Fall 2015 - ECU Alumni - East Central University

The Columns
of East Central University
Fall 2015
The Columns 1
The Columns
What’s Inside The Columns of ECU
3 Message from the President
4 JB’s Birthday Disco Bash
5 2015 Diversity Lecture
6 Dr. Raniyah Ramadan CURL
8 Science & Engineering Fair
9 Alumni Honors
10 Tigers Take Manhattan
12 2015 Distinguished Alumni
17 2015 Centennial Endowments
21 Donations
23 Renovations
24 Message from the Alumni President
27 STARs Program
28 2014 ECU Homecoming Recap
34 2015 ECU Homecoming
37 ECU @ OKC Thunder
38 Starkey Family Tailgate
40 Koi Ishto Stadium
42 Athletic Recaps
52 Books We Love Part 2
56 ECU Retirements
62 Tiger Tracks/Future Tiger
66 Roaming Roary
67 In Memoriam
2 The Columns
of East Central University
Fall 2015
The Office of Alumni Relations is dedicated to establishing
and nurturing lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships with
alumni, friends and future students. Dedicated staff members of
this office manage friend-raising activities in order to preserve and
enhance the traditions and pride of East Central University.
East Central University’s mission is to foster a learning
environment in which students, faculty, staff and community
interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and
culturally diverse society. Within its service area, East Central
University provides leadership for economic development and
cultural enhancement.
East Central University will be recognized both within the
state and nation as Oklahoma’s premier comprehensive studentcentered regional university, offering outstanding academic
programs and experiences for its students and contributing to the
betterment of the region and beyond.
Reader’s Guide
The Columns is published annually in the fall by the Offices of
Alumni Relations and Communications and Marketing.
Feature Writers: Cathie Harding, Brian Johnson
& Teri LaJeunesse
Other Contributors: Brian Custar, Phyllis Danley, Amy Ford,
John Hargrave, Elizabeth Vezina, Gerald Williamson
& Katie Wellington
Designers: Mashure Aziz, Tanner Capps, Talina Eaker, Amy Ford,
Cathie Harding, Britni Sisco & Gina Smith
Photographers: Amy Ford, Cathie Harding, Brian Johnson,
Teri LaJeunesse, Gina Smith & Katie Wellington
Alumni News & Events: Katie Wellington
Sports Information: Teri LaJeunesse
How to update your information:
Contact the Office of Alumni Relations in one of the following ways:
Post us: Alumni Relations
East Central University
1100 E. 14th, PMB Y-8
Ada, OK 74820
E-mail us: [email protected]
Call us: 580-559-5651
Fax us: 580-332-3042
Let us hear from you! Your opinions and
suggestions are encouraged and appreciated.
East Central University, in compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(as amended), Executive Order 11246 (as amended), Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended), the Americans With
Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and other federal and state laws, does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual
orientation or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes, but
is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and education services.
This publication is printed by Mercury Press, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Okla. and is issued by East
Central University as authorized by Title 70 OS 1981, Section 3903. 2,000 copies have been
prepared and distributed at a cost of $6,581.51. Copies have been deposited with the Publications
Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries in compliance with Section 3-114 of
Title 65 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 09/15
MESSAGE FROM THE
President
Dear Alums,
There’s nowhere better to be
in the fall than on a college
campus. This is a great time to
be an ECU Tiger! We continue
to be Oklahoma’s busiest
college campus.
President Hargrave invites Alumni
and Friends to become members of
The President’s Circle
Membership Benefits Include:
Exclusive events hosted by the President
••••
Special ECU programs and activities
••••
Member, ECU Foundation Inc.
••••
Member, ECU Alumni Association
••••
Courtesy Passes to select University Events
••••
The Columns Magazines
••••
Campus Updates
••••
Additional Information on Estate Planning
Membership Requirement:
A $1,000 annual contribution to the
ECU Foundation, Inc.
payable annually, quarterly or monthly.
For more information, contact:
Phyllis Danley
Executive Director, ECU Foundation, Inc.
580-559-5514 • [email protected]
Gerald Williamson
Senior Advancement Officer
580-559-5590 • [email protected]
In these pages you will find
some of the great successes
from this year and the
anticipated projects for next
year. I want to give a big shout out to the ECU Foundation.
The Foundation has helped with many enhancements
including the campus master plan, upgrades to the Sterling
Williams Center, big scholarship increases and funding for
so many areas of our campus.
The alumni board is another active support system for
ECU. I love attending their alumni reunions throughout
Oklahoma and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They are a lot
of fun and they are great networking opportunities.
You, the alums, are making this possible. We have record
donations to the university and we look to continue the
momentum.
What a great time to be a Tiger! Thank you for your
involvement, and enjoy looking through the pages that
outline the many accomplishments of our university and
alumni.
Sincerely,
President John R. Hargrave (’77)
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JB’s 6oth Birthday Disco Bash
Students and the ECU family (both past and present) celebrated on the dance floor with
President John R. Hargrave during his 60th Birthday Disco Bash Feb. 17, 2015 in the Stanley
Wagner Ballroom. The event, called “Staying Alive,” featured disco tunes, dancing, cake and fun.
4 The Columns
Marine Veteran R.V. Burgin, who served in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, delivered the Seventh Annual Louise Young
Diversity Lecture, “R.V. Burgin: Recollections from America’s Greatest Generation,” on March 10, 2015 at East Central University.
Burgin joined the U.S. Marines on Nov. 13, 1942, and served as a mortar man in the Pacific Islands as he and his platoon –
Company K, Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division – engaged in some ferocious battles from New Britain
through Peleliu to Okinawa, where he earned the rank of sergeant.
In a little known horrific World War II battle on the Pacific Island of Peleliu, Burgin and company completely took out a
bunker-full of 17 Japanese soldiers, who were armed with machine guns, rifles and hand grenades. They did this without American
casualties.
The lecture was sponsored by Louise Young, a former ECU geography instructor and ECU alumnae.
“I feel a sense of urgency to present these stories for my alma mater and my hometown,” said Young, who now resides in Texas.
“Many people I remember from my early years in Ada were part of ‘The Greatest Generation.’ Sadly, their numbers are rapidly
dwindling.”
Burgin earned a bronze star for his courageous and heroic efforts in serving his country.
His stories have been shared through a book entitled “Islands of the Damned, a Marine at War in the Pacific” in which he
co-authored with Bill Marvel and the blockbuster Emmy-winning HBO Series “The Pacific”. Burgin also served as an advisor to
producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg on “The Pacific” series.
Besides the lecture, Burgin signed copies of his book for many of the attendees.
The lecture was the third straight in a trilogy of Louise Young Diversity Lectures in which World War II veteran heroes shared
their stories. Navajo Code Talker Bill Toledo spoke in 2013 and Tuskegee Airman Col. Charles McGee delivered the lecture in 2014.
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CURL Grand
Opening
NEW DR. RANIYAH RAMADAN
CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH and LEARNING
TO ULTIMATELY BENEFIT ENTIRE ECU CAMPUS
ECU President John R. Hargrave (center) poses with Dr. Tawfik
Ramadan (left) and family with the ceremonial ribbon-cutting scissors.
A new era was ushered into the
learning environment at East Central
University with the grand opening of
the Dr. Raniyah Ramadan Center for
Undergraduate Research and Learning
on April 24.
The state-of-the art facility, located
on the lower east end of ECU’s Education
Building, features two laboratories for
biology and one each for chemistry
and environmental health science, in
addition to a refrigerated storage area for
microbacteria and a conference room.
Dr. Raniyah Ramadan was a
promising research scientist who grew up
in Ada and passed away in July 2011. The
Dr. Raniyah Ramadan Foundation was
established by her parents, Dr. Tawfik
and Siham Ramadan, and her sisters and
brother to keep her memory alive and
establish scholarships in neuroscience
6 The Columns
research and cancer research.
After graduating from Ada High
School, Ramadan earned a bachelor’s
degree from the University of Oklahoma
in 1998 as well as two degrees at the
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center: a master’s degree in public health
in 2000; and Ph.D. in neuroscience in
2007.
She was a graduate research assistant
in biomedical sciences at the OU Health
Sciences Center in Oklahoma City from
2001 to 2007 where she researched the
pathogenic mechanisms of bacterial
endophthalmitis. She authored and coauthored several articles for academic
journals.
