
WOR L D - C LASS ROWERS
Stars Named to U.S. World University Games Team Several OCU rowers will represent the United States in the World University Games July 3 – 5 in South Korea. The U.S. team held its selection camp at the Oklahoma River. The World University Games is second only in size and scope to the Olympic Games.
OCU’s men’s rowers who made the team are Stephen George, Hadzo Habibovic, and Baruch Price. From the OCU women, Sara Coleman, Liz Mathews, Leigh Smith, and Kayla Yraceburu will represent the United States. OCU coach Liza Dickson will guide the U.S. women. HOME OF CHAMPIONS: ocusports.com // 17
ATHLETICS C HAMPIO N SHI P R U N
Cross Country Earns Second Consecutive National Title
BY RICH TORTORELLI
Top-ranked Oklahoma City University captured its second consecutive national crown in the NAIA men’s cross country championships in November at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan. Peter Koskey led the Stars with a third-place individual finish in the 8,000-meter race. Koskey, a junior from Keringet, Kenya, paced five OCU runners who took all-America honors with top-30 finishes. OCU turned in a meet-best 55 points, while second-ranked Southern Oregon had a runner-up showing to repeat last year’s two top teams in the national meet. OCU lived up to its season-long billing atop the NAIA rankings as the Stars have owned the No. 1 spot for 10 consecutive weeks dating back to the 2013 postseason ratings. Oklahoma City has 57 national championships in all sports. “We are super excited to defend the national title,” said Oklahoma City coach Conor Holt, who was NAIA coach of the year for the second year in a row. “The men ran with heart and pride and got the job done for OCU.” Koskey, Arya Bahreini and Mackenzie Wahpepah-Harris of OCU became twotime all-Americans. Koskey recorded a time of 24 minutes, 44.20 seconds to be 7.8 seconds off the pace. OCU’s Csaba Matko came in fifth place, while Bahreini took 13th. David Mountford placed 18th, and Wahpehpah-Harris posted a 21st-place showing for Oklahoma City. Along with OCU’s program-best 15th-place finish in the women’s race, the Stars finished third in the combined standings. HALL O F FA M E R S
Crabaugh, 1994 Softball Team Honored OCU celebrated its rich athletic tradition during the induction of the 2014-15 group of OCU Athletic Hall of Famers Jan. 17 in the Shdeed Great Hall inside the Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The newest Hall of Fame class consists of OCU Baseball Coach Denney Crabaugh and OCU’s 1994 national championship softball team. Crabaugh also was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Jan. 3 in Orlando, Fla. He already holds membership in the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Crabaugh has compiled a record of 1,268-398-2 (.761 winning percentage) in 26 years as OCU’s coach entering the 2015 season. 18 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Crabaugh has guided the Stars to the 2005 national championship and three NAIA runner-up finishes in 12 trips to the NAIA World Series. OCU won an NAIA single-season record 73 games in 2004. Crabaugh has coached 80 all-Americans, 62 NAIA scholar-athletes, 10 CoSIDA academic all-Americans, seven NAIA players of the year, four NAIA Hall of Famers, 64 Major League Baseball draftees and 132 Denney Crabaugh future professionals at OCU. Oklahoma City’s 1994 softball team captured the first of eight NAIA championships OCU’s softball program has won. The Lady Chiefs wrapped up the national title with a 3-1 victory over Athens State (Ala.) on May 21, 1994 at the Rainbow Softball Center in Columbia, Mo. OCU had five all-Americans on the 1994 team: Tammy Braithwaite, Sue Fairhurst, Tracey Mosley, Jenifer Wells, and Kim Wilson. The all-tournament team for the 1994 NAIA Championships included Braithwaite, Fairhurst, Mosley, Wells, Tuesday Butcher, and Mindi Wilson of OCU. Mosley set six tournament records on the way to becoming tournament most valuable player. 1 994 NATIO NAL CH AM P IO NS H IP TEAM ROST ER
Tammy Braithwaite Tuesday Butcher Sue Fairhurst Tina Holmes Kelly McKellar Tracey Mosley Brandy Rico Heather Strouse
Vikki Thompson Brandy “Moose” Tyler Jen Wells Kim Wilson Mindi Wilson Head coach Phil McSpadden Assistant coach Kathy Lewis Student assistant Za Smith
OCU Softball Coach Recognized by NFCA Hall of Fame OCU softball coach Phil McSpadden entered one of softball’s most elite fraternities, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas. The 2014 NFCA Hall of Fame class included McSpadden, SUNY Cortland head coach Julie Lenhart, Alabama-Huntsville head coach Les Stuedeman and NFCA executive director Lacy Lee Baker. McSpadden has built the most storied program in the NAIA at OCU, capturing eight national championships, the most in NAIA history. McSpadden’s induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame made him a member of four halls of fame, including the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame. McSpadden has been recognized as national coach of the year by the NFCA three times, NAIA coach of the year eight times, region coach of the year once and Sooner Athletic Conference coach of the year four times. He and his staff have been NFCA NAIA coaching staff of the year seven times. In his 28th year at OCU, McSpadden leads all current NAIA softball coaches in wins with a 1,423-355 record entering the 2015 season. He has guided OCU to 12 national championship games, four national runner-up finishes, 26 trips to the NAIA Championships, 18 50-win seasons and four 60-win seasons.
CLASS NOTES 1946
1978
Joella F. Utley, BA ’46, received the Distinguished Citizen Award from Wofford College in South Carolina.
Tony Lacy, BA ’78 and JD ’80, was named cochairman for the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Opening Night celebration.
1954
1981
Richard Cohoon, BS ’54, was chosen for induction into the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction.
Kevin Acers, BA ’81, published a collection of poems in a book titled “Dead Mouse Poems.”
1963 Rebecca Meyer, BA ’63, was recognized for her achievements and public service at the sixth annual AARP Oklahoma Indian Elders Honors ceremony. 1965 Enoch Kelly Haney, BA ’65, was a featured artist in the “Crossroads of Commerce: A History of Free Enterprise in Oklahoma” exhibit.
1974 John Coyle III, JD ’74, received the Lord Erskine award “for a long and distinguished career of providing the highest level of legal services to his clients and the legal community.” Demetra George, ’74, D. Music ’07, performed in the Nevada Opera Theatre Association’s concert “From Italy With Love” in Las Vegas. George also presented a concert at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, for ambassadors and honored guests. The concert included opera, Broadway and Christmas songs in nine languages.
1983 Rick Luke, MBA ’83, was appointed chief financial officer of MicroSeismic. 1984 Timothy Callahan, MBA ’84, is the executive director for contracts for the Defense Contract Management Agency. 1985
1967
1975
Joe Paul Case, BA ’67, completed a two-year term as president of the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He previously served as executive vice president and, for eight years, as council commissioner.
Jan Foutch, BM ’75, was named vice president of LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma.
1969
LeFlore County Associate District Court Judge Ted Knight, JD ’75, retired after 32 years on the bench.
Jane Jayroe, BM ’69, started the 11th season of her “Esther Women” speaker series. Justice Yvonne Kauger, JD ’69, released her book, “Art of the Oklahoma Judicial Center.”
Ron Raines, BM ’75, is a soloist on the recently released album “Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit.”
1971
1977
Leona Mitchell, BM ’71 and Hon. DM ’79, was inducted into the Oklahoma African-American Hall of Fame.
Glenn Devoll, JD ’77, was named vice president of the Oklahoma Bar Association.
1972 Joanie Jezek Jedlicka, BA ’72, retired as business/computer teacher at Oklahoma City and Putnam City Schools after 40 years.
Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester, MCJA ’77, was recognized as a “Great Graduate” by his high school alma mater, Broken Arrow.
Virginia Campbell, BM ’85, launched her 32nd annual Piano Artist Series with fellow alumnus Kyle Dillingham, BM ’02. 1986 Two alumnae were honored during the Journal Record’s Woman of the Year program: Elizabeth Kerr, JD ’86, legal counsel for the University of Central Oklahoma and Keri Coleman Norris, BA ’94 and JD ’97, general counsel for LegalShield. 1988 Shine Chiang, BSB ’88, gave East Central University’s 2014-15 Boswell Lecture. The United Nations appointed Sandra Mitchell, JD ’88, as assistant secretary-general to serve as deputy commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Cindy Koss, MAT ’88, was named deputy superintendent of academic performance and planning at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. INSTA PICS: @okcualumni // 19
CLASS NOTES Komson Sevatasai, MLA ’88, was named vice president of sales and marketing for Paresa Resort in Phuket, Thailand.
Brandon Hobson’s, BA ’92, book “Deep Ellum” was listed in the Reader’s Digest Best Short Books You’ll Ever Read.
Pamela J. Tarling, BA ’88, gave a presentation at a meeting of the Edmond Genealogical Society about one of her great-grandmothers, who was tried and convicted during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.
Margaret Williams, BM ’92, joined the Arts Consulting Group Inc. in Denver as senior consultant. 1993
1989 Aliya Chaudry, MBA ’89 and JD ’98, received the Community Engagement Professional of the Year award during the Campus Compact Heartland service-learning conference in Nebraska. Mark Murdaugh, BA ’89, joined the Purk & Associates, P.C. firm in St. Louis as an associate. 1990 Vernon Finley, ME ’90, was named chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Carroll Freeman, MPA ’90, professor in opera studies at Georgia State University, was a judge in the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions in Idaho. Ramona Tumblin-Rucker, MBA ’90, is the project manager over the Washington University/ BJC Medical Center Campus Renewal Project in St. Louis.
Richard Hall, BS ’93, was named vice president for academic affairs at Sheridan College in Wyoming. GQ magazine published a feature story about “The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison, BA ’93. Music teacher Missy Kannady, BM ’93 was named teacher of the year at North Elementary in Bixby. John Sawyer, BM ’93, and Vince Leseney, MM ’94, performed in a concert with Tony Award winner Beth Leavel in Oklahoma City.
1995 Wade Blevins, BA ’95, won the World Traditional Wushu Championships in China in the bare-handed division, beating out some 3,000 top martial artists there competing from around the globe. John Martin, BA ’95, was named athletic director of St. Gregory’s University. Tim Moore, JD ’95, became speaker of the North Carolina House. Timothy O’Grady, JD ’95, joined the Stange Law Firm as a senior associate in St. Louis. Lee Shilling, JD ’95, was appointed as a special district judge for McClain County. 1997
Michael McNamara, MBA ’93, was appointed as managing director for the Americas for Veritas Petroleum Services.
Brent Greenwood, BFA ’97, received the “Best in Show” award at the 22nd Annual Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale in Denver.
John Sawyer, BM ’93, was featured as part of the Broken Arrow PAC’s Upclose Series in a concert called “Love Songs.”
Kristen Tumminello’s, MM ’97, musical, “Woosical, Jr., The Story of Rue,” was featured at the New York New Works Theatre Festival in Times Square.
1994 Jane Haskin, MBA ’94, CEO of First Bethany Bank & Trust, was selected as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker.
1998
Travis Marr, BS ’94, was named managing director of Prism Healthcare Partners, a Chicagobased healthcare consulting firm.
Lindsay Foster, BA ’98, computer lab manager from Parkview Elementary in Maryland, was selected to attend a prestigious week-long professional development experience hosted by Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network.
Kristin Chenoweth, BM ’91, released her first live album “Coming Home” and performed a nationally broadcast concert on PBS. Chenoweth returned to her hometown of Broken Arrow for the concert and to give a master class.
Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, named Tony Sommer, MBA ’94, head of sales for its U.S. Vision Care division.
Kelli O’Hara, BM ’98, played Mrs. Darling on NBC’s “Peter Pan Live.” O’Hara was also in the Metropolitan Opera’s “The Merry Widow.”
Liz Tate, JD ’94, joined the faculty at Purcell Public Schools as an English teacher.
1999
1992
Buzz Williams, BS ’94, became head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies basketball team.