Ramadan was awarded a prestigious
post-doctoral research fellowship in
ophthalmology and visual sciences at Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland,
Ohio. After completing the fellowship,
she moved in 2008 to Regeneron
Pharmaceuticals in New York where she
worked on ocular disease models. She
initiated the protocol for animal models
of ocular inflammatory diseases that
affect about two million Americans and
also conducted the histology analysis for
the company’s uveitis models in rats and
mice.
“Approximately half of the College
of Health and Sciences faculty will at
some point be using the facility and we
will have from 20 to 30 students involved
in undergraduate research projects each
year when we are at full capacity,” said
Dr. Bruce Weems, recently retired dean
of ECU’s College of Health and Sciences.
“One of the CHS’s strategic long-term
goals was to increase our capacity to do
research for both faculty and our students.
This is a great opportunity
for our students and
faculty to engage
through research and
mentorship settings.
--Dr. David Weir, director
Siham Ramadan, mother of the late Dr. Raniyah
Ramadan, speaks with State Senator Susan
Paddack during grand opening festivities.
Tours were given of the Ramadan Center.
Members of the Ramadan family participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The opening of the Raniyah Ramadan
Center for Undergraduate Research and
Learning will finally accomplish that
goal and set the stage for the college to
accomplish many of these future goals
for improving undergraduate research
experiences for our students.”
With the completion of the facility,
ECU will be the only Regional University
System institution which has a dedicated
center for undergraduate research.
“The fact that this is the only
undergraduate research facility within
the RUSO system, clearly shows the
commitment of the ECU administration
to the concept of integrating
undergraduate research into all facets of
the college experience for our students,”
Weems said.
The facility was funded through the
Native American Serving Non-Tribal
Institutions (NASNTI) Grant with the
help of a major donation from the family
of the late Dr. Raniyah Ramadan.
Dr. David Weir will serve as director
of the Ramadan Center through the
remaining two-year grant process and
will ultimately become director for
undergraduate research for the entire
ECU campus.
Weir, who earned his bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from Texas Tech
University and his doctorate from
Purdue University, knows firsthand the
importance of undergraduate research
after performing those duties in the
discipline of history at Texas Tech.
“I feel strongly in the importance
of research because of that previous
experience. It allowed me to expand my
own interest in my field of study and I
got to see what faculty members do as
researchers,” Weir said. “Tangibly, it was
shown through a study at the University
of Michigan that students who undergo
undergraduate research are more likely
to stay in school or graduate. They were
significantly more likely to finish school
and go on to pursue a graduate degree of
any kind.”
Those retention possibilities are
primarily made possible because of
relationships built between the mentor
(faculty member) and the student.
“I’m really excited. This is a great
opportunity for our students and
faculty to engage through research and
mentorship settings,” Weir said. “This
will allow students to get into research
opportunities sooner than their junior or
senior years.”
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REGIONAL, STATE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
FAIRS AT ECU RECEIVE SUPPORT
For the second year in a row, the East Central Oklahoma
Regional Science Fair and Oklahoma State Science and
Engineering Fair were funded by the state of Oklahoma,
thanks to the efforts of East Central University President John
R. Hargrave along with Oklahoma State Sen. Susan Paddack
and State Rep. Todd Thomsen.
The $100,000 grant doubled last year’s fund, which not
only covered these two particular fairs hosted by ECU, but
other local and regional fairs across the state.
“STEM (science, technology, engineering and
mathematics) is vitally important to the education process
of our youth and science fairs play a major role in the
development of students’ learning and understanding of the
world around them,” said Hargrave.
To go from $50,000 to $100,000 was important, due to
the continual rise in the cost of living. The original $50,000
grant was provided each year through the 1980s and 1990s,
until 2009 when the recession led to the cutting of many
discretionary programs, including science fairs. Through the
help of Hargrave, Paddack and Thomsen, the funding was
reinstated in 2013 at $50,000.
“We had situations where some schools were struggling.
Some parents were paying for everything. To have a little extra
so it’s not coming out of the parents’ or even teachers’ pockets
is important,’ said Dr. Rahmona Thompson, professor of
biology and director of both science and engineering fairs
at ECU. “We had a situation where a teacher went home and
built several boards for his students at his own expense. With
additional funding, we can use some money to reimburse
them for their supply expenditures. Another allotment of the
funds will be used for gas money.”
This money will also be applied for teachers’ training
workshops before the regional fair, according to Thompson.
Plus each regional fair will receive $5,000 to hold the fair and
send projects to the international fair.
DID YOU KNOW? OK STATE SCIENCE FAIR BY THE NUMBERS
242 students presented 224 projects.
19
scholarships were awarded
from ECU, Cameron, Connors
State College, Northwestern
Okla. State, Univ. of Central
Okla., Tulsa Community
College, Rogers State Univ. and
Southwestern Okla. State Univ.
31 category awards were presented.
66 special awards were presented.
8 The Columns
in physical sciences
40 entries
category.
entries in earth & space
12 sciences category.
in microbiology
category.
13 entries
in engineering
23 entries
category.
in environmental
30 entries
sciences category.
in biochemistry, medicine
33 entries
& health science category.
in behavioral &
30 entries
social sciences category.
entries in mathematics &
13 computer science category.
30 entries in zoology & botany category.
students from Oklahoma presented 12 projects at the
13 2014 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair.
TWO ECU ALUMNI HONORED FOR
LIFETIME OF CONTRIBUTIONS
East Central University alumni,
the Honorable George Nigh and Dr.
Harvey Dean, were two of six honorees
at the prestigious 2014 Door-Opener
Awards Gala on Sept. 4, 2014 at the
Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City.
The event benefitted the Advanced
Science & Technology Education
Charter School, and the six were
recognized for their lifetime of
contributions made toward helping
others in society maximize their
potential and achieve their dreams.
Nigh, the former governor of
Oklahoma, was recognized for his
longtime and consistent support of
public education in Oklahoma at all
levels. He also promoted tourism
during his time as a state leader, opened
doors for women in state government
and supported the developmentally
disabled.
His contributions to education
began as a high school teacher
in McAlester. After a successful
government career, Nigh served
four terms as a state representative,
four as lieutenant governor and two
as governor. He was later chosen as
president of the University of Central
Oklahoma.
As governor, he opened doors for
women by appointing the first and
second women to the state’s Supreme
Court, and as a tourism booster, helped
to open the door to Oklahoma by
enticing movie producers to film in the
state.
Gov. Nigh was also recognized
for the work he and his wife, Donna,
do in advocating for the rights of
the
developmentally-disabled
to
lead full lives filled with dignity and
accomplishments.
Nigh was elected to the Oklahoma
House of Representatives while he was
a senior at ECU, where he earned his
degree in 1950.
Dr. Harvey Dean, born in Ada
and currently living in Pittsburg, Kan.,
was recognized for being a pioneer in
educational programs and services
used by K-12 students and teachers
throughout the United States and many
foreign countries.
He co-founded Pitsco, Inc., located
in Pittsburg, an innovative provider of
hands-on learning tools that promote
the ever increasingly popular STEM
(science, technology, engineering and
math) learning curriculum.
Dean is an inventor as well. He
founded the modular teaching concept
that is used in numerous classrooms,
both public and private. In addition,
he authored Changing Education:
A Success Story, a book for teachers
and administrators that promotes the
Synergistic System to help teachers
motivate students.
He is a former Oklahoma public
school teacher and received his
undergraduate degree from ECU in
1965.
Others honored at the event
included Toby Keith and Tricia Covel, of
Norman; Dr. Ramona Paul, of Edmond
and Natalie Shirley, of Oklahoma City.
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Tigers Take
Six adventurous dynamos and their
advisors experienced firsthand the
meaning of paying it forward on a trip to
New York City over Spring Break.
“The first day, we were like a mother
hen with a bunch of chicks,” Wendell
Godwin, dean of the Harland C.
Stonecipher School of Business and one of
the advisors who went along on the trip,
said. “By the fourth or fifth day, they didn’t
even want us around. They went from that
really scared sense where everything is
intimidating to where this isn’t so bad.”
As members of the elite two-year
Student Scholar’s Program in the Jim
Gray Center for Student Excellence in
the Stonecipher School of Business and
thanks to the generosity of a number of
donors, the six received a scholarship of
$2,000 and, as a reward for being in the
program, an annual trip valued at $2,500.