1991 City of Edmond Public Works Director Herb Blomquist, MBA ’91, was designated a national Public Works Leadership Fellow by the American Public Works Association.
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council appointed Nathan Barnard, JD ’92, to the administrative appeals board. 20 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Jason Younker, ME ’94, was inducted into the North Bend Hall of Fame in Oregon.
Stephen Cortes, JD ’99, was granted membership into the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys.
CLASS NOTES C. Cole Crabtree, JD ’02, joined the Jaburg & Wilk, P.C. law firm in Phoenix as partner. Jeromy Smith, BS ’02, and Lyndy Franklin Smith, BPA ’02, founded the Lexington Theatre Company with its debut production, “Concert with the Stars” in Kentucky. Dr. Seth Vannatta, MA ’02, released his book titled “Conservatism and Pragmatism” on Palgrave Macmillan press. The book is about classical British conservative thought and classical American pragmatist philosophy. Vannatta is a philosophy professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore. 2003 Jennifer M. Grigsby, MBA ’99, became CFO of the American Energy Partners affiliates American Energy — Woodford LLC and American Energy — Minerals Holdings LLC. Robert A. Hammeke, JD ’99, joined the Denton law firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice as a partner in the Kansas City, Mo., office. Michael Harker, BA ’99, published a book titled “The Lure of Literacy: A Critical Reception of the Compulsory Composition Debate” on SUNY Press. Harker is an assistant professor of English at Georgia State University. Travis Watkins, JD ’99, co-wrote a book titled “SuccessOnomics.” 2001 Peter Markes, BME ’01, was named to Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Joy Hofmeister’s transition team. Lara Russell, JD ’01, was appointed as special district judge for Rogers, Mayes, and Craig counties. 2002 Emily J. Biscone, JD ’02, was selected to the Professional Hockey Players’ Association Workers’ Compensation Panel of Attorneys.
Stephania Grober, MBA ’03, was named vice president of sales and marketing at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. Jeremy Hays, BM ’03, played the role of Raoul in the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” Michelle Berg Moon, B.S. ’03, is director for Facility Sales and Service for the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and vice president of the National Association for Catering and Events. The Tobin Center is the major performing arts facility in San Antonio. Rachel Pierce, BA ’03, was hired as co-anchor of NBC2 News Today in Fort Myers, Fla. K.T. Turner, BS ’03, began his second season as assistant coach of the Southern Methodist University basketball team. 2004 Tyrone Van Aswegen, BSB ’04, earned his PGA Tour card for the second consecutive season. Tiffan Borelli, BM ’04, is starring as the millionaire murderess Candice Mossler in Investigation Discovery’s top-rated series “A Crime to Remember.” Susan Sikes Wills, JD ’04, became president of the Tom Green County Bar Association in Texas.
2005 Guerin Austin, BA ’05, is the new rink-side reporter for the NHL Boston Bruins hockey team. Todd Lamb, JD ’05, won re-election as Oklahoma’s lieutenant governor. Karilyn Ashley Surratt, BPA ’05, was pictured on the December/January cover of Reader’s Digest representing the Radio City Rockettes. 2006 Emily S. Anderson, JD ’06, joined the tax staff at Arledge and Associates PC, an Edmond accounting firm. Brett Manis, BA ’06, took a civil service position at Tinker Air Force Base. Manis and wife Lauren (Phelps) Manis, BA ’03 and MLA ’05, had their newest daughter, Carolyn, born Jan. 10. LeAnne McGill, JD ’06, will serve a oneyear term on the Oklahoma Bar Association’s 17-member Board of Governors as chairwoman of the OBA Young Lawyers Division. 2007 Emily E. Campbell, JD ’07, attorney for the Dunlap Codding firm, was named to the 2015 Oklahoma Rising Stars list as one of the top upand-coming attorneys in Oklahoma. Osagie D. Ehigie, BPA ’07, coordinated the Black Water Middle School’s “Yuletide Magic: Winter Dance Showcase” in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Danielle Estes, BM ’07, performed in Lyric Stage’s “The Golden Apple” in Irving, Texas. Kent Hathaway, BFA ’07, and Meredith Ziegler, BME ’10, were named Rising Stars during the Teacher of the Year ceremony at the Oklahoma State Fair.
ON FACEBOOK: OCUalumni // 21
CLASS NOTES Keith Hines, BM ’07, starred in the Olivier Award-winning hit musical “Jersey Boys.”
2010
Lesley Mealor, BPA ’07, toured with the “Sweet Charity” show last year and has been auditioning for future shows, judging for several dance competitions and teaching in Atlanta.
OCU alumni in the Putnam City School District were named Teachers of the Year at their respective schools. Lindsey Williams Cofer, BS ’10, was honored at Tulakes Elementary, and Ashley Cain, BFA ’11, at Capps Middle School.
2008
Kim Faure, BPA ’10, was in “Cinderella” at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.
Austin Brown, ’08, went on a national tour with his group, Home Free. Rachel Pappy, JD ’08, signed a publishing deal with CelebrityPress to co-write a book titled “Get in the Game.” The play “Beyond the Stratosphere,” written by La’Charles Purvey, BA ’08, was performed at the Poteet Theatre at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. USA Today did a feature story about UFC fighter Chas Skelly, ’08. 2009 David Holt, JD ’09, was named director of investor relations at Hall Capital. Brett Knight, BSB ’09, was named to the 2014 ionOklahoma 30 Under 30 list. Matthew McMahan, BM ’09, made his Broadway debut as Feuilly with the “Les Miserables” cast at the Imperial Theater. Colin Nel, BSB ’09, took his first career professional victory in the Wild Waves Golf Challenge on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. Jeff Riles, BA ’09, accepted a position with Enel Green Power North America, owner and operator of renewable energy plants with projects operating and under development in 21 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Based in Washington, D.C., Riles is the manager of regulatory affairs for the company’s U.S. Central Region. Elizabeth Wythe, BS ’09, is managing the ticketing system for the Minnesota Twins. The system includes the team’s spring training in Florida and major concerts at Target Field.
22 // FOCUS Spring 2015
The OKCBiz Forty Under 40 list for 2014 included Elizabeth Newton, BS ’10, development officer for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, and Spencer Hicks, MLA ’10, founding member and co-CEO of OKC Comedy. 2011 Caitlin Darby, BPA ’11, is teaching jazz and tap in the musical theatre department at the International Conservatory of Performing Arts in Texas. Leah Diaz, BS ’11, is finance assistant for Disney Theatrical Productions in New York City. Jeremy Allen Fisher, BFA ’11, was the lighting designer for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company’s production of “Twelfth Night.” The Wirral Weekly News in Liverpool, England, did a feature story about Laura Jones, BS ’11, and her plans to join the professional golf circuit. David Scott, BSB ’11, was promoted as interim executive director of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. 2012 C. Lauren Clark, JD ’12, and Jeff Kline, JD ’12, were named to the 2014 ionOklahoma 30 Under 30 list. DeEtta Cravens, BA ’12, was included in an episode of the PBS program “To the Contrary” about increasing diversity in the Foreign Service. Michaela Hutchison, BS ’12, was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. Jeff Kline, JD ’12, associate attorney for the Bays Law Firm was named to the OKCBiz Forty Under 40 list for 2014.
Nick Orfanella, BM ’12, starred as Jon in the Skyline Theatre Company’s production of “tick, tick … BOOM!” in New Jersey. Jeff Poulin, BS ’12, was one of the presenters and panelists at the Oklahoma Arts Conference presented by the Oklahoma Arts Council. Kaylin Zeren, BFA ’12, performed solo shows of the popular children’s book character and play “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” at elementary schools around the Houston area. 2013 Emily Dimmitt, BA ’13, and Kaleb Oakleaf, BA ’14, became worship leaders at Village United Methodist Church. 2014 David R. Bublitz, MFA ’14, was invited to give readings at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago as part of the Open Door series. Alex Enterline, BFA ’14, starred in the national tour of “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” Jessica Garvey, BA ’14, was recognized in the “Hire This Woman” feature on the ComicsAlliance website. Kara Heinz, BS ’14, was hired by Holland America Cruise Lines as librarian for the MS Zaandam, which will be cruising to Alaska, South America, Hawaii, and Antarctica. Heinz is preparing to eventually work in shipboard event management. Tami Hines, JD ’14, joined the Hall Estill law firm as an associate. Eryn LeCroy, BM ’14, is playing Emma in the national tour of “Jekyll and Hyde.” Malini Pannirselvam, BA ’14, a volunteer with the World Food Programme, launched her own henna art business to raise funds and sponsor food aid. Stacy Tomberlin, DNP ’14, was selected as one of 20 participants in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Future Leaders program.
IN MEMORY Gordon Wilson Allison
B.C. Clark Jr.
D EC . 30 , 1 926 – F E B. 5, 20 15
AP RIL 4, 19 13 – F E B. 4, 20 15
Gordon Wilson Allison, 88, of Oklahoma City, passed away Feb. 5 in the hospital, surrounded by his family. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, known to his grandchildren as “Daddy G.” He was born Dec. 30, 1926, to W.L. and Ida Ward Allison in Scott, Ark. Gordon was a long-time Oklahoma City University trustee and an early member of the executive board Gordon Allison of the School of Religion. The Allison family endowed a classroom in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel. Gordon graduated from Morris High School in England, Ark., as class president in 1944. He then served in World War II in the Merchant Marines on a T-2 Tanker sailing the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf transporting oil and gas to Europe. He was honorably discharged in July 1946. After returning home from the war, Gordon married Margaret Jane Walker and began farming in Arkansas. In 1958, Gordon entered the insurance industry as a producer and worked his way into management. He spent 28 years as a corporate officer of several public companies. In 1972, he moved his family to Oklahoma City and founded American Trustee Life Insurance Co., where he worked as chairman and CEO. Gordon enjoyed many achievements and civic duties, serving as a member of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Independent College Foundation, chairman of the finance committee and board of directors of Village United Methodist Church, member of the board of directors of Mid-Central BanCorp. of Warsaw, Mo., and president of the Association of Oklahoma Life Insurance Companies.
Benton Clyde Clark Jr. passed away peacefully Feb. 4 at the age of 101. He was born April 4, 1913, in Purcell, Okla. He met the love of his life while attending Oklahoma City University and married Ruth Carroll on leap day, Feb. 29, 1936. They were married for 59 years before her death on March 4, 1995. He later married Jeroldine Zachritz, and they enjoyed 11 years B.C. Clark Jr. together until her death on Sept. 14, 2008. Among his many philanthropic and civic endeavors, he established the B.C. Clark Jr. Chair endowment fund at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business and the B.C. Clark Jr. Endowment at OCU. He most recently served as chairman emeritus of B.C. Clark Inc., a familyowned retail jewelry firm celebrating 123 years in business in Oklahoma. He worked in the family business as a young teenager until his early 90s, making an indelible mark on the success of the business. He served honorably in the Navy as a gunnery officer during World War II. The jewelry business was always his first love, but he also gave back to his community in many ways. Among the many notable honors he received are the Pathmaker Award from the Oklahoma County Historical Society, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Jewelers Association, the Wall of Fame Humanitarian Award from the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation , an Honorary Doctorate of Commercial Science from Oklahoma City University, 2007 Alumnus of the Year — Classen High School, and the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He was a longtime member of the Fortune Club, Men’s Dinner Club, and the Quail Creek Golf and Country Club. He was a founding member of May Avenue United Methodist Church and a devoted member of Nichols Hills United Methodist Church.
Bunny Briggs FEB. 26, 1 922 – NOV. 1 5, 2 0 14
Bunny Briggs, the elegant and versatile tap virtuoso whose career bridged dance eras, from Bill (Bojangles) Robinson’s to Savion Glover’s, died on Nov. 15 in Las Vegas. He was 92. Bunny earned an honorary doctorate of Performing Arts in American Dance from Oklahoma City University. In the world of tap, which especially prizes the passing of traditions from generation to generation, Bunny Briggs Bunny was a prodigy early on and a mentor in his later years. He danced on the streets of Harlem as a small boy, and on Broadway, “The Ed Sullivan Show” and at the Newport Jazz Festival as an adult. He performed in the 1989 Broadway musical revue “Black and Blue,” and as a jazz percussionist with the likes of Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington, who once described Mr. Briggs as “the most superleviathonic, rhythmaturgically syncopated tapsthamaticianisamist.” Bunny was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in “Black and Blue,” which originated in Paris. The 1989 movie “Tap” featured several generations of tappers, including Bunny, who helped emphasize the legitimacy of tap as an authentic, vernacular American art form and illustrated its torch-passing tradition.
Chariyar Nillpraphan MARC H 4, 1940 – OC T. 3 0 , 20 14
Chariyar “Yaya” Nillpraphan, 74, passed away on Oct. 30, surrounded by family. Chariyar was born March 4, 1940, in Thailand. Chariyar worked 19 years, from 1990 to 2009, at Oklahoma City University’s Dulaney-Browne Library in the Government Documents department. She was a resident of Oklahoma for more than 40 years and a resident of Arlington, Texas, for the past six years.
Marjorie N. Sussex AUG. 3 , 1920 – DEC . 3 1, 20 14
Marjorie N. Sussex, age 94, formerly of Oklahoma, died Dec. 31 in Columbus, Ohio. Marjorie was born August 3, 1920, in Kansas City to Virgil and Tracie (Stanton) Mossman. She was head of and taught in the foreign language department at Oklahoma City University from 1968 to 1998, and she retired in 1998. okcu.edu // 23
IN MEMORY Carl Tobias Schlesinger O C T. 12, 1 926 – N OV. 9, 20 14
Carl Schlesinger, 88, died Nov. 9, leaving family and friends to remember a vibrant man who loved the printed word, The New York Times, tap dance, music, writing rhymes, union and printing history, and entertaining audiences. For his efforts to recognize and promote the dance form, Carl received the Heritage Award-American Dance from Oklahoma City University School of American Dance and Arts Management in 2001 and a Flo-Bert award in 2009. Born to William and Lillian Schlesinger on Oct. 12, 1926, in the Bronx, N.Y., he launched a penny newspaper at age 10 and ultimately published two books on printing, including a biography of Ottmar Merganthaler, the inventor of the linotype. He co-produced and narrated the award-winning film “Farewell Etaoin Shrdlu,” which has won numerous awards around the world. Commemorating the first use of color printing in the paper, Schlesinger composed “The New York Times Color March” and in 1999 it was recognized by Times’ publisher Arthur Sulzberger as the paper’s official march. It has been performed across the country, including at Oklahoma City University. His career as a printer began in 1946 when he worked at Fairchild to serve a five-year printer’s apprenticeship learning linotype and page make-up. He went on to work for other major New York newspapers and joined The New York Times in 1952. In 1967, he was invited to head up a printing program in Nairobi, Kenya, teaching the art and establishing a school with the newest machinery. He also worked for the Flying Doctors Service of East Africa. In 1975 he returned to The Times developing a retraining program for the linotype operators to learn keyboarding. Schlesinger retired from The Times in 1990.
lobbyist for Oklahoma Education Association. Nancy served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1982 through 1986, directing her efforts toward children and education. She later served as an administrator at Tulsa Community College and as vice president of OU-Tulsa when illness forced her retirement in 2005. Nancy was a founding trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and a board member of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools and the Community Service Council. She was a member and president of the Tulsa County Library Commission.
Nancy Virtue Lewis NOV. 9, 1 94 9 – SE PT. 24 , 2 0 14
Lulu G. (Muff) Ford
Former OU-Tulsa Vice President and State Representative Nancy Virtue Lewis passed away Sept. 24, after a long illness. Nancy was born in Oklahoma City on Nov. 9, 1949, the daughter of the Rev. Dick Virtue and Suzanne Starr Virtue of Norman. She received a BA in political science from Colorado College and a Master of Arts in teaching from Oklahoma City University. She taught at Norman High School until 1977. Shortly after Title IX passed, Nancy coached girls’ track, and in her second year, the Norman High team took second in state. She returned to Colorado Springs in 1977 and continued teaching, concentrating on students with mental health or behavioral issues at a hospital and a youth ranch. While at Norman High, Nancy joined other teachers in lobbying for public education. Nancy said that as they talked to state legislators, she noticed they were all “for education,” but at the end of each session, little positive seemed to have happened. She decided to leave the classroom and became the first paid C LASS O F
Lulu Ford DEC . 12, 19 18 – DEC . 14, 20 14
Lulu G. (Muff) Ford, age 96, passed away Dec. 14. She worked in the OCU Chapel office and Wimberly School of Religion from 1987 to 1997. Muff was a proud Kansan by birth but lived her adult life in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Her working career consisted of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Village United Methodist Church, and Oklahoma City University. Her years of teaching Sunday School at “Village” affected many lives, and her decades singing in the church choir enabled her to know the alto parts to most every song in the hymnal. She was an organizational whiz, an avid sports fan, and a friend to all. Working crossword puzzles and cryptoquotes in ink topped her list of hobbies but nothing was more important to Buddy (her grandma name) than her family.
1 937
194 0
1 94 3
1 95 4
1957
B.C. Clark Jr.
L. Newell Darner
Charles E. Mehr
Patsy R. Bryan Arnold Short William R. Strain
Vivian A. Bonifield
24 // FOCUS Spring 2015
IN MEMORY Arnold Short O C T. 3, 1 93 2 – SE PT. 26, 2 0 14
Former Oklahoma City University NCAA basketball all-American Arnold Short died Sept. 26, in Oklahoma City. Short had served OCU as athletic director, tennis coach, and assistant basketball coach after a prolific playing career. He earned several distinctions, including induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Short became OCU’s first all-America honoree in 1953 and gained the national recognition again in 1954. He piled up 1,527 points while averaging 20.1 points a game as a Chief. He holds the single-game school record with 23 free throws made against Baylor in 1953 and the single-season mark of 232 free throws hit in 1953-54. In the 1952 All-College Tournament, Short poured in 70 points in three games to earn tournament most valuable player and lead OCU to the tournament title. From 1951-54, OCU went 55-21 with three NCAA Tournament appearances and finished in the top 15 of the national rankings twice with Short’s help and guidance from coach Doyle Parrack. Short went on to become a two-time all-star with the Phillips 66ers in the National Industrial Basketball League and was named all-Army twice. In 1970-75, Short returned to OCU as assistant basketball coach to Paul Hansen and as an instructor. From 1980-86, Short guided OCU’s athletic department as athletic director and tennis coach. Short joined the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame and the All-College Tournament Hall of Fame in 1979, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Oklahoma District Tennis Association’s Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2007, Short completed 20 years as pastor of Ridgecrest United Methodist Church. Short had served as pastor of churches in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Arnold Short, left, set OCU records in the ’50s and was named All-College MVP.
J. W. “Bill” McLean
Charles Wayne Stice
APRIL 2 , 1 922 – O C T. 23 , 2 0 14
SE PT. 28 , 19 37 – MAY 2, 20 14
J. W. “Bill” McLean passed away Oct. 23 in Dallas at the age of 92. Bill was born on April 2, 1922, in Okmulgee, Okla., and grew up in Muskogee with his parents, Lawrence White McLean and Margaret McGill McLean, and his brother, George. Bill received an honorary doctorate in Commercial Science from Oklahoma City University in 1980 and was named to the Oklahoma Commerce & Industry Hall of Honor at OCU. At the University of Oklahoma, he was undefeated in collegiate debate, president of his fraternity and the ROTC’s ranking cadet colonel. While at school, he fell in love with Eleanor Jane Johnson and they were married just after graduation. Bill served in the Army for three years, finishing number one in his class of field artillery officer candidates at Fort Sill, participated in four World War II major battles, won a battlefield promotion to captain and was awarded the Bronze Star for valor under fire. Bill’s 40 years of banking included 26 as a CEO. He also served as Bank of America’s first director of marketing and was responsible for the nationwide licensing of what is now VISA card. Outside of banking, Bill was on the board of directors for four decades of Reading & Bates Corporation, which became one of the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors. Additionally, he provided volunteer leadership for many civic organizations.
Charles Wayne Stice, age 76, passed away May 2, 2014. He was born Sept. 28, 1937, to Charles Henry and Lela Irene (Burris) Stice in Elk City, Okla. Wayne graduated from Oklahoma City University with a BA in mathematics and English. At OCU, he joined Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity where he made many lifelong friends and, after graduation, he joined their international staff as traveling secretary. Returning to OCU for post graduate work, he met and married Barbara May Leland, and the couple had a daughter, Kelly Jo. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from OCU in 1992. After teaching high school math for two years, Wayne joined Public Service Company of Oklahoma, a part of Central and South West Corporation. This led to a 30-year career with increasing responsibilities in operations, human resource management, and business planning. He retired from Central Power & Light Company and the CSW System in 1994. He returned to school, sat for the CPA exam, and joined Alan Lucke & Associates for a challenging and satisfying third career. Wayne’s accomplishments were many but among the more meaningful were his participation in a two-month exchange of Oklahoma businessmen with the Republic of South Africa and completion of Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program. He was president of the Corpus Christi Town Club, president of the Pharaoh Valley Neighborhood Association, and senior warden and treasurer of All Saints' Episcopal Church.
195 9
19 6 0
1 967
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Charles Wayne Stice
Charles E. Brown
Bob M. Cockerill
Nancy V. Lewis
Leroy W. Bridges
Ina M. Brantley Lelah Price Craig
okcu.edu // 25
HONOR ROLL
of
DONORS S
ince the founding of our University in 1904, this enterprise of United Methodist higher education has been sustained by donors who realize they are investing in the future by supporting our students. Oklahoma City University is privileged to recognize our donors for the 2014 calendar year, and we invite you to join us in honoring them for their generous support of the University. These individuals and organizations are as diverse as the student population they support with their contributions, yet they have a common goal of sustaining a mission which has resulted in thousands of exceptionally equipped servantleaders for our community and our world. Our staff has worked carefully to ensure that this list of donors who have made cash gifts, pledges and pledge payments of $1,000 or more between January 1 and December 31, 2014, is as accurate as possible. If you know of an error or omission or have questions regarding this information, please call the OCU Office of University Advancement at (405) 208-7000. Beginning this fall, OCU will recognize donors after each fiscal year. The 2014 – 15 list will appear in the next issue of FOCUS.
COMPLETE LISTING For a comprehensive list of our overall 2014 Honor Roll of Donors, please visit okcu.edu/focus. s Member in memorium 26 // FOCUS Spring 2015
«
OCU employee
FOUNDERS CUMULAT IVE G I F TS O F $ 1 M I L L I O N O R M O RE Founders are an exceptional group of donors who have earned a place of distinction through their commitment to Oklahoma City University and their remarkable generosity, which continues to advance the university’s mission. Each has made cumulative gifts of $1 million or more. Ann Simmons Alspaugh Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Wanda L. Basss Martha Burger Clays and Eleanors Carrithers Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Inc. The Chickasaw Nation Jeroldine Zacharitz Clarks Marvins and Enas Dawson Devon Energy Corporation The Luther T. Dulaney Family Josephine W. Freede
Jerry Gamble and Jane Jayroe Gamble Gaylord Family Harris Foundation, Inc. Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, Inc. Inasmuch Foundation Clara Edith Joness Lou Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Kerr-McGee Corporation, Inc. Kirkpatrick Family Ann Lacy and James Alexanders Kurt and Cathy Leichter Haskell L. Lemon Family
Tom and Judy Love The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation McLaughlin Family Charitable Fund Herman and LaDonna Meinders The Meinders Foundation Gary M. Moore The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Families of Henry Norick Ron and Kandy Norick Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company Foundation, Inc. The Robert A. Parman Foundation Petree Family Robert & Ruby Priddy Charitable Trust Sarkeys Foundation Dick and Jeannettes Sias Jeanne Hoffman Smith Vivian Wimberlys Flora Rouse Winters
DISTINGUISHED STARS BENEFACTORS $100,0 00 & AB OVE Phil and Cathy Busey Randy and Connie Calvert Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Inc. Communities Foundation of Oklahoma Delaware Resource Group of Oklahoma, LLC Devon Energy Corporation E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation
Lin Wei-Hsien McLaughlin Family Charitable Fund Bill Mee Charles E. Mehrs The Meinders Foundation Herman and LaDonna Meinders Ron and Kandy Norick
Oklahoma City Community Foundation Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation Ray and Pat Potts Gene Rainbolt Sous Family Foundation, Inc.