“I really enjoyed getting to see all of
the culture that is expressed in New York,”
Jaylea Lillard, a junior accounting major
with a certificate in banking and finance,
said. “It is so different than in Ada. You
can go from one district to another and a
whole separate heritage is represented.”
In addition to Lillard, Alan Dennis, a
junior accounting major; Brie Grimes, a
junior business administration major with
management concentration; Jiajun Lin,
a junior business administration major
with finance concentration; Kathryn
Keiffer, a junior, accounting major; and
Trevor Sutton, a senior accounting major;
also made the trip along with Godwin
and Joe Dougherty, faculty director of the
program.
During their visit, the students had
breakfast with Jim Gray (’82) at the East
of Eighth Restaurant where he talked
about his passion for giving back and the
importance of their doing the same.
“I saw a lot of myself at that age in
them,” Gray said. “These are young men
and women from small towns, looking
to make their mark in the world. In my
profession, I work with many people with
degrees from some of the most ‘prestigious’
universities in the nation. Those people
have nothing on the students from ECU.
Well, other than the fact that they paid
more for their education.”
Gray has pledged $100,000 to the
Stonecipher School of Business and at
$97,000 is nearly at goal. A part of his
donation goes towards the Jim Gray
Center, the umbrella covering all of the
business clubs and organizations.
“ECU holds a special place in my
heart,” Gray said. “I made many friends
there who were instrumental in shaping
who I am today, not just professionally,
but also as a person. Regardless of where
my life's journey takes me, ECU will
always be home.”
Gray, a Byng graduate who now
specializes in converting utilities to SAP, a
global software company, also visited with
the students about taking opportunities as
they came about, remembering their roots
and giving back to the community.
“He is a great guy and we are just
blessed to have people like that who give
back to our school,” Godwin said.
Top Photo: The ECU delegation poses in front of one of the many iconic landmarks they saw on their trip.
Left Middle Photo: Student scholars Trevor Sutton, Brie Grimes, Kathryn Keiffer, Jaylea Lillard, Alan Dennis and Jiajun Lin take in the sights at the
American Museum of Natural History.
10 The Columns
Manhattan
Student Scholars are invited to join
the program based on their outstanding
academic records, coupled with work
experience, involvement in activities at
school and in the community and a desire
to represent the program well in public.
“Student Scholars are the cream of the
crop,” Godwin said.
The six-day adventure included
airfare, hotels, meals and NYC attractions.
The only things students had to pay for
were their souvenirs.
For most of them, who are from small
towns in Oklahoma, it was their first time
in the Big Apple. Their nonstop itinerary
included the Empire State Building, Ellis
Island, the World Trade Center Museum,
the Statue of Liberty and FAO Schwarz.
Their nights on Broadway featured hits
“Mamma Mia!” and “Jersey Boys.”
“The Ellis Island tour, the 9/11
memorial and getting to meet and talk
with ECU alumni that have gone very
far in life were the highlights of my trip,”
Dennis said.
As part of their ongoing business
training, they toured the New York Stock
Exchange, Wells Fargo and the trading
floor of the Bank of New York.
“It was a real experience into the
business world of a city like Manhattan,”
Godwin said.
They made a special stop on the
business circuit at Cole Haan, a global
lifestyle brand with a focus on men's and
women's footwear and accessories, and
met with Michael Prince (‘93), president
and COO. Prince took them on a one-
hour tour and gave a presentation about
the current and future state of affairs at
the company and what specifically he was
doing with the brand.
“The meeting with Michael Prince
in the corporate office of Cole Haan was
a cool experience as we got to have an
informal discussion about how we could
get from where we are in college to owning
a business someday,” Sutton said.
At the end of the visit, members of the
group received a Cole Haan VIP discount
card.
“It’s great for our students to see that
people sat in the same chairs and had some
of the same professors that they have now
and have gone on to do incredible things,”
Godwin said.
One of the commitments to being
in the Student Scholar’s Program is that
students all have to give back to ECU, a
point well taken from the NYC alums.
“Both Jim Gray and Michael Prince
talked about how important it was to give
back to your community,” Lillard said.
“Both have shown their passion for this in
their continuous support of the business
school.”
The experience showed students
the importance of dedication, not dollar
amount, in making a difference in the
long term.
“It's important to give back to help
those that follow,” Gray said. “I received
financial assistance and feel it is only right
that I pay it forward.”
Right Middle Photo: Students mug with the Charging Bull, which is sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull, that stands
in Bowling Green Park in the Financial District in Manhattan.
Bottom Photo: Michael Prince (sixth from left) shows the group the latest in fall fashion in the Cole Haan International Showroom.
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2015 Distinguished
Honorees
Distinguished Alumna
Deborah Cornelison
Deborah Cornelison (‘83, ‘85) is a 2014-15 Albert
Einstein Fellow as a National Science Foundation Education
and Human Resources Directorate in the Division of
Undergraduate Education in Washington D.C.
She taught ninth grade physical science for 26 years at
Byng Junior High School. In 1988, she launched a science
research program in advanced eighth and ninth grade
science classes and later served as a mentor to high school
students.
For 23 years, Cornelison supervised more than 300
laboratory and field projects, exceeding 300 student
awards at regional, state, national and international levels.
Her students’ accomplishments included Oklahoma State
Science and Engineering Fair state championship teams
in 1998 and 2004, Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science
junior high team championships for six years, grand award
winner at the 2004 National American Indian Science and
Engineering Fair and 10 Intel International Science and
Engineering Fair finalists.
Additionally, Cornelison was a team leader of the
eCYBERMISSION National Team, made up of ninth
graders, in the U.S. Army’s science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) competition, taking first place.
Seven of her other teams captured Southwest/Pacific
Region awards in competitions from 2006-2011.
For 16 years, Cornelison taught biological and physical
sciences in summers and on Saturdays during the academic
year in Upward Bound programs for high school students
at ECU. She began her teaching career as an ECU adjunct
instructor in biology and general physical science from
1985-1988.
Cornelison earned both a master of education degree
with a concentration in secondary education and a bachelor
of science in biology, with a chemistry minor, from ECU
12 The Columns
Deborah Cornelison
as well. She obtained an associate of science degree from
Seminole State College.
Her Oklahoma teaching credentials include biology,
chemistry, general science and physical science for grades
6-12, while also holding a credential as a principal.
Cornelison also earned National Board Certification
in Adolescent and Young Adulthood Science from the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in
1999 and was recertified in 2008.
Distinguished Alumnus
Todd Graham
Todd Graham, a 1987 and 1992 ECU graduate from
Mesquite, Texas, has spent the last three years as the
head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils, guiding
them to back-to-back 10-win seasons, including a Pac-12
championship in 2013 in which Graham was named Pac12 Coach of the Year.
Since taking over as the Arizona State head football
coach, the Sun Devils have posted a 28-12 overall record
in three seasons, including a 10-3 mark in 2014. Graham
also had head coaching stints at Rice, Tulsa and Pittsburgh.
At Tulsa, he led the Golden Hurricane to a 36-17 record
from 2007-2010 as three of those four teams claimed or
shared first place in the West Division of Conference USA.
In his one year as the Rice head football coach in 2006, he
guided the Owls to their first bowl game in 45 years and
was named Conference USA Coach of the Year.
Graham was a two-time NAIA All-American defensive
back at ECU after graduating from North Mesquite High
School as an all-state defensive back in 1983. He earned his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ECU.
He began his coaching career at Poteet High School/
Middle School in Mesquite from 1988-90. He then helped
lead ECU from a .500 winning-percentage program into
NAIA national champions in his third year as he served as
defensive coordinator from 1991-1993. One year later, he
Todd Graham & Haylee Graham
Todd Graham
taught and coached at Carl Albert High School in Midwest
City and ultimately spent time as a football coach and
athletic director at Allen High School in Texas from 19952000.
Graham was hired as a West Virginia assistant coach
in 2001 and one year later was promoted to defensive
coordinator of the Mountaineers as WVU went from a 3-8
record to 9-4, the top turnaround in the nation in 2002.
He was hired as the defensive coordinator at Tulsa,
under head coach Steve Kragthorpe, in 2003 where the
Golden Hurricane experienced a massive turnaround
of their own from a 1-11 record in 2002 to an 8-5 mark
in 2003. Tulsa, under the defensive coaching efforts of
Graham, went to a pair of bowl games before he became
the head coach at Rice.