Ziad Sous The Chickasaw Nation Wanda L. Bass Foundation, Inc. WCM Investment Company Norman G. Wilkss
Ann Lacy Linda Petree Lambert Larason Blue Ridge Rams, LLC Timothy and Linda Larason Kurt and Cathy Leichter Duke and Linda Ligon Tom and Judy Love Jason and Carly Maderer Steve Mathis Philelle D. McBrayer Glynn and Sandy McCauley Aubrey and Kathleen McClendon Tom and Brenda McDaniel Tim McLaughlin John McShane Bud and Marilyn Meade Midtown HC, LLC Jeaneen Naifeh Norick Investments, Inc. Christian O'Donnell Ted and Frances Oney Pearl M. & Julia J. Harmon Foundation Phillips 66 Premier Assets, Inc. Tawfik and Siham Ramadan George and Mary Ellen Randall George and Nancy Records
Records-Johnston Family Foundation, Inc. Richard P. and Norma T. Small Foundation Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Sarkeys Foundation Anne L. Schneider Stuart and Pamela Schroeder Schwab Charitable Fund Bill and Pam Shdeed Dick and Jeannettes Sias Simmons Charitable Foundation Nikki Singer SSM Health Care of Oklahoma Richard and Glenna Tanenbaum The Ann Lacy Foundation The Kerr Foundation, Inc. The Robert A. Parman Foundation Cullen and Bonnie Thomas Trust Company of Oklahoma Trust Company of Oklahoma — Tulsa Jack Turner Steve and Marsha Turner Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program Jerry and Melinda Vannatta Watson Family Foundation Wesley Foundation Board of Directors William Scott Gallagher, P.L.L.C. Frank and Carol Williams
STARS BENEFACTORS $10,00 0– $ 9 9,9 9 9 Ad Astra Foundation Steve Agee« Ann Simmons Alspaugh Ahmed and Ola Nawar Amayem American Fidelity Foundation Anschutz Family Foundation Glen and Kolee Bailey Troy Bailey BancFirst Louise L. Bass Howard K. Berry, Jr. G.T. and Libby Blankenship Dennis« and Chris Box« Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County, Inc. John Brogan Martha Burger Clyde R. Evans Charitable Trust Compliance Technology Group, LLC Joe and Valerie« Couch Crowe & Dunlevy Sam and Bushra Dahr Phil H. Deschners David Donchin Cleo Drabeks Dick and Cynthia Dugger Emmanuel and Irene Edem El Dorado Corporation
Matthew and Jill Epperson Paul and Debbie Fleming Jose Freede William Scott Gallagher George W. and Louise W. Brown Memorial Trust Steve and Carol Goetzinger Harry Goldman and Jettie Person Jack Golsen Goodin Family Foundation Kenneth and Janet Goodin Harris Foundation, Inc. Hartzog, Conger, Cason & Neville, LLP Gretchen Hartzog HC Financing LLLP Robert Henry« and Jan Ralls Henry Gary and Sue Homsey Kevin Hoos Cliff and Leslie Hudson Niles Jackson and Barbara Thornton Jexal Foundation, Inc. Bill and Stacy Junk Farouk and Noha Kanaa Karl F. and June S. Martin Family Foundation Steven and Carrie Katigan Lou C. Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Tom and Linda Klos
okcu.edu/give // 27
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS PRESIDENT'S PARTNERS President’s Partners is Oklahoma City University’s annual giving recognition society showcasing the generosity of those who contribute $1,000 or more during the year. Such loyal donors, whether they make unrestricted gifts or gifts designated toward their areas of interest, inspire others to make a difference for the university at a leadership giving level each year.
GOLD $5,000 – $ 9,9 9 9 Access MLP Operating, Inc. Phil and Jo Albert American College of Bankruptcy Foundation Robert and Nancy Anthony Sue Ann Arnall Mohammed and Becky Atiyeh Terry Baransy Susan Barber« and David Nagle Beasley Oil Company Doc and MarEllen Benson Andrew and Debby Benton Joel and Jackey Bieber Bob Mills Furniture Vivian Bonifields Bobbie Burbridge Lane Butterfield Memorial Foundation Steven and Taolo Cargill Roy and Pat Chandler Cole Family Charitable Foundation Keri Coleman Norris and Ty Norris Wallace H. and Emogene G. Collins Design+Build Group, LLC Dexter Johnson Education Trust Enable Oklahoma Intrastate Transmission LLC First National Bank of Oklahoma Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates, P.C. Jerry Gamble and Jane Jayroe Gamble George Kaiser Family Foundation Michael Gibson« Robert and Debra Gray Chris Harrison Keegan Harroz Nicholas Harroz Hatton W. Sumners Foundation, Inc. Larry« and Gay Hellman Inasmuch Foundation Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City James and Phyllis Jackson Sheryl Jacobs Randy and Connie Jones Kennedy Consulting Team, LLC
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John Kennedy Khichi Family Kimray, Inc. King Family Properties, LLC Robert King Kirkpatrick Foundation, Inc. Eric Laity« Art« and Betsy LeFrancois Harrison and Elaine Levy Robert Meinders Bob and Margaret Mills Daniel and Andrea Morgan Ali Moussa Dolores Neustadt North Oklahoma City District of The United Methodist Church OCU Rowing Team OKC Pro Soccer Oklahoma Bar Foundation, Inc. Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation Jake Pfarr and Jana Wingo-Pfarr James Pickel Thomas and Lisa Price Jeffry and Julie Puryear James Ravannack Robert Dean Gray, PC Paul and Kim Sanders Rebecca Schneider Chris and Jeanie Sholer Smith & Pickel Construction, Inc. Jeanne Hoffman Smith Southern Media, LLC Barry and Rebecca Switzer The Ayco Charitable Foundation The Burbridge Foundation The Professional Basketball Club, LLC Theatre Arts, Inc. Tom and Lisa Price Charitable Foundation Wal-Dot Foundation Williams Box Forshee & Bullard, PC Paul and Linda Woody Hub Worrell
SILVER $ 2 , 50 0 TO $ 4 ,9 99 Brian and Julia Bakeman Bank of Oklahoma Bank of Oklahoma Foundation Ronald and Debbie Barnes Hamden and Robyn Baskin Carter and Cara Baumert Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oklahoma John Brogan Jack Bush Rod and Peggy Campbell Doug and Rose Carlson Brian Craven John and Cindy Crittenden Joe and Sherry Crosthwait Al and Sandra Cusack
Dougherty Family Charitable Trust Fund of Triangle Community Foundation Dennis and Nancy Dougherty DW Trucking, LLC Echols and Associates Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Christopher and Jacqueline Fiegel General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church Granite Fiberglass Pools and Spas Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company Greg McCracken & Associates Bradley Gungoll Irene Ham Carol M. Hansen Jane B. Harlow James and Jean Hartsuck HC Services, LLC Brad and Kim Henry Henry-Adams Companies Conor Holt« and Camille Herron J.R. and Patsy Homsey John and Janet Hudson IBM International Foundation Bryan and Melanie Jester John Q. Hammons Two, LP Mike Johnston Stephen Jones Mindy Lambert David Lee Lance Lodes LSB Industries, Inc. Marathon Oil Corporation Robert and Marty Margo Pat McGarrity and Leroy Ball Mercy Accounts Payable Shared Services Vicki Miles-LaGrange Melvin and Jasmine Moran Bob and Carol Naifeh OG&E Energy Corp. Marty« and Deborah« O'Gwynn Oklahoma Bar Association Oklahoma Employees Credit Union Oklahoma Energy Resources Board Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Richard and Gayle Parry Corey Phillips and Adam de la Garza Marsh and Debbie Pitman Presser Foundation Puterbaugh Foundation Ronald Raines and Dona Vaughn Ralph A. Sallusti, PC Pat and Marianne Rooney Ralph and Sandy Sallusti Meg Salyer Ira and Sandra Schlezinger James Schmidt Tony and Phyllis Shelby Andy and Julia Shoup Roger and Barbara Simons Elliott Fenton and Lu Simpson Sooner Beer Company
Craig Stinson and Krista Jones The Regeneration Project Tinker Federal Credit Union Triangle Community Foundation, Inc. Deb Tussey« University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc. Jim Wade Mark and Gale Wood John M. Yoeckel
BRONZE $1,000 TO $2 ,499 A. Cusack & D. Cusack Investments, LLC Jim« and Annetta Abbott David and Kathie Aelvoet Rhodly and Betty Alden Jerome and Judy Altshuler American Fidelity Assurance Company Ann Sherman Photography Walker Arenson Luann Atkins Amy L. Bankhead Michael and Anita Barlow Ed Barth David and Laura Beal Mark« and Teena« Belcik Lance and Linda Benham Jean Benner Mary S. Benner« Loyd and Judy Benson Kevin Berry Paul and Colleen Bicket Travis and Elise Blalock Mike and Rita Blaser David Bohnert Charlie and Cassie Bowen Bradshaw Santa Gertrudis Larry and Marie Bradshaw Joellyn F. Brown Jim and Betty Bruce Norman and Karen Bryant Kent« and Lauri Buchanan Doug and Rhonda Buckles Bob and Barbara Bunce Linda Byford Carol Byrd Charlie« and Ann Cantrell Joe and Kristin Carson Central Liquor Company Kyle and Susan Chambers Charles and Cassandra Bowen Charitable Foundation Classic Cabinets, Inc. Donald and Karen Clewell Lawrence« and Chris Cobb Steve Coleman Commerce Bank Conklin Family Foundation Thomas Conklin ConocoPhillips, Matching Gift Program Ray Cornelison
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
J.W. Coyle Crawley Petroleum Corporation Duane Cummings Vivian Dale Robert Daniels Mark and Jackie Darrah Mark Davies« and Kristin Alex Davies Richard Wansley and Meredith Davison Kyle Dean« Michael Decker Pete and Karen Delaney Dell, Inc. Patricia R. Demps Derryberry & Naifeh, LLP Juliet Dixon Robert Doenges Bill and Liz« Donnelly Mark and Jennifer Doremus Matthew and Christina Dowell Frederick Drummond Karen Eby« Drew and Linda Edmondson Jim Egans Robert and Nancy Ellis Ernst and Young LLP Barbara L. Eskridge Stanley and Saundra Evans Jim and Christy Everest Wade Christensen and Mary Fallin James and Miki Farris Jalal Farzaneh Mohammad Farzaneh Brad and Celine Ferguson Joe and Marti Ferretti First Commercial Bank Denise Flis« Charles and Carla Flournoy Timothy Foley Foundation Management, Inc.
FPOV Melba and Kenny Frazier Gray and Karen Frederickson Helen M. Gaudin« Gerald L. Gamble Company, Inc. Warren and Jill Gotcher Nate and Linda Grantham Kyle Graves Barry and Anne Gray Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Joe and Shannon Greenhaw Emily Guthrie Rick and Lee Hall Homer and Treva Hancock Meredith and Helen Hardgrave Brian Harvey« Health Care Service Corporation John and Melvena Heisch Brian and Molly Henderson Linda Henry David« and Lucy Herendeen Heritage Trust Company Brian and Laura Hobbs Dan and Sarah Hogan HoganTaylor, LLP Glede and Teresa Holman Home Creations, New Home Builder Henry and Laura Hood Houston Astros Baseball Club Karen Howick Ronald Howland Eric and Kami Huddleston Hunzicker Brothers Integris Health, Inc. Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani J.D. Rohrer, PC Scott Jackson
James Farris Associates, LTD Robert and Mary« Jenkins Barry Johnson« and Melissa Smith-Johnson Bill and Ann Johnstone J.T. Jones Laurie L. Jones« Tom Jones and Leslie Tregillus Donald Jordan Journey House Travel, Inc. Justin Sullivan Alwf, Inc. Yvonne Kauger Nancy I. Kenderdine John and Jane Kenney Alan and Angela Kennington Michael and Candace Kiehn Sandy Kimerer John and Aggie Knapp Craig and Julie Knutson Lois and Stanley Kruschwitz Michael and Summer Krywucki KVSP — Perry Broadcasting Co., Inc. William and Laura Laing Lambert Company, LLC Lambert Investment Company, LLC Langston University Foundation Greg and Erin Larson Dan and Phyllis Larson Lazy K Properties Syd Lewis Billy Lewis Foster and Judy Lindley Dave and Lana Lopez Janis Love Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc. Edward« and Marie Lyons MA+ Architects Donald and Barbara MacPherson Chetan Mangalwedhe Alan Marcum Massey Family Foundation John Massey Gregory McCracken Rick McKee Ken and Debbie McKinney Larry and Rozia Foster Burrel and JoAnn McNaught Phil McSpadden« Clinton and Jennie Medbery Thomas and Brandi Mieger Joel and Nikki Miliband Jason and Cindy Miller Glen and Yvonne Miller Brad and Valerie Naifeh Bernard Nash Natural Stone Design LLC Nicole A. Nelson David and Betty Nittler Northcutt Law Firm Marc Nuttle OGE Energy Corp. Foundation, Inc. Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre David Ooley
Orthopedic Associates, Inc. Michael and H. Anne O'Shea Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. Sandy Pantlik« Mark Parker« Kevin Perry Jerry and Charlette Perryman Peter and Karen Delaney Family Foundation James Peterson Joseph Phillips David Pitzer Pitzer's Lawn Management, Inc. Suzanne E. Pointer Paul and Bridget Poputa-Clean Ford and Sheryl Price George Proctor and Nancy Dumoff Prosperity Bank ProStar Services, Inc. David and Kim Rainbolt Steven and Julie Raney Ghazi and Hoda Rayan Stephen and Sue Reel John and Charlotte Richels Jeff Riles and Joe Sangirardi Carol Ritchey River Oaks Golf Club John Robinson Wyatt and Joni Robson J.D. and Patricia Rohrer Casey R. Ross-Petherick« James and Sharon Rowan Shannon B. Rundell John and Lois« Salmeron Wes and Suad Salous Gary and Carol Sander Shane and LaDonna Sanders Gary and Anne Shaner Stephanie Shanor Ann C. Sherman Lee Allan and DeAnn Smith Robert and Sharon Smith Shelby Smith Bill and Jean Smith Darrell and Margaret Smokewood Douglas Sorocco« Spartan Resources, LLC Bob« and Pam Spinks Andrew« and Ellen Spiropoulos Irwin and Kelley Steinhorn Scott Stone Victoria K. Swinney« Jack and Jill Talley Marvona and Michael Tavlin Clayton and Marnie Taylor The Economic Club of Oklahoma The Lewis and Butler Foundation Lisa Then Auda M. Thomas Ron Thomas James and Elizabeth Tolbert Linda Tucker Windle and Shirley Turley Elaine R. Turner okcu.edu/give // 29
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS Frosty and Gayla Turpen UMB Bank, NA United Methodist Higher Education Foundation W.M. Smith Energy LLC Joseph and Cynthia Walkowski Warhawk Legal Jonathan and Paula Watson Terry West Ellen Jayne Wheeler Martha E. White Chuck and Renate Wiggin Larry and Ashlie Wilhelm Brent Foster and Keri Williams Foster« John and Beverly Williams Bob Willingham Lawrence and Sheryl Young
N EBULA SOCIETY "Nebula," the material from which stars are formed, is an appropriate description of this generous group of donors whose investment in OCU is essential to creating stars from each generation of OCU students. Nebula Society donors make unrestricted gifts of $1,000 or more annually to the OCU Fund, providing flexible resources to meet unexpected challenges or take advantage of exciting opportunities.
GOLD $5,000 + Phil and Jo Albert Terry Baransy Vivian Bonifields Linda Petree Lambert Harrison and Elaine Levy Oklahoma City Community Foundation Robert Henry« and Jan Ralls Henry George and Nancy Records Dick Sias Richard P. and Norma T. Small Foundation
SILVER $2, 5 00– $ 4 ,9 9 9 Anonymous Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Christopher and Jacqueline Fiegel Irene Ham Jerry Gamble and Jane Jayroe Gamble Jeaneen Naifeh Marty« and Deborah« O'Gwynn 30 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Marsh and Debbie Pitman James Schmidt Tony and Phyllis Shelby Niles Jackson and Barbara Thornton
BRONZE $ 1 ,0 0 0 – $ 2 ,49 9 Walker Arenson David and Laura Beal Loyd and Judy Benson Joellyn F. Brown Kent« and Lauri Buchanan Doug and Rhonda Buckles Bob and Barbara Bunce Ray Cornelison Vivian Dale Kyle Dean« Frederick Drummond Robert and Nancy Ellis Jim and Christy Everest Joe and Marti Ferretti R. Nathan Grantham Joe and Shannon Greenhaw Jane B. Harlow Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani Robert and Mary« Jenkins Bill and Ann Johnstone J.T. Jones Craig Stinson and Krista Jones Yvonne Kauger Lou C. Kerr/The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Dan and Phyllis Larson Kurt and Cathy Leichter Duke and Linda Ligon Foster and Judy Lindley David and Lana Lopez Tom and Brenda McDaniel Burrel and JoAnn McNaught Dan McNeill« Melvin and Jasmine Moran Ron and Kandy Norick David Ooley Sandy Pantlik« George and Mary Ellen Randall Steven and Julie Raney Jeff Riles John Robinson Pat and Marianne Rooney Shannon B. Rundell Gary and Carol Sander Gary and Anne Shaner Stephanie Shanor Bob« and Pam Spinks Marvona and Michael Tavlin Richard Wansley and Meredith Davison Chuck and Renate Wiggin
GOLD STAR SOCIETY The Gold Star Society recognizes donors who provide support for OCU through deferred or estate gifts. Such legacy gifts can touch OCU in a variety of ways. Some donors wish to have their gift applied wherever the need is greatest. Some choose to establish a scholarship endowment for deserving students or fund an endowed chair or professorship to help the university attract and retain outstanding faculty. Others direct their support toward a particular program or project. OCU is truly grateful to each of these whose generosity and commitment leaves a lasting legacy. Marilyn Abercrombie-Joyner Helen Hinman Abernathys Kay Adair Jean M. Affeldts Bess M. Aikenss Victor F. Albert Betty J. Alden Rhodly L. Alden J. Bart Aldridges Geronimo Alexander Katherine Alexanders Stephanie B. Allisons Nabhan Alnabhan Ann S. Alspaugh Jerome K. Altshuler Judy M. Altshuler Alan B. Anderson Kalpa M. Andersons William Ed Archers Dorothy M. Atkinss Joseph N. Atkins Josephine E. Atkins Raymond T. Ayerss Troy E. Bailey William S. Baileys Julia Bakeman T. Brian Bakeman Susan C. Barber« Roland K. Barkers Linda C. Barnett Marguerite P. Barretts Clark Basss James C. Bass Kay Bass Wanda L. Basss Bruce L. Bates R. Thomas Beadles Floy S. Beans Jean Frances Beattys Gladys Beavens George P. Bensons Travis T. Benson Howard K. Berry Jr. Florence Bettiss Florence G. Birdwell Robert L. Birdwells James H. Blossoms
Norma R. Blossoms Caroline L. Blues Johnny A. Blues Kathleen Tucker Bones Vivian A. Bonifields Opal Bostons Edna H. Bowmans Loretta Kay Bradley Esther E. Brindleys Alan B. Brooking Albert H. Brookss George W. Browns Kleida W. Browns Louise W. Browns Henry W. Browne Ellen L. Bryans Robert A. Bryan Lillian B. Bryants Paul T. Bryant Tanya S. Bryant Becky Buchanan James C. Buchanan Mary L. Buress Martha A. Burger Bob G. Burke Clarence W. Burrs James L. Burtons Vince Busbys Jack G. Bush Robert Butkin M.K. Butler Hugh V. Bylers Chester Cadieux Debbie Cadieux Mabel Campbells Bettie Carey John M. Carey John Hoyle Carlocks Henry Carlsons Lucille Carlsons Eleanor Carritherss Claudia Carroll-Phelps Roy W. Chandler B.C. Clarks Jeroldine Zacharitz Clarks Bard H. Coats Donna R. Coats
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
Carol H. Cochran Mary E. Coffey Christine Collins Elizabeth Herring Collinss Jack T. Conns Lois A. Cooprider Don E. Copelin George D. Craig Lelah P. Craig Catherine Crains Nuell Crains Pearl E. Crains Lisa Crone-Sheldon Russell Croochs M. Joe Crosthwait Bessie B. Cunninghams Curtis B. Cunninghams A.S. Dahr Philip E. Daughertys Herbert E. Daviss Ena Dawsons Marvin Dawsons Michael L. Decker Phil H. Deschners Judith H. Dillon Peter G. Dillon William C. Doengess Catherine E. Dougherty Dennis J. Dougherty Nancy Dougherty Patricia J. Downing Cleo Drabeks John Prather Easts Larry A. Eberhardt Emmanuel E. Edem Irene Edem Phyllis K. Edson Orville E. Edwards Sarah S. Edwardss Jim A. Egans Violet Egans Pat Eitzen Ronald P. Eitzen Donald G. Emler Juel Emricks Jill A. Epperson Matthew A. Epperson Broneta D. Evanss LeVerda Evanss C. Randolph Everest Harvey P. Everests Ellis E. Fairs Marjorie J. Fannings Clifford E. Farmer Esther W. Farmers Jalal Farzaneh Mohammad Farzaneh Sylvanus G. Felixs
Elliott C. Fenton Lee Findlays G. Russell Fletchers O.F. Folmers Joe Foor Sharon G. Fore Ted Fosters Paul A. Fox Josephine W. Freede Milton H. Freelands Robert D. Fry Nick L. Gales Marion B. Galloways Gerald L. Gamble Michael Gardner Barbara Garrett Velma Gillettes Elizabeth Girtmans Roger Givenss Gordon D. Goering Jack E. Golsen Jennie Goodson-Cannons John S. Gorrell Dorothy M. Grahams Drucilla L. Graves Mary Greenshieldss Kenna R. Griffin Mary K. Grisso Jacque Grotjohn Mo Grotjohn Norma Rowe Gunns Larry M. Haag Colbert F. Hackler Attieson H. Halbrook Lee P. Hall Richard E. Hall Treva R. Hancock Carol M. Hansen Herschel Willis Harders Allen K. Harris Helen O. Hartmans Basel S. Hassoun Richard P. Hastings Patricia Hatamyar Gretchen L. Hatley Morris L. Hatley Beryl Hawkins Elton M. Hendersons Robert H. Henry Elizabeth A. Hensleys John G. Herveys J.B. Hitts Orina E. Hoke Tom R. Hoke Connie Holland Wayne Holland Gary B. Homsey Frank L. Hortons