As featured speaker of the afternoon commencement
ceremonies on May 9, 2015, Graham had the honor of
presenting his daughter, Haylee, with her diploma.
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Distinguished Family
The Higginbotham Family
The memory of Dorothy Higginbotham (‘47), who
passed away in 2005, is preserved each year with the
awarding of multiple $1,000 Higginbotham Family
scholarships to ECU students.
Higginbotham left a $1 million gift to the ECU
Foundation to be applied toward these scholarships.
Dorothy came from a family of 10 children, nine of
whom attended and/or graduated from ECU. Her focus
and passion on education can be derived from a family in
which six of the seven girls ultimately became teachers.
Following Higginbotham’s death, one of Dorothy’s
sisters, Kay Davis, received a letter from the University
of Oklahoma Board of Regents praising Higginbotham’s
contributions to OU through her talent and dedication.
In the letter, she was recognized for her worldwide
expertise in the use and development of children’s language,
especially as it related to and interacted with culture,
ethnicity and cognition.
Higginbotham spent more than 20 years at OU as
professor, associate dean and director of graduate studies.
In addition, she was an active member of groups ranging
from the Undergraduate and Graduate Awards Committees
to the Faculty Senate, University Appeals Board, College of
Arts and Sciences Grants and Fellowships Committee and
Teacher Certification and Accreditation Committee for the
College of Education. She also served many students by
directing their doctoral dissertations.
During her career, Higginbotham was responsible for
the research and publication of more than 15 reports and
14 The Columns
Dorothy Higginbotham
articles, multiple book chapters and additional papers and
lectures which were published or delivered at meetings,
conferences or symposiums.
The Higginbotham Family
Distinguished Service
Kellogg & Sovereign®
Consulting, LLC
Kellogg & Sovereign® Consulting, LLC, a professional
consulting firm located in Ada, was recognized by the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for its
valued business partnership with ECU.
Co-owned by Jane Kellogg (’80) and Debi Sovereign,
Kellogg & Sovereign provides consulting services for
schools, libraries and healthcare providers in order to
receive funding from the FCC’s Universal Service programs.
Kellogg & Sovereign has been a supreme supporter of
ECU with the recent establishment of a Business Scholars
Leadership Program within the Harland C. Stonecipher
School of Business.
The new program includes three levels of student
engagement and recognition opportunities: student
leaders, deans’ council and student scholars. The student
scholars took a trip to New York City over spring break
to visit Wall Street, tour large businesses and engage in
cultural activities.
Funding for this program isn’t the first investment
that Kellogg & Sovereign has made at ECU. With the
opening of the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center
and Stonecipher School of Business in 2013, Kellogg &
Sovereign funded the technology in the new financial lab.
As a result, ECU has a student resource not normally
found in an institution its size.
In addition to hiring ECU graduates, Kellogg &
Sovereign also supports ECU’s nationally-recognized
Oklahoma Business Week summer camp for high school
students and the Stonecipher School of Business awards
and scholarship banquet.
Distinguished Former Faculty
Dr. Donald G. Stafford
(Posthumous)
Dr. Donald G. Stafford
taught at ECU from 1961 until
his retirement in 1995.
During his ECU tenure,
Stafford focused his energies
on the development of creative
instruction methods of teaching
science to elementary, secondary
and college-level students and educating teachers how
better to teach science to elementary and secondary-level
students.
He also worked to dispel the myth that science is
inconsistent with the Christian faith.
One of his most popular self-published books was a
brief pamphlet entitled, “Things I Know about God and
Man.” He distributed thousands of copies of this work to
students, friends and colleagues over the years as copies
turned up all over the world.
Stafford published more than 20 books and 50 articles
on techniques of science education and wrote poetry in
his retirement. He had two volumes of poetry printed
and had recited his poetry to groups and churches around
Oklahoma.
He was a member of the Ada Writers Club and was twice
nominated for poet laureate for the state of Oklahoma.
At the time of his death in 2012, he and his wife Jane
had been married for 60 years and were active members of
Ada First Baptist Church.
The Dr. Donald G. Stafford Centennial Scholarship was
established at ECU in Stafford’s memory by Jane and their
sons – Dr. Michael Stafford, D.O.; Robert Stafford and Joel
Stafford.
He has eig ht g randchi ldren and f ive g re at grandchildren.
Shortly before his death in 2012, when asked about his
goals in life, he simply said, “I wanted to be a good teacher,
a man of God and a scientist.”
The Columns 15
Distinguished Former Faculty
Dr. Bill Osborne
How an
Endowment Works
A donor gives
to the Foundation to
establish a named endowed
scholarship in an area of his or
her passion. The minimum amount
for a Foundation Endowment is
$10,000 while the minimum
for Centennial Endowment
recognition is $15,000.
Dr. Bill Osborne (‘71, ‘73) spent 19 years at ECU where
he served as the director of the Grants and Research Center
and was a faculty member and dean in the College of
Education and Psychology.
He also served as the Director of the Federal Leadership
Educational Administration Development (LEAD)
program from Oklahoma.
Osborne holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from
ECU and a doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.
He is a former Navy officer and aviator, former manager
in business and industry and a former high school teacher
and principal.
Osborne met and married his wife, Christy, at ECU.
Their daughter, Kendra, was born in Ada. She is also
an ECU alum, holding a master’s degree in library science.
Bill retired in 2011. He and Christy currently reside in
Norman.
16 The Columns
The gift is
entered into the
ECU Foundation
Endowment
fund.
A portion of
the earnings on the
invested funds will be
used for distribution as
scholarships to students,
while the fund’s
principal amount
remains intact.
The donor works
with the Foundation
staff to develop criteria
for the scholarship and
guidelines for its distribution.
A scholarship
agreement is signed by
both parties.
The
Foundation’s
Investment
Committee invests the
donor’s gift in accordance
with the Foundation’s
investment objectives to
maximize returns and
minimize risk.
By reinvesting
the remainder of the
earnings, the scholarship
continues to grow and is
protected from inflation,
providing annual support
to ECU’s students for
decades to come.
2015 Centennial
Endowments
Charles and Lila Acker
Centennial Math Endowment
Justice Rudolph Hargrave Centennial
Memorial Legal Studies Endowment
The Ackers are both ECU graduates and both majored in
math. They also have numerous advanced degrees, but
Charles has stated that they both agreed that their math
degrees from ECU were the most important in their lives.
This scholarship was awarded for the first time in fall of
2015.
This scholarship was established by Madeline Hargrave and
John and Kay Hargrave after the death of Justice Hargrave in
the spring of 2014. Justice Hargrave’s accomplishments were
many and this scholarship will be used to assist students who
will be majoring in legal studies and planning to attend law
school.
Martha (Eubank/Wallace) Rhynes
Centennial Endowment
Leon and Wanda Biddy
Centennial Memorial Endowment
Martha Rhynes, an ECU graduate, former teacher, and prolific
author, served on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees for
several years and was the chair of the Scholarship Committee
for three years. She established this scholarship in 2012 to
assist non-traditional female students who are attending ECU
while single, working and raising a family.
This scholarship was established by family and friends after
the death of Leon in April 2014. Mr. Biddy served in the U.S.
Army Air Corps during WWII and he and his wife Wanda
owned and operated Biddy Printing Company in Ada. Leon
served on the ECU Foundation’s Board of Trustees and was
an active member of several other civic organizations. This
scholarship will be used to assist an ECU student who is
an active member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and was
awarded for the first time in the fall of 2015.
The Columns 17
2015 Centennial Endowments
Robert C. Coleman
Centennial Memorial Endowment
Chris Lane Centennial
Memorial Endowment
This scholarship was first established in 1987 by the Phi
Kappa Tau fraternity after Robert’s tragic death. Additional
donations from Brad and Sandra Thompson, have elevated
this scholarship to the centennial level. This scholarship has
been used, and will continue to be used, for the benefit of a
student who is a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
Chris, an ECU student from Melbourne, Australia, was
on a baseball scholarship and preparing for his senior year
when he was fatally shot in Duncan, Okla. while visiting his
girlfriend. This scholarship was established with donations in
his memory and will be used to assist a student-athlete who
no longer has eligibility under NCAA guidelines to complete
a degree while serving as a graduate assistant coach in the
baseball program.
W. E. and Minnie (Curtis) Martin
Centennial Book Endowment
In 2011, Pete and Jackie Duncan, along with Pete’s cousin
Don Martin and his wife Maria, established this scholarship
in memory of their grandparents who were longtime teachers
in Seminole County. They have steadily added to the balance
of the scholarship, working toward an endowment. Dorothy
Merrick, a donor who made an additional gift in memory
of her husband and son, elevated this scholarship to the
centennial level, and it was awarded for the first time in fall
of 2015.
18 The Columns
Holloway Centennial
Accounting Endowment
This endowment has been established by brother and sister
Alan and Anita Holloway, who are both ECU graduates. Alan
is now an attorney with McAfee and Taft, while Anita is a
CPA with Ernst and Young. Anita also worked for the ECU
Foundation while she was in college and Alan serves on the
ECU Foundation’s Board of Trustees. They have established
this endowment to assist students who are planning to major
in accounting.
Ken Turner
Centennial Athletic Endowment
Coach Turner came to ECU as a student-athlete and earned
both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ECU. In 1967, he
became a member of the ECU faculty, and served as both
the head baseball coach, assistant men’s basketball coach and
department chair. The ECU Foundation and ECU Athletics
announced the creation of the Ken Turner Athletic Campaign
in October 2014 which included the naming of the baseball
field in Coach Turner’s honor and also the establishment of
this Centennial Endowment which has been funded by former
players and coaches. The scholarship will be used in the same
way as the Chris Lane Endowment—to assist students who
are no longer eligible to play, but are still completing their
degree.
Commitment to Championships
Centennial Campaign
This endowment was the brainchild of Craig
Scheef, former ECU football player, Milam
award winner and current chair of the ECU
Foundation Board of Trustees. All proceeds
from this campaign will be used to assist the
football and other athletic programs at ECU.
Joe and June Sims Centennial
Cartography/Geography Endowment
Dr. Sims taught geography at ECU for many years and
a scholarship was established in his memory by friends,
colleagues, and former students. After his wife’s death in 2013,
additional donations were made in her memory by friends
and family members which elevated the scholarship to the
centennial level. This scholarship is awarded each spring to
the cartography/geography student with the highest gradepoint average.
Judith Whomble Centennial
International Student Endowment
This endowment will be used to provide assistance to
international students attending ECU. It was established in
memory of Judith Whomble by her friends and colleagues.
Jerry Anderson Centennial
Memorial Athletic Endowment
Jerry Anderson was a longtime basketball coach at ECU who
passed away in 1982. This endowment was made possible
by gifts from friends, colleagues, former players and family
members to honor this memorable coach.
The Columns 19
HOW TO GIVE
TO YOUR UNIVERSIT Y
Donors give to the East Central University Foundation,
Inc. for many different reasons. Some want to repay
the investment that others made in them. Some want
to give a gift that adds value to the university and that
also brings deeper meaning to their lives. Some simply
want to support the ECU family and make a positive
impact on the faculty, staff and students of the future.
Whatever the reason, donor gifts are important to
the ECU Foundation and to the university, and there
are various ways to donate.
The ECU Foundation will accept any level of gift, and
in all cases, the wishes of the donor will be the guiding
principle as to how the funds are used.
Donors frequently specify an endowed scholarship,
academic department fund, endowed lectureship/
professorship/chair or capital improvement project as
the target of their benevolence.
The ECU Foundation encourages you to discuss the
various methods of giving with your accountant and/or
attorney in order to select the giving mechanism which
best fits your circumstances. Flexible options allow you
to demonstrate your commitment and maximize your
support of the university’s mission.
There are many ways to give to ECU
Here are the most common types of gifts...
Gifts of Cash, Check or
Credit Card
These gifts are always welcome
because they are available
immediately to strengthen the ECU
Foundation and the university or begin
earning income for the future.
Gifts-in-Kind
Donations of software, licenses,
services, vendor products and other
property also support the mission and
programs of ECU. These gifts-in-kind
allow the ECU Foundation to use
resources for other needs while you
get credit for your support.
Gifts of Trusts
This can include charitable remainder
trusts, unitrusts, lead trusts, family
trusts, annuity trusts, etc., that can
avoid capital gains taxes and provide
an annual income for life.
20 The Columns
Gifts of Real Property
Gifts of Insurance
Real estate, homes, business property
and farmland which have grown
in value can result in capital gains
taxes if sold, but tax advantages are
available through a charitable gift
to the ECU Foundation. When the
ECU Foundation acquires your gift
of appreciated stock or property, you
receive a tax deduction equal to its fair
market value and also avoid a costly
capital gains tax on the increase in
value.
Naming the ECU Foundation as the
owner and/or beneficiary of your life
insurance policy is also an option,
especially when your policy has a face
amount that is much greater than the
amount you could afford to give in cash.
Gifts of Securities
These gifts include stocks, bonds,
mutual funds and IRAs, and are also
available immediately to impact the
work of the ECU Foundation.
Gifts of Personal Property
Personal property can include
coin collections, antique cars,
gun collections, artwork, musical
instruments, etc.
By assigning ownership to the ECU
Foundation and making the ECU
Foundation the beneficiary of an old
policy that is no longer needed for its
original purpose, such as sheltering
children’s education, you can make a
substantial gift at a low cost and take
an immediate income tax deduction
for the value of the policy. You can
then contribute an amount equal to
the policy’s premiums to the ECU
Foundation and deduct that gift as a
charitable contribution.
Proceeds of the policy will pass to the
ECU Foundation free of estate taxes.
New policies may also be obtained
listing the ECU Foundation as the
owner and/or beneficiary as a part of
financial or estate planning.
For questions contact: Dr. Gerald Williamson
580-559-5590 • [email protected]
DONATIONS
Alumni Generosity Changes ECU
Joe and Tammy Mankin needed to downsize after all
three sons had left home and there was not room for
their beautiful Conober Cable grand piano in their
new house. As a result, they donated the piano to the
ECU Foundation, which was more than glad to accept
such a lovely instrument. The piano, currently housed
in the David A. & Alma R. Lockmiller Grand Lobby in
the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, will be used
for numerous campus and community activities.
Phyllis Danley, Foundation Director, stated: “This is
a beautiful piano, and a wonderful gift to ECU. We
are grateful to the Mankins for this donation and they
can be assured that their gift will be appreciated by
students, faculty, staff and community people for years
to come.”
Pictured (from left): Cody, Corbin and Casey
Mankin (sons); Joe and Tammy Mankin; Dr. Mark
Hollingsworth, Dean of College of Liberal Arts & Social
Sciences; Dr. Brad Jessop, Director of the School of Fine
Arts; and Phyllis Danley, Executive Director of the ECU
Foundation
Essie Roark’s estate gift of $216,500 was presented to
the ECU Foundation by Keywood Deese, Vision Bank
Vice President and Trust Officer. Ms. Roark’s only
stipulation was that her gift be used for scholarships, so
students and faculty alike will reap the benefits of this
donation.
Pictured (from left): Shirley Pogue, Foundation
Scholarship Committee Chair; Vicky Petete, Foundation
Treasurer and Audit/Finance Committee Chair;
Keywood Deese, Vision Bank VP and Trust Officer;
Phyllis Danley, Executive Director of the ECU
Foundation; Russ Allen, ECU Foundation Trustee; and
President John Hargrave
Anonymous Donation
In June 2015, an anonymous donor
contributed $250,000 to the ECU
Foundation to be used entirely for
scholarships. Just like the Essie Roark
donation, students will benefit from this
generous gift for generations to come.
For questions contact: Phyllis Danley, Director of Foundation, University Advancement & Alumni Relations
580-559-5514 • [email protected] • www.ecok.edu/foundation
The Columns 21
22 The Columns
CAMPUS RENOVATIONS
President's Home
The recent renovations to the Sterling L. Williams
Foundation & Alumni Center were funded by donations to
the ECU Foundation by the estates of Lorene Fuller and Amy
James. Additional supplemental assistance was provided by
the ECU Alumni Association.