Karen A. Howard Florence Hrons Lyndall F. Hudsons Darrell W. Hughess Verna Hursts Ronald G. Jacob Jane A. Jayroe Gamble Dixie S. Jensen Donald F. Jensens Baxter Johnsons Dexter Johnsons Patricia A. Johnson Clara E. Joness Sybil R. Jones M. Farouk Kanaa Nelma M. Karns William T. Karnss Joseph W. Kaufman Roumaine Kearses Iva B. Kelleys Richard B. Kellss Nancy I. Kenderdine Lou C. Kerr Karen L. Kirkpatrick Steve C. Knight Ewald J. Kramers Jim D. Kutch Mary J. Kutch Ann Lacy Grace D. Lamars Sally J. Langstons Margaret M. Larasons Tim M. Larason Ruth G. Leebron Cathy J. Leichter Kurt Leichter Haskell L. Lemon Familys Helen Lenns W. Penn Lerblances Frances Norick Lillys Ona E. Loewensteins Lloyd L. Longs Janis S. Love Fred R. Lynchs Andrea L. MacMullin Donald W. MacPherson Mary N. Mailman Elda Maniss Harlene Marley Samuel E. Marrs James L. Martins Callie Jane Maschals Michael P. Massad W.C. Mathess Margaret G. Mathiss Christopher A. Mauldin Dorothy Mayess Aubrey K. McClendon
Gene L. McCornack Mariann McCornack Jane M. McCreights William G. McCreights Brenda S. McDaniel Tom J. McDaniel Richard F. McDivitt Dean A. McGees John R. McInnis Burrel J. McNaught JoAnn McNaught Doloris A. McVay Charles E. Mehrs Herman Meinders LaDonna Meinders L D. Meltons Nellie R. Meltons Gene H. Midyetts Patrick K. Miles Frances Milhouses Paul W. Milhouses Glenn E. Millard Mary A. Millard Bonnie L. Miller Glen O. Miller Lewis Millers Maudie M. Miller Retta Miller Roberta E. Millers Yvonne Miller Nannette E. Millesons Frederick F. Mischler Margaret L. Moedt Nile W. Montgomerys Chloe J. Moore Gary M. Moores Helen G. Moores Loy Morriss Marian Morriss Theresa L. Morriss Eugene H. Morrison Frederick J. Murnanes Debbie Musick« David P. Nagle Jeaneen E. Naifeh Raymond Naifeh Dennis B. Neff Clara L. Neils Gene A. Nelsons Grace Nelsons Charles Nesbitts Margaret E. Newtons Helen Nicholsons Margaret Norick Marjorie J. Noricks Ronald J. Norick John W. Norman Tal Oden
okcu.edu/give // 31
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
Patricia Orza Vincent F. Orza Neva L. Osbornes M. Lavell Owen Raymond H. Owens Evelyn Parkers Mark E. Parker« Richard H. Parry Margaret F. Pates Bernie L. Patterson Nell Pattersons Marcella A. Pecks Jane B. Pelley George Pellingers Brenda D. Penwell Charlette R. Perryman Jerry W. Perryman F.M. Petrees Margaret E. Petrees Terry O. Phelps Richard W. Pickenss F. Warren Pixleys Patricia J. Potts Ray H. Potts Pamela R. Prentice Parrishs Winona S. Presleys Emma Prices Robert R. Prices Aran R. Priddys Betty Quinlans George R. Randall Mary Ellen Randall Ghazi M. Rayan Jeanne Reeds Ellen G. Reids Margaret K. Replogles Mary E. Replogle Robert E. Reynolds Kathleen Rhodess Helen A. Riddles Esther A. Robinsons Charles A. Rockwood Warren O. Rombergers Casey R. Ross-Petherick Flora Rouse Winters Erma L. Rouses Maryetta H. Rowes Dennis N. Rubenstein Richard N. Ryerson Joseph H. Sahmaunt Arthur W. Salisbury Orval J. Samss Mary C. Sargents Freeda M. Sarjents George B. Saunderss J.B. Saunderss Michael D. Schag
32 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Merrill Schnitzer Pamela B. Schroeder Stuart R. Schroeder George W. Scotts Hugh W. Scott Shirley D. Scott Minnie Sebas Cheryl Seguine Robert W. Seguine Ruth E. Seideman Garvin Senn John Shakelys Pamela H. Shdeed William F. Shdeed George H. Shirks Ruby Lu Simpson Naomi L. Singer Carl W. Skinners Ruth Skinners Emma P. Smiths Jeanne Hoffman Smith Jessie C. Smith Shelby L. Smith William E. Smith Alberta W. Soloways Ziad Sous Lynnie C. Spahns Robert H. Spahns Carol V. Spencers Arlene Staatss Barbara F. Steinberg Grace M. Stephensons Irene Stewart Walter Stillers James R. Stith Carl W. Stokess J. Russell Stone Wayne D. Stone William R. Strain Hope R. Strasners Lemuell Summerss Irene Swateks Rosalinn H. Swinkas Glenna G. Tanenbaum Richard I. Tanenbaum Marvona S. Tavlin Michael J. Tavlin Donald W. Tharps Charles R. Thigpens Mary E. Thigpens Bette Thomass Marge Edwards Thomass Pete Thomas Tom A. Thomass Abbie Thompsons Edith Thompson Kelly R. Thompson
MacKenzie C. Thompsons Howard B. Thorntons Peggy Thorntons Gladys M. Tuckers M. Kevin Tully Patricia R. Tully Melinda D. Tune Alireza Vahabzadeh Robert W. Van House Nellie Mae Vandegrifts Wilbur Vandegrifts James Vanderpools Jerry B. Vannatta Marianne B. Vannattas Betty L. Veatchs George E. Vickrey Nadine Vincents Mildred S. Voaks James L. Wade Larry R. Wades Mary J. Wades C. Gene Walker Jerald C. Walker Virginia K. Walker Dora Warnes Warren K. Watsons Herman Wegeners Mary Wegeners Miriam M. Wests Helen L. Westervelds Clarrissa E. Wheats William H. Wheats Ellen Jayne Wheeler Gladys B. Whetstine
Alice B. Whittens Spudds Wideners R.A. Wildmans Annette G. Wilkess Norman G. Wilkss Max V. Williams Drew Williamson Lizette R. Williamson Florence O. Wilsons Raymond D. Wilsons Owen Wimberlys Vivian Wimberlys Georgia Wintons Jacqueline M. Wise Charles C. Wisler Frances J. Wislers Lisa M. Wolfe Betty L. Wooden Evelyn Wynell Woodruffs W.W. Woodworths Rose Woodworths Willis C. Worleys Hubert R. Worrell Celine M. Wyatts Euclid M. Wyatts Kiyoko Yamamotos Lisa Ye Mark Ye Beverly A. Young Carl W. Young Mary Wells Youngs L.S. Youngbloods Edna Zaspels
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
ENDOWED FUNDS Endowment gifts serve as a meaningful way to support the university, not only providing for today’s needs but continuing to make a difference in perpetuity. A named endowment conveys values in a powerful way, creating a legacy that outlives the donor. An endowment, which may be established with an investment of $25,000, can build up over time, and even receive an ultimate gift through a donor’s estate. Oklahoma City University is grateful for our generous donors whose commitment will be carried into the future, impacting generations to come.
Alumni Association
Dulaney-Browne Library
Alumni Legacy Endowed Scholarship Alumni Lifetime Membership Endowment
William & Romaine Bailey Religious Library Collection Endowment Logan Cary Science & Engineering Library Book Endowment Dulaney-Browne Library Endowment Elizabeth Clark Gordon Memorial Endowment B.D. Lack Endowment
Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management American Spirit Dance Company Endowment American Spirit Dance Company Endowed Scholarship Peg Leg Bates American Dance & Dance Management Endowed Scholarship John Hitt Endowed Scholarship Ann Lacy and James E. Alexander Endowed Scholarship Tom and Brenda McDaniel Endowed Scholarship for Dance and Arts Management Charles E. Mehr Endowed Dance Scholarship Lee Paramore Endowed Dance Scholarship Marcella Patterson Endowed Dance Teacher Scholarship Ritz International Foundation Endowed Scholarship Jo Rowan Endowed Dance Scholarship Alleyne F. Schweinle Endowed Scholarship Betty Stockard Endowed Scholarship
Athletics OCU Baseball Endowment Melvin Decker Memorial Athletic Endowed Scholarship Devon Boathouse Quasi Endowment Education Athletic Endowed Scholarship William A. Grana Endowed Scholarship Paul Hansen Memorial Endowed Athletic Scholarship Brian Harvey Academic Soccer Endowed Scholarship Abe Lemons Endowed Athletic Scholarship Eugene H. Morrison Endowment for Men's Basketball Eugene H. Morrison Endowment for Baseball Eugene H. Morrison Endowment for Men's Golf William Nashert Endowed Scholarship Hugh and Diane Scott Athletic Endowment Star Elementary School Memorial Endowed Scholarship General James L. Wade Athletic Endowment
General University 8000 for OCU Endowed Scholarship Palmer C. Abercrombie Endowed Scholarship African American Endowed Scholarship AFS Employee Dependent Endowed Scholarship Emery O. and Bess M. Aikens Scholarship American Indian Alumni Endowed Scholarship James Noble Atkins Memorial Book Endowment Troy Bailey Endowed Scholarship Brian and Julia Bakeman Endowed Scholarship Erminda and Sophia Banning Endowed Scholarship Bruce & Marjorie Bates Endowed Scholarship McKinley Billy Endowed Scholarship James H. & Norma R. Blossom Endowed Scholarship Clyde & Evelyn Bowen Endowed Scholarship Homer S. & Margaret Brauer Anderson Endowed Scholarship Edward W. and Ethel Mae Brindley Endowed Scholarship Alice Brown Endowed Scholarship Ellen L. Bryan Endowed Scholarship James C. Buchanan III & Becky Buchanan Endowed Scholarship & Capital Expenditures C.W. Burr Endowed Scholarship Campus Beautification Endowment H. Arthur Carlson & Mary Lucille Carlson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Roy Chandler Endowed Scholarship Chapel Maintenance Endowment — Harris Foundation Chinese Endowed Scholarship Church of the Good Sheperd Endowed Scholarship
Clint Foundation Endowed Scholarship Student Senate Coffia Award Endowed Scholarship Council for Excellence Endowment Hazel & Russell Crooch Endowed Scholarship Devon Energy Clara Luper Endowed Scholarship Distinguished Speakers Series Endowment Kamil Eddie, Sr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship Walter N. & Alice K. Epler Endowed Scholarship Broneta Evans Endowed Religion Scholarship Fair-Folmer Endowed Scholarship George D. Findlay Memorial Endowed Scholarship Gerald L. & Jane Jayroe Gamble Endowed Scholarship & Capital Expenditures Richard Gibbens Endowed Scholarship J.E. Hall Endowed Scholarship Richard E. Hall Endowed Scholarship Paul Hansen Endowed Scholarship for the Hearing Impaired John & Martha Hardt Endowed Scholarship Mary E. Harris Endowed Scholarship Judge Robert Henry Endowed Chair Dan Hogan Endowed Scholarship Holland Family Endowment Homeland Endowed Scholarship for Native American Students Honda Native American Endowed Scholarship Hoopes Endowed Scholarship Frank Horton Memorial Endowed Scholarship Indian Misson Land Endowment Clara E. Jones Endowed Scholarship Paul Jones Native American Endowed Scholarship Iva B. Kelley Art & Law Endowed Scholarship Ann Michele King Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Lambda Chi Alpha Endowed Scholarship Clara Luper General Endowed Scholarship OG&E Clara Luper Endowed Scholarship Fred & Margaret Lynch Endowed Scholarship Fred R. and Margaret Lynch Endowed Methodist Scholarship William D. Maril Memorial Endowed Scholarship Cordis Martin Endowed Scholarship Michael & Eunice Massad Endowed Scholarship D. & E. Mayes Endowed Scholarship Anabell McConnell Memorial Endowed Scholarship McDaniel Endowed Leadership Scholarship Dean McGee Endowment Flora H. McKay Endowed Scholarship Genevieve Middagh Endowed Scholarship Bishop & Mrs. Paul Milhouse Endowed Scholarship
okcu.edu/give // 33