Education Building
The ECU Education Building, which houses the College of
Education and Psychology, underwent major renovation
during the 2014-15 term. The College of Education and
Psychology was temporarily housed in the Administration
Building during that time. The refurbished facility features
13 classrooms with new technology, including short-throw
projectors (which make every whiteboard a smartboard),
new speakers and new podiums. The building also features
new seating in the computer lab, new faculty desks and
office furniture and WiFi capabilities for use of mobile
devices in the classroom. A formal dedication and open
house for the facility was held on Oct. 1, 2015.
The Columns 23
Greetings Fellow ECU Alumni!
2015 ECU
Alumni Association
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Vezina (‘79)
I’m going to throw out a few words and I want you to wrap
your mind around them. Let yourself go back to those
favorite memories and think about how much fun it was.
Then think about how much fun it could be to relive some of
those special memories. Here are some words:
President
Barbara Miller (‘09)
Vice President
ECU Tigers Classmates Football
Pat Fountain (‘80)
Secretary
Tommy Vass, Jr. (‘88)
Treasurer
Tiffany Grant (‘07)
Past President
2015 ECU
Alumni Association
Board Members
Jesse Allen (‘09)
James Brown (‘75)
Dare Chronister (‘10)
Jill Clark (‘10)
Robyn Elliott (‘02)
Hillary Farrell (‘00)
Chris Feiler (‘80)
Kendall Foster (‘09)
Kyle Foster (‘09)
Carol Goodwin (‘09)
Karen Hudson (‘85)
Willie Hughes (‘86)
Ronda Martin (‘82)
Monica Neal (‘91)
Ray Nicholas (‘83)
Mark Prentice (‘84)
Monica Suffal (‘10)
Wendi Zachary (‘95)
ECU Fight Song BUILDING FLOATS Greek Life
Hanging out with professors outside of the classroom
BEST FRIENDS La Fragua First Love
Basketball STUDY GROUPS Graduation
Once A Tiger...Always a Tiger!
We hope you will join us at Homecoming on Oct. 31 or at an Alumni Reunion
coming in the spring. Visit the alumni website to get all of the upcoming schedules:
alumni.ecok.edu
We also hope that you will keep your ECU Alumni Membership current and if
you’re not a member, please join by visiting the alumni website. The money we
bring in helps to recreate those memories each time we get a group of
ECU Alums back together.
Many of you may be thinking, “What do I get out of the $35?” Think about ECU.
Not only can we have better and bigger reunions and more Homecoming
activities, we can also benefit the future of ECU! By staying in touch with our
graduates, we build foundations for scholarships, new or improved buildings,
aid for student activities and better athletic programs that lead to better
recruiting.
Again, even if you don’t think it benefits you, look what only $35 per year can do!
Have an exciting year and remember: Once A Tiger...Always a Tiger!
/ECUAlumni
24 The Columns
Beth
Elizabeth Spence Vezina, Class of ‘79
President, Alumni Association
@ AlumniECU
The Columns 25
26 The Columns
The Columns 27
2014 ECU Homecoming
Alumni Golf
Tournament
Recap
A Haunting in Tigerland
PIKE
REUNION
28 The Columns
ATHLETIC ALUMNI
REUNION
Alumni
5K Race
CURRENT TIGERS
AND ALUMS
Tennis Pro-Am
Tournament
Alumni Baseball Game &
Naming of Ken Turner Field
The Columns 29
AWARDS /
HONORS
Golden Tiger
Brunch
Class of 1964
1964 Football Team
Milam Award Winner
Tom Luttrell (‘80)
Cranford Scholarship
Winners
Alyson Chapman
Allyson Gregory
30 The Columns
STONECIPHER SCHOOL OF
BUSINESS LUNCHEON
CORONATION
Tori Bates, senior from
Sulphur and James Brown,
junior from Shawnee, were
named Queen & King
during halftime activities.
Tori is majoring in mass
communications and James
is majoring in business
administration.
The Columns 31
ECU VS
NWOSU
36-13 WIN
Dewey McClain
Whether it be football or
politics, East Central University
alumnus Dewey McClain has
excelled at both.
McClain was honored during ECU’s 2014 Homecoming
Festivities, serving as the grand marshal for the homecoming
parade and conducting the ceremonial coin flip prior to the
Tigers’ 36-13 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State
University on Oct. 25, 2014.
McClain’s rise on the gridiron began for the Okmulgee
native when he earned NAIA All-American honors as a
senior linebacker for ECU in 1975. His efforts helped lead the
Tigers to a 9-3-1 overall record, an Oklahoma Intercollegiate
Conference Championship and a berth in the Bicentennial
Bowl during his senior season of 1975.
Though McClain was not drafted, he did sign a free-agent
contract with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, eventually landing a
spot on the team. He appeared in 76 games during his fiveyear career (1976-80) with the Falcons and played in three
playoff games.
McClain also recorded a pass interception during his
NFL career.
He was traded to the Green Bay Packers following the
32 The Columns
1980 season, but never played there due to injury.
McClain ultimately returned to the professional ranks,
playing for the United States Football League’s Oakland
Invaders in 1983 and Oklahoma Outlaws in 1984.
He ultimately became a labor leader, jump-starting his
civil service career, for the National Football League Players
Association (NFLPA) and became president of the North
Georgia Labor Council.
McClain was elected to the Georgia House of
Representatives, District 100, as a democrat in a special
election, Nov. 5, 2013.
Ken Turner Field
As part of the 2014 Homecoming
festivities, the East Central University
baseball
team
had
several
announcements to enhance the team
and the field.
The Tigers started the day by
announcing that the field will now be
known as Ken Turner Field. The ECU
Foundation also announced the creation
of the Ken Turner Athletic Campaign
that included the endowment of the
Chris Lane Centennial Scholarship.
Turner, a longtime baseball and
basketball coach and educator at ECU,
was on hand for the ceremony with
members of his family.
‘The naming of this field has
become a reality because of my great
student-athletes, friends and family. I
want to thank them all for supporting
me and this honor,” said Turner.
Turner came to the Tigers as a
student-athlete and earned a bachelor’s
degree (1962) and his master’s degree
(1968) from then East Central State
College and a second master’s (1972)
from the University of Oklahoma.
“The groundswell for the naming
of this facility for Coach Turner has
grown tremendously since I became the
president of East Central University,”
said ECU President John Hargrave.
“I am so honored to be here today to
bestow this honor on Coach Turner.”
In 1967, Turner became a member
of the ECU faculty and continued in his
post until his retirement in 1994.
During those years, he coached
both basketball and baseball from 1967
through 1990. He served as both the
head baseball coach and assistant men’s
basketball coach under legendary coach
Jerry Anderson.
During his 23 years at the helm of
the Tigers’ baseball program, Turner
won 467 games and was honored as
Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference
Coach of the Year in 1979.
On the faculty side, Turner was a
favorite among students for whom he
served as advisor and instructor. Many
students today speak highly of Coach
Turner and the impact he has had in
their lives.
He also served as the chair of
the Department of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation during his
time at ECU.
“I am so honored to be here today
in honor of Coach Turner,” said former
student-athlete Robert Dudley. “One of
the first things I learned when I walked
on to this field for fall practice was that
Coach Turner’s expectations were high
on the field and in the classroom, but
those expectations helped me learn
responsibility and accountability.”
The day also included the
announcement of the Ken Turner
Athletic Campaign through the ECU
Foundation. The dividends from the
$100,000 endowment will perpetually
support the bat and ball sports at ECU
in Coach Turner’s name. During the
silent phase of the campaign, donations
have already exceeded $47,000.
The day’s sentiments continued
with the announcement of the Chris
Lane Centennial Scholarship by ECU
Athletic Director Dr. Jeff Williams.
The scholarship will be awarded to a
graduate assistant coach each season.
The scholarship is a result of the
Chris Lane Memorial Fund, which
included working closely with the Lane
family to memorialize their son. Lane
will be remembered as a wonderful
young man with a kind heart and
magnetic personality. He was a studentathlete who others looked to for advice
and support.
“Coach Turner and Chris Lane both
came to ECU during vastly different
time periods in our institution’s history,”
Williams commented. “They came for
ECU baseball, but their impact was
campus wide. I am pleased that our
athletic program will forever honor
these two individuals with a permanent
legacy.”
The Columns 33
get the full schedule of events...