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS Gene Nelson Endowed Scholarship Oikos Endowed Scholarship John F. Olson Endowed Scholarship John F. Olson Memorial Endowed Lectureship Harvey L. & Laura M. Parker Methodist Endowed Scholarship Richard & Gayle Parry Endowed Fund for Operations Gertrude M. Patton Endowed Scholarship Jerry W. and Charlette R. Perryman Endowed Scholarship F.M. Petree Endowed Book Scholarship Terry & Lauren Phelps Endowed Scholarship D.N. Pope Endowed Scholarship Olen D. Presley Endowed Scholarship C.L. & Aran Priddy Endowed Scholarships for American Indian Students Winnifred Reneau Endowed Scholarship Scottish Rite Endowed Scholarship Rotary Club Endowed Scholarship Bud & Ronald Sahmaunt Native American Endowed Scholarship A.C. Scott Endowed Scholarship George C. & Sara Scott Endowed Scholarship L.E. Shackelford Endowed Scholarship L.L. Shirley Endowed Scholarship M.L. Simmons Endowed Scholarship Charles E. Simpson Endowed Memorial Scholarship Ruth Ida Skinner Unrestricted Endowment Sloan-Fitzwilliam-Fanning Endowed Scholarship William H. Smith Endowed Scholarship Lynnie & Robert Spahn Endowed Scholarship E.A. and Winnie Stewart Endowed Scholarship Lemuell Summers Endowed Scholarship Rosalinn Swinka Endowed Scholarship Esther Taylor Endowed Memorial Scholarship H. Emerson Thomas Endowment Tom A. Thomas, Jr. and Bette C. Thomas Unrestricted Endowment Colonel William Thompson Endowed Scholarship Unrestricted Endowed Scholarship Unrestricted Endowment Jerald C. Walker International Endowed Scholarship H.H. Wegener Endowed Scholarship Miriam West Endowed Scholarship Louis Allen Whitten Endowed Scholarship Dean Thomas A. Williams Memorial Endowed Scholarship Florence O. Wilson Endowed Scholarship Florence O. Wilson House Endowment Flora Rouse Winter Endowed Scholarship Jackie and Bill Wise Endowed Scholarship Betty L. Wooden Endowed Scholarship Euclid M. & Celine M. Wyatt Endowed Scholarship Edna L. Zaspel Endowed Scholarship
34 // FOCUS Spring 2015
Kramer School of Nursing R.T. Ayers Family Endowed Scholarship Denise Burton Endowed Nursing Scholarship David & Barbara Green Endowed Nursing Scholarship Brandon L. Hubbard Endowed Scholarship Kramer Nursing Endowed Scholarship Harold & Edith Maris Memorial Endowed Nursing Scholarship Elaine Masters Endowed Leadership Scholarship MSN Education Track Endowed Scholarship Nursing Endowed Scholarship Nursing Dean's Endowed Chair Daphyn Owen Endowed Scholarship for Kramer School of Nursing Ed & Lorraine Reynolds Endowed Nursing Scholarship Ruth Kramer Seideman Endowed Scholarship Marvel Williamson Endowed Nursing Scholarship
Meinders School of Business American Floral Service Marketing Endowed Chair C.R. Anthony Endowed Chair in Competitive Enterprises Jeanne Reed Bowman Memorial Endowed Scholarship Alan B. Brooking Endowment Martha Burger and Donald Rowlett Endowed Scholarship Burwell Endowed Chair Chester Cadieux Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in the Meinders School of Business Chesapeake Energy Endowed Scholarship B.C. Clark, Jr. Endowed Chair in the Meinders School of Business Coca Cola Entrepreneur Speaker Series Endowment Jack Conn Endowed Chair in Meinders School of Business Ann Covalt Endowed Scholarship William C. Doenges Endowed Scholarship B.D. Eddie Endowed Scholarship Harvey P. Everest Endowed Business Scholarship Henry James Freede Endowed Professorship Michael Gardner Endowed Business Scholarship Golsen Family Endowed Business Scholarship J. Leland Gourley Scholarship in Business James A. Graves Endowed Scholarship Mo & Jacque Grotjohn Endowed Business Scholarship T.K. Hendrick Endowed Chair in Marketing & Management Bill Hutton Memorial Endowed Scholarship George C. Jones, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Kerr McGee Business Endowed Scholarship
William M. Leebron Endowed Business Scholarship Charles B. Love Memorial Endowed Scholarship Tom J. McDaniel Endowed Scholarship Fund in the Meinders School of Business Dave and Jean McLaughlin Endowed Scholarship Meinders School of Business Endowed Scholarship (Brick Campaign) Meinders School of Business Enrichment Endowment Herman Meinders Endowed Scholarship in Business Kathryn Meinders Endowed Scholarship Miss America Women in Business Endowed Scholarship Robert Z. Naifeh Endowed Business Scholarship Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Endowment Norick Endowed Chair in Marketing Families of Henry Norick Endowed Scholarship Vince and Patty Orza Endowed Business Scholarship B. Claude Shinn Endowed Accounting Scholarship Walter Stiller Endowed Scholarship Swartz Endowed Scholarship Peter Swartz Endowed Business Scholarship Richard and Glenna Tanenbaum Endowed Scholarship Sam Tune Endowed Business Scholarship Wilbur & Nellie Vandegrift Endowed Business Scholarship Verle & Lawrence Watson Endowed Business Scholarship Warren K. Watson, Sr. Endowed Chair in Management C.W. Wisdom Endowed Lectureship Willis C. Worley, Jr. Endowed Scholarship
Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation Jung Adair Endowment Ernestine Baker Memorial Endowment Claude & Ollie Bell Scholarship Endowment Claude & Ollie Bell Children's Center for the Arts Ollie & Claude Bell Endowment for Religious Life Programs Ollie May Bell Religion Scholarship Elsie Blakeley Endowed Scholarship Boyce Bowdon Award Endowment W.E. & Ruby Bowers General Endowed Scholarship Ruth J. Brooks Scholarship Neola Carpenter Endowment Eleanor Lou Carrithers Chair in Composition & Writing Duane Alan Carson Memorial Endowment Elizabeth Cowherd Memorial Scholarship Virgil A. Cowherd Endowed Scholarship John Crooch, Sr. Endowed Scholarship Russell & Hazel Crooch Endowed Scholarship Floyd & Doris Croxton Memorial Scholarship Endowment Elliott C. Fenton Endowment J. Edward Ford Endowment Richard E. Gibbens Scholarship Elmer Graham Endowed Scholarship George Graham Endowed Scholarship Mary Evans Greenshields Scholarship Endowment John & Martha Hardt Scholarship Endowment Vivian Head Scholarship De and Jean Hinckley Scholarship Hulet Family Scholarship Endowment Mildred Humphrey Endowed Scholarship Robert & Linda Humphrey Scholarship Trust Dwight R. & Ruth M. Hunt Endowed Scholarship Betty Jean Jacobs Scholarship Endowment
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS Johnson-Rainwater Memorial Ministerial Jessie Mae Jones Scholarship Endowment Karns Memorial Endowed Scholarship Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Chair Paul L. Kienholz Fund Tannie & John King Endowed Scholarship Let's Get it Done Campaign David Long Memorial Endowed Scholarship Retta Miller Scholarship Fund Marvin & Kaye Nelson and Jean & Lowell Powers Clergy Scholarship OK Conf CTV OCU & CONG Development OK Conference Memorials Scholarship Okeene First United Methodist Scholarship Endowment Old Testament Endowed Chair Amos L. Osborne Memorial Scholarship Glenda M. Pate Scholarship Margaret E. Petree Music Scholarship Margaret E. Petree Scholarships & Awards Russell & Louise Rowley Scholarship Endowment Gene & Doris Russell Endowed Scholarship Corinne L. Sare Scholarship Trust Morton Seigman Scholarship David and Paula Severe Family Estelle Shepard Endowed Scholarship Owen B. Skinner Scholarship Bess Smith Memorial Scholarship Endowment D.C. & Ruth Smith Endowed Scholarship Augusta Specht Endowment Pat Sprouls Endowed Memorial Scholarship Jim & Helen Taylor Scholarship Endowment Louise Turner Endowment UM Higher Education Foundation Partner Martin & Ramona Voytko Endowment Dail & Frances West Religious Leadership Scholarship Miriam West Endowed Scholarship
Petree College of Arts and Sciences American Association of University Women Endowed Scholarship Webster Lance Benham Endowed Memorial Professorship Theo "Doc" and MarEllen Benson Endowed Scholarship Virginia Berry Endowed Art Scholarship Johnny Blue Endowment Ann Carlton Book Endowed Scholarship Jean Boyle Endowed English Scholarship Ruth Jeanette Brooks Endowed Fine Arts Scholarship Jane Atwood Brown Memorial Endowed Scholarship Sarah Bernice Butkin Endowed Presidential Discretionary Scholarship in the Arts & Sciences William J. Coffia Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Robert P. and Betty Dennis Endowed Scholarship Eileen W. and Raymond J. Dougherty Scholarship Roberta M. Eldridge Miller Endowed Art Scholarship Endowed Chair in Islamic Studies Robert Fink Endowed Chemistry Scholarship Gamble-Buchanan Endowment Great Plan Endowed Scholarship Brooke Haley Memorial Endowed Scholarship Dennis Hawkins Memorial Endowed Scholarship Elizabeth Hensley Endowed Scholarship (Quasi) Homer C. Hyde Classical Studies Scholarship Arne V. & Louise Hunninen Endowed Biology Scholarship Rita Louise Kacey PL+US Endowed Scholarship Callie Jane Maschal Norick Art Gallery Endowment Dean Nellie R. Melton Endowed Scholarship Susan C. Barber and David P. Nagle Endowed Scholarship Clara Cates Neil Endowed Scholarship Marjorie J. Norick & Frances Norick Lilly Endowed Scholarship OCU Film Institute Endowment Roberta Olson Great Plan Endowed Scholarship Outdoor Laboratory and Environmental Studies Endowment Petree-Lambert Family Arts and Sciences Endowed Honors Scholarship PL+US Alumni Endowed Scholarship Dr. Raniyah Ramadan Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mary Ellen & George R. Randall Great Plan Endowed Scholarship Bill Richardson Endowed Art Scholarship Esther Robinson Endowed English Scholarship Rockwood Biology Endowed Scholarship George B. Saunders Endowed Scholarship Singapore MDIS Endowed Scholarship C.Q. Smith Memorial Endowed Scholarship Jeanne Hoffman Smith Endowment Dr. Elaine D. Smokewood Endowed Scholarship Arlene Staats Endowed Scholarship Grace M. Stephenson Endowed Scholarship Marjorie Nell Sussex Endowed Spanish Scholarship (Quasi) Edyth Arnold Swartz Endowed Scholarship Howard & Peggy Thornton Endowed Mass Communications Scholarship Bradley H. Wahnee Memorial Endowed Scholarship Darbeth Whitten Endowed Chair in History Ken Yamamoto Endowed Memorial Art Scholarship
Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University Martha Jean Lemon Endowed Scholarship SPST OKC Richard and Johnece Ryerson Endowed Seminary Scholarship
School of Law American Academy of Medical Ethics Endowed Scholarship John Amick Endowed Law Scholarship William H. Bell Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fred A. Biehler Endowed Scholarship Von Creel Endowed Scholarship Crowe & Dunlevy Diversity Endowed Scholarship Phil Daugherty Memorial Endowed Law Scholarship Marjorie Downing Endowed Law Scholarship Felix Endowment Ted Foster, Sr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship Friedman-Lerblanc Endowed Law Scholarship Melba R. Gaudin Law Library Endowment Roger Givens Endowed Scholarship Hatton Sumners Law Endowed Scholarship Lloyd Henry Endowed Law Scholarship John C. & Hallie Jean Hervey Memorial Endowed Law Scholarship W. Feagin Hood Endowed Scholarship Wayne Eugene Johnson Memorial Endowed Scholarship T. Hurley Jordan Endowed Scholarship Nancy I. Kenderdine Endowed Scholarship Kerr Challenge I Endowment Kerr Constitutional Endowed Law Chair Robert S. Kerr, Jr. Natural Resources/ Environmental Law Chair Law Scholars Endowed Scholarship Law Building Endowment Law Dean Position Endowment Law School Energy Endowment Donald W. MacPherson Endowed Scholarship Tom and Brenda McDaniel Endowed Scholarship Baker H. Melone Endowed Memorial Scholarship Loy & Marian Morris Endowed Law Scholarship Judge Raymond Naifeh Endowed Law Scholarship Native American Legal Resource Center Endowment Charles Nesbitt Awards Endowment Norman & Edem Endowed Professorship OAMA Endowed Scholarship OCU Law General Endowment Justice Marian P. Opala Endowed Scholarship Pate & Knarr, PC Commercial Banking Law Endowed Scholarship