34 The Columns
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
monday, oct. 26
COMEDIAN
7 P.M. • DOROTHY SUMMERS THEATRE
tuesday, oct. 27
TRIVIA COMPETITION
6 P.M. • ESTEP CENTER, UNIVERSITY CENTER
ECU FOUNDATION ANNUAL MEETING
7 P.M. • FOUNDATION HALL, CBCC
wednesday, oct. 28
SSB HOMECOMING STAKEHOLDER LUNCHEON
11:30 A.M. - 1 P.M. • FOUNDATION HALL, CBCC
POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL
TBD • FOOTBALL FIELD
thursday, oct. 29
WOMEN’S SOCCER VS OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIV.
2 P.M. • SOCCER FIELD
friday, oct. 30
GOLF TOURNAMENT LUNCH
11:30 A.M. • OAK HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
GOLF TOURNAMENT TEE OFF
1 P.M. • OAK HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
REGISTER ONLINE
TENNIS PRO-AM DINNER & TOURNAMENT
5 P.M. • ADA HIGH TENNIS COURTS
saturday, oct. 31
5K TIGER RUN
8 A.M. • WINTERSMITH PARK
REGISTER ONLINE
$25/PRE-REGISTRATION • $30/DAY OF RACE
GOLDEN TIGER BRUNCH
9:30 A.M. • FOUNDATION HALL, CBCC
ATHLETIC ALUMNI MEETING
10:30 A.M. • SYNERGISTIC LEARNING CENTER, CBCC
WOMEN’S SOCCER VS HARDING (SENIOR DAY)
11 A.M. • SOCCER FIELD
PARADE
12 P.M. • MAIN STREET
TAILGATING
1 - 4 P.M. • ALUMNI ALLEY
ALUMNI ALLEY IS LOCATED IN THE
BASEBALL/SOCCER PARKING LOT
ALUMNI BASEBALL GAME
1:30 P.M. • KEN TURNER FIELD
HONORS REUNION
2 P.M. • FAUST HALL, ROOM 159
FOOTBALL VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
4 P.M. • NORRIS FIELD
ALUMNI SOCIAL
8 P.M. • OAK HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
...ALUMNI.ECOK.EDU
The Columns 35
36 The Columns
The ECU Gold Program presented the colors and the
ECU Chorale performed the National Anthem at the
Oklahoma City Thunder-Memphis Grizzlies game on
Feb. 11, 2015.
The Columns 37
STARKEY
FAMILY
TAILGATE
One family’s dedication to bring a sense of
home and good food to the ECU football team
continues long after their own son graduates.
Hank Starkey (right) is pictured with his
son Talon Starkey.
38 The Columns
C
ollege football traditions are such a rich fabric of the
game and Hank Starkey has made his imprint on one
at East Central University.
At every home game for the Tigers, Starkey pulls his
smoker from McAlester to Ada, fires it up during the games
and feeds members of the football team in a postgame meal,
something he began when his son, Talon, was a freshman
member of the squad.
Though Talon is nearly two years removed from the
program that hasn’t stopped Hank from providing meals for
some hungry student-athletes who had just battled it out with
the opposition on the gridiron for three hours.
It began during Talon’s redshirt freshman year when
Hank would fire up his cooker during tailgate festivities. He
later realized there was a need within the football team itself.
“Talon came up to me after a game and said ‘Dad do you
have any food left?’ There were a few teammates with him.
Several of these guys were from far away like California,” said
Hank.
He got to thinking about how many of these studentathletes might feel lonely, being away from their families,
especially for an extended period of time.
“I got to thinking what it must be like to come from a
different part of the United States. On the drive back to
McAlester I began to feel troubled,” Hank said. “Then I
thought we need to start cooking for these guys after the next
home game which was two weeks out. We put the word out. I
have pulled my smoker out there after each home game since
then. That was the spark that started the fire.”
ECU head football coach Tim McCarty had been
providing pizza for the players following the games, but the
availability of meals from Hank’s smoker took center stage.
“The kids would get their pizzas, come eat our food and
then take the pizzas home to eat later,” said Hank.
Leftover food after each game is packaged up and sent
home with the players, according to Hank.
“We never bring any back. They can fix another plate or
they can take it home with them,” Hank said.
The tradition has also led to a bonding among the parents
of some of the players and former players.
“Phil and Krista Avey (parents of former player Kevin
Avey) jumped in and helped us out. We made friends with
other parents who have helped us,” said Hank.
Hank really never realized the total impact this made on
the student-athletes.
“President (John) Hargrave contacted me and really made
a big deal about this. I had no idea what scale this was on,”
Hank said.
Then came the completion of Talon’s playing career and
the thought somewhat troubled Hank.
“They kept saying are you going to keep doing it?” said
Hank. “My wife said to me that ‘you didn’t do it just for Talon.
Deep down inside you want to keep on doing this.’ Seeing
that many of these boys don’t get to go home until Christmas,
to me it was just the right thing to do. This might make a
difference in the kids.”
Hank remembers his times as a student at Northeastern
State University and how he got homesick.
“But I got to go home on the weekends,” Hank said.
Each season the tradition has featured a special night for
the seniors after the last home football game.
“We bring in ribeye steaks. It’s a steak dinner only for the
seniors and there is a sectioned-off area in the tent exclusively
for them,” said Hank.
Hank says through this experience, friendships have been
established with the players and ex-players.
“I’m friends with about half of them on Facebook,” Hank
said.
The Columns 39
Koi
Ishto
Football Stadium Renamed
“
“
We value the Chickasaw Nation’s commitment for
education. We wanted to honor our partnership
with the Chickasaw Nation and thank them for their
dedication to education and ECU. We also value our
partnership with the Ada Public Schools and feel
that ‘Big Cat’ represents both ECU Tigers and the
Ada Cougars.
40
40 The
The Columns
Columns
President John R. Hargrave
“
“
We are proud we will see the Koi Ishto name on the stadium
where the Ada Cougars and the ECU Tigers play. Our close
relationship with East Central University goes back more
than 100 years to the time Chickasaw Daniel Hayes donated
the land on which this university was built. This name helps
us remember a time when many Chickasaws would have
referred to a cougar or a tiger as Koi Ishto.
Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby
From top left:
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and ECU President John R. Hargrave are
with Pat Harrison, superintendent of Ada Public Schools and representatives of the
Norris Family, Trigg Yearby and Denver Davison.
Representatives of the Chickasaw Nation and ECU pose together at the naming of the
football stadium - Koi Ishto Stadium.
The
TheColumns
Columns4141
From left: Keith Patterson, Glenn Custar, Jesse Parker and Todd Graham
East Central Past
Checks in on East CentralLegacy
F
ormer East Central two-time All-American defensive
back Todd Graham, now the head coach at Arizona
State University, received a visit from the past during
his team’s spring practice this year. Jesse Parker and Glenn
Custar, 1963 ECU graduates, dropped by to check in on the
winning legacy Graham is building at ASU.
Graham, the 2013 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, is in his fourth
season at the helm of the Arizona State University football
program, leading the Sun Devils to three consecutive bowl
appearances and a 28-12 record since his hire in December
2011.
Parker (ECU defensive end, 1962-63) and Custar (ECU
center, 1962-64), who played under East Central’s legendary
coach Elvan George, were welcomed by Graham and the
Arizona State staff to watch spring practice and have lunch
with the ASU coaches.
Although it’s been 29 years since Graham’s playing days at
ECU, the hard-nosed coach stays true to the values he learned
as a Tiger from 1983-1986. Graham’s “old-school” approach is
evident at Arizona State as Parker and Custar were introduced
to current Sun Devil players to the ring of “yes sir” and “no
sir”. Graham enforces discipline and toughness, which has
pushed the Sun Devils to back-to-back 10-win seasons for the
first time since 1973.
42 The Columns
Submitted by Brian Custar
ECU’s values are not the only thing Graham holds on
to from his time in Ada, Okla. He’s also held on to one of
his Tiger teammates. ASU Defensive Coordinator Keith
Patterson (ECU defensive back 1982-86) was roommates
with Graham during their playing days at ECU. Patterson
served as Graham’s assistant at Tulsa and Pittsburgh before
the two ECU graduates made their way to Arizona State.
Graham’s guests at the spring practice are no strangers
to that Tiger loyalty and toughness. Parker and Custar
roomed together as well during their football playing days
in Ada, remaining in close contact for the next 53 years.
Parker’s football career did not end after leaving ECU, as he
eventually became a legendary high school coach in Arizona,
piling up 309 victories along with five state championships.