Ray Potts Endowed Scholarship Wayne Quinlan Memorial Endowed Lectureship Amy Rinehart Memorial Law Scholarship Seize the Moment Endowed Scholarship Roger Stephens Memorial Endowed Scholarship Hope Strasner Endowed Scholarship Douglas M. Todd Endowed Scholarship Ernest L. Wilkinson Endowed Law Award William M. Wilson Endowed Law Scholarship
School of Theatre John & Helen Abernathy Endowment Maybelle Conger Endowed Scholarship Marianna Davenport Endowed Scholarship Treva Hancock Endowed Drama Scholarship Claire Jones Endowed Scholarship Charles E. Mehr Endowed Theatre Scholarship Ellen G. Reid Endowment
University-Church Relations Robert Adair Endowment Barnett-Widener Ministerial Endowed Scholarship Herbert and Marguerite Barrett Endowed Religious Scholarship Herbert & Marguerite Barrett Mission Endowed Scholarship Frank G. Blackwood Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Bishop Bruce P. Blake Endowed Scholarship R. Fisher Blanton Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Kathleen Tucker Bone Endowed Scholarship Virginia P. Bryant Endowed Religious Scholarship Clay & Eleanor Carrithers Endowed Scholarship Flora & B.C. Clark Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mary Coffey Endowed Scholarship Bessie B. Cunningham Religious Leadership Endowed Scholarship Lulu S. Doenges Endowed Scholarship James & Violet Egan Memorial Endowed Scholarship Donald & Suzanne Emler Religious Education Endowed Scholarship Wesley UMC — Elliott C. Fenton Endowed Scholarship Grace & Alma Garten Endowed Scholarship Joyce & Gordon Goering Endowed Scholarship Dorothy Graham Endowment A.R. Bert Larason Endowed Scholarship Lester W. & Mary E. Maddox Endowed Scholarship Elda A. Manis Endowed Scholarship W.C. & Clarabelle Mathes Endowed Religious Scholarship
okcu.edu/give // 35
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS Glen O. Miller Endowed Ministry Scholarship Retta Miller Religious Leadership Endowed Scholarship Dennis & Susan Neff United Methodist Endowed Scholarship Gladys Teter Nichols Endowed Scholarship Oklahoma United Methodist Conference Endowed Scholarship Dana Owen Endowed Scholarship Horace & Evalyn Patton Memorial Scholarship Robert & Emma Price Endowed Scholarship Roy W. & Jeanne Reed Endowed Scholarship Warren Romberger World Christianity Endowed Scholarship Colonel Thomas L. & Ruby L. Simpson Endowed Scholarship Bishop W. Angie Smith Memorial Endowed Scholarship George Sneed Memorial Endowed Scholarship Charles & Mary Thigpen Endowed Scholarship Mackenzie C. Sr. & Thelma Thompson Endowed Scholarship Unrestricted Church Gifts Endowment Wagoner United Methodist Endowed Scholarship Phil Wahl Endowed Scholarship
Wanda Bass School of Music Ann Simmons Alspaugh Music Endowed Scholarship Josephine E. Atkins Endowed Music Scholarship Wanda L. Bass Chapel Organ Endowment Wanda L. Bass Music Endowed Chair Wanda L. Bass Organ Endowed Chair Wanda L. Bass Music Center Endowment Wanda L. Bass Piano Support Endowment Jean Frances Beatty Endowed Music Scholarship Florence Birdwell Endowed Chair Robert & Florence Birdwell Endowed Vocal Scholarship Edna Hoffman Bowman Endowed Music & Performing Arts Scholarship Clarence Burg Endowed Music Scholarship Naomi McCasland Burton and James L. Burton Student Travel Pearl English Crain Endowed Scholarship Herbert E. Davis Music Endowment William H. Dougherty Endowed Scholarship J. Emrick Endowed Music Scholarship Esther Wessel Farmer Endowed Piano Scholarship Myrtle S. Forsythe Endowed Scholarship Loretta T. Freeland Endowed Scholarship Marjorie Lee Germany Endowed Scholarship Mary Jean Hackler Endowed Music Scholarship Morris Hatley Canterbury Choral Performing Arts Endowment
36 // FOCUS Spring 2015
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Ann Hundley Hoover Endowed Chair Kurt & Cathy Leichter Endowed Music Scholarship Elizabeth Loewenstein Endowed Music Scholarship Ethelene Cindy Long Memorial Native American Endowed Scholarship Martin Mailman Endowed Band Scholarship Ruth Mayer Memorial Endowed Music Scholarship Philelle & Charles McBrayer Endowed Piano Scholarship Brenda McDaniel Endowed Music Scholarship Charles E. Mehr Endowed Music Scholarship Darlene Milligan Endowed Music Scholarship Wit and Carolyn Music Endowed Scholarship Nellie J. Moss Endowed Scholarship Music School Endowed Scholarship Robert & Jeaneen Naifeh Meditation Garden Endowed Fund Opera Society Founders Endowment Margaret Petree Endowed Music Scholarship Frances W. Preston BMI Endowed Music Scholarship Nancy Laughbaum Ragsdale Endowed Scholarship Margaret K. Replogle Endowed Music Scholarship Royal Sarjent Endowed Scholarship Inez Silberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship William Elza Smith Endowed Church Music Scholarship Forest and Gloe Stith Memorial Endowed Scholarship Watkins-Soloway Music Scholarship Verle & Lawrence Watson Endowed Music Scholarship Aleta Winkler Memorial Endowed Music Scholarship Georgia M. Winton Endowed Scholarship
Wimberly School of Religion J. Bart Aldridge Endowment Mrs. Glen C. Archer Endowed Scholarship William E. Archer Memorial Endowed Scholarship Nova M. Atkins Endowed Religion Scholarship William & Romaine Bailey Endowed Scholarship William J. Bassett Memorial Endowed Scholarship Jean Frances Beatty Endowed Scholarship in Religion Ollie & Claude Bell Endowed Professorship in Church History Bettis, Bussell & Hunt Ministerial Endowed Scholarship Austin and Marjorie Bizzell Ministry Endowed Scholarship
Fred & Opal Boston Religious Leadership Endowed Scholarship Edith Carlson Memorial Endowed Scholarship A.R. Carpenter Endowed Scholarship Ray & Florence Carroll Endowed Scholarship Ruby Chase Memorial Endowed Scholarship J. Cecil & Elva Coover Endowed Scholarship Cowden-Epperson Endowed Scholarship Nuell C. Crain Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship F. Lahr & Blanche Einsel Endowed Scholarship Bishop & Mrs. Paul V. Galloway Endowed Scholarship Barbara & J.M. Garrett Religion Leadership Endowed Scholarship William D. Greenshields Memorial Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Norma Rowe Gunn Endowed Religion Scholarship Mary Jean Hackler Endowed Religion Scholarship Vernon V. Harris Endowed Chair in Christian Education Hyde Endowed Scholarship Paul Jones Religious Education Endowed Scholarship Robert Jones Memorial Endowment Carl Jung Seminar Endowment (Quasi) Kramer Ministerial Endowed Scholarship Martha Jean Lemon Endowed Lectureship Martha Jean Lemon Endowed Scholarship Blanche & Lloyd Long Service Endowed Scholarship Lydia Lukenbaugh Endowed Scholarship Leroy Massengale Endowed Scholarship Bess & Calvin McGalliard Memorial Scholarship Paul W. Milhouse Endowed Religion Professorship Glenn E. & Mary A. Millard Endowed Scholarship Nile & Adena Montgomery Endowed Scholarship Billy B. Nelson Memorial Religion Endowed Scholarship Oakerhater Endowed Chair Beverly Osborne Memorial Religious Leadership Endowed Scholarship Ray & Lavell Owen Endowed Scholarship F. Warren Pixley Endowed Religious Scholarship W. Carroll Pope Memorial Endowed Scholarship Winona Presley Endowed Religion Scholarship Margaret K. Replogle Endowed Religion Professorship Glen Rhodes Memorial Endowed Scholarship Helen Riddle Church Leadership Endowed Scholarship Riley Endowed Chair in Religion
Vernon Roberts Endowed Religion Scholarship Neal & Hazel Rock Memorial Endowed Religion Scholarship Maryetta Rowe Endowed Scholarship Arthur W. and Joi D. Salisbury Scholarship Don Schooler Memorial Endowed Professorship Minnie M. Seba Endowed Ministry Scholarship Alice Sincox Endowed Scholarship Robert J. Smith Memorial Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Leslie G. & Irene Stewart Endowed Scholarship Russell Stone Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Bettie Ewert Stoneking Endowed Scholarship Clarence Sutton Religious Leadership Endowed Scholarship Naomi Thomas Endowed Scholarship Claude & Patty Todd Endowed Scholarship United Methodist Women's Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Herbert Voth Endowed Religious Leadership Scholarship Owen Wimberly Center for Continuing Education Endowment (Quasi) Owen & Vivian Wimberly Endowed Professorship Vivian Wimberly Center Endowment W.W. Woodworth Endowed Scholarship Richard K. and Effie D. Wootten Endowed Scholarship
OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST GIFTS John and Sherri Brown Mark and Leslie Brown J. Edward Fords Jeannine Gibbens Jean Hinckley Tommy Karns Darren and Kathleen Laptad Brett and Christine Parr David and Paula Severe Shelby Lee Smith Helen G. Taylor Rex and Sacra Vaughan
CELEBRATIONS
Windows to the West celebrated an original work composed by Edward Knight and performed by the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's 50th anniversary. Prix de West Artist Wilson Hurley's five triptychs at the museum inspired the composition. OCU alumni and longtime supporters Phil and Cathy Busey, along with their company DRG, were presenting sponsors of the Feb. 20 event.
Top: At Windows to the West, OCU President Robert Henry, Aaron Mooney, Phil and Cathy Busey, Benjamin Nilles, and Edward Knight pose by a triptych that inspired the musical composition.
President’s Partners is OCU’s annual giving recognition society showcasing the generosity of alumni and friends who contribute $1,000 or more annually. Donors can make one or several gifts throughout the year to reach these levels of giving. Members enjoy fellowship and entertainment with other benefactors at the annual Holiday Gala.
Second row, left: Debbie, BSB ’77, and Paul Fleming, BSB ’76, pose by the End of the Trail statue at the Windows to the West event. Second row, right: OCU dance students perform a selection from their annual Broadway-style show Home for the Holidays at the Holiday Gala for members of OCU’s President’s Partners. Third row: Patsy Homsey, J.R. Homsey, and Ann Johnstone attend the Holiday Gala. Photos by Jerry Hymer
UPPER ECHELON: okcu.edu/advancement/development/presidents-partners // 37
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The Oklahoma City University Difference
PREPARE TO RISE 96%
of the University’s nursing grads pass the RN Licensure exam on their first attempt.
TOP RANKED
OCU’s dance, theatre, and music schools are in the nation’s top tier.
95%
of Meinders School of Business seniors are employed by the time they graduate.
3 of 10
Three of the last 10 Oklahoma Teachers of the Year are OCU grads.
Listed as a Top 25 school in the 2015 U .S. News & World Report ranking of Best Regional Universities in the West.
90%
of OCU science students are accepted into their professional school of choice.
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