Custar continued his football career after graduating from
ECU in 1964, immediately enlisting in the Marine Corps and
playing football for the Marines for two more seasons before
deploying to Vietnam in 1966. Custar served 28 years in the
Marine Corps, retiring a Colonel.
As the four ECU descendants gathered together for a
photo at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., they shared
their fond memories of their playing days in Ada. All four
men have carried on a strong legacy for the Tigers.
Once a Tiger...Always a Tiger!
INITIAL CHAMPIONS
JAY ALLBAUGH
TODD ALPERS
DERICK BOWERS
BILL BRIDGWATER
BRAD CALIP
BRYANT CALIP
JERRY COMPTON
J. GLENN CUSTAR
ECU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
ECU FOUNDATION, INC.
RUBEN ELIZARDE
TOM & JOYCE ERWIN
RON EVANS
TODD GRAHAM
JOHN R. HARGRAVE
SHAWN HIME
JAY HORNE
JUDY HORNE
WINK & RACHEL KOPCZYNSKI
FARRELL LARGE
TOM LUTTRELL
COACH RON MILLER
CHRIS MIMS
COACH PAT O’NEAL
KEITH PATTERSON
TOMMY REDMAN
CRAIG SCHEEF
TERRY SUMMERS
DUARD THOMAS
JOE TUNNELL
CHRIS VAN DENHENDE
STEVE WHITWORTH
GERALD WILLIAMSON
FRANK WOLF
ANONYMOUS
Commitment to
Championships
T
he ECU Foundation
Inc., has announced the
launch of Commitment
to Championships Campaign
(C3) to help ensure the football
program has the resources
needed to be successful moving
into the future.
“Tiger athletics is a vital part of campus
life and tradition at ECU,” said ECU President
John Hargrave. “Fundraising is crucial in higher
education today. This particular effort, led by the
ECU Foundation’s chairman Craig Scheef, will
help build momentum within our programs by
leveling the playing field with the opponents we
face in the Great American Conference.”
Over the past several years, the university
and generous supporters have shown strong
commitments to Tiger athletics. More than
$500,000 was invested in the Pat O’Neal Strength
and Conditioning Facility. More than $1 million
was invested in upgrading the stadium seating,
fencing, turf and remodeling the Elvan George
building. Most recently, the stadium was named
Koi Ishto, Chickasaw for “Big Cats.”
“We are appreciative for the facility
improvements,
increased
funding
and
scholarships,” said head football coach Tim
McCarty. “However, there still is a need for
additional funding in order to make Tiger
Football competitive and we are excited about the
ECU Foundation’s plan to help us.”
The C3 will create supplemental funding
for the ECU football operational budget. With
the goal of establishing a $5 million incomeproducing endowment, the funds will provide
additional resources for key areas such as
equipment, coaching staff, performance
incentives, recruiting, team travel and expenses
associated with postseason play.
“As an ECU football alum, I’m deeply invested
in the success of this campaign and increasing the
resources available to the team. We need to help
our Tigers compete in the GAC and ultimately
compete for a NCAA Division II National
Championship, annually,” said Chairman of the
ECU Foundation, Inc., board of directors Craig
Scheef.
The announcement to Tiger Nation comes
with the momentum of approximately 20 C3
Champions, who consist of ECU football alums
covering the past six decades, emerging to provide
initial pledges representing approximately 25
percent of the $5 million C3 endowment goal.
The ECU Foundation, in cooperation with
ECU and the ECU Alumni Association, will be
promoting the campaign to raise the remaining
funds needed to reach the C3 goal.
“ECU football has a huge history of excellence.
Consecutive years of conference championships,
playoff appearances and even a national
championship have been earned by former
players and coaches,” said former head football
coach and C3 champion donor Pat O’Neal. “The
university is making investments in football and
the direction they are going with this campaign
is re-engaging our alumni and generating interest
not only in the campaign, but the university as a
whole. We all want the Tigers to succeed. That’s
why we give.”
For additional information or to make a donation to C3,
please visit alumni.ecok.edu/donations
The Columns 43
Football Sees Two
Honored by Oklahoma
Sports Hall of Fame
E
ast Central University football
saw two with ties to the program
earn awards by the Oklahoma
Sports Hall of Fame and The National
Football Foundation. Former head
coach Pat O’Neal was honored as the
2015 recipient of the Merv Johnson
Integrity in Coaching Award and senior
Cole Weber was named the Tigers’ NFF
Oklahoma Chapter College Player of
the Year on June 16, 2015.
Weber is one of 10 players from
collegiate schools across all divisions
in Oklahoma to earn the honor this
season. A recipient from each school
can be selected and the award is based
on the student-athlete’s performance
on and off the field.
44 The Columns
The Davis, Okla., native finished the
2014 season with 51 total tackles (2031), 4.0 tackles-for-loss (six yards), two
quarterback hurries and one blocked
kicked. He also returned a blocked punt
for a touchdown against Northwestern
Oklahoma State.
The linebacker is also a standout in
the classroom carrying a 3.63 GPA in
kinesiology. He has also earned Great
American Conference and D2ADA
All-Academic honors for the last two
seasons.
O’Neal was honored with the Merv
Johnson Integrity in Coaching Award
after spending 18 years at the helm
of the Tiger program (1972-89). The
coaching legend earned a reputation of
running one of the finest and cleanest
programs in the NAIA ranks and one of
the most successful ones as well.
During his tenure, O’Neal won 96
games and surpassed his predecessor
– the legendary Elvan George – as the
all-time winningest coach at ECU.
O’Neal-led teams won or shared eight
Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference
titles and made the school’s first
NAIA playoff appearance in 1984 after
finishing the regular season ranked No.
1 in the country.
O’Neal produced over 70 allconference players, nine All-Americans
and seven professional players,
including New York Jets Hall of Famer
Mark Gastineau.
After graduating from Ada High
School where he was a standout
football player for the Cougars, O’Neal
attended the University of Oklahoma
where he was a quarterback for the
Sooners during Bud Wilkinson’s 47game winning streak – a feat that has
yet to be matched.
O’Neal graduated from OU in 1956
and returned to his hometown in ’59
to serve as an assistant under Elvan
George who was entering his first year
in charge of the Tiger program. The
Tigers finished 7-4 in 1959 for their
first winning season in 11 years and
appeared in the Christmas Bowl, the
first bowl game appearance for ECU.
During the next 11 years, ECU
established itself as one of the premier
small-college football programs in the
country under Coach George. The
Tigers did not have a losing season
under George until his final year at the
helm (1971) when the club finished 3-7.
As it turned out, O’Neal, who
had studied under George as an
assistant for 12 years before taking
over in 1972, adopted much of the
same coaching theories on both sides
of the ball. His tenure as head coach
will be remembered for the relentless
ground-oriented option attack and the
aggressive, hard–nosed defense that
produced some of the greatest players
in Tiger history.
Football Advances
to PostSeason For
First Time Since 1993
F
or the first time since the 1993 campaign, the East Central University football
team played past the regular season schedule, as it accepted a bid to play in
the 2014 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. The Tigers fell to Texas A&MCommerce, 72-21, Saturday, Dec. 6 at Bulldawg Stadium in Copperas Cove, Texas.
“We were very pleased and excited to play in the postseason,” said Head Coach
Tim McCarty. “Having an opportunity to continue with practice and play the game
is great for our program.”
The bowl game was not only the first in the NCAA era for ECU, which finished
the regular season with a 6-4 record in the Great American Conference, but it was
the first bowl game since the 1975 season when the Tigers faced Henderson State in
the Bicentennial Bowl.
“We were so excited about this opportunity for our football program, our
students, our alumni and our fans,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Jeff Williams.
“The ECU football program is on the rise and it’s rewarding to know that people
across our competitive region recognize our success. We are proud of the coaches
and players for their great efforts in returning our football program to postseason
competition.”
The Heart of Texas Bowl is sponsored by C.H.A.M.P.S., Communities Helping
Americans Mature, Progress and Succeed, a school-based program aimed at
educating students about the dangers of the abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, and
was founded by Copperas Cove Head Coach and Athletic Director Jack Welch.
The Tigers were led by sophomore Brad Davis, who tallied 184 all-purpose
yards. Davis garnered 55 yards receiving, 38 on kick returns and 91 on punt returns.
Junior Jamal Hall led the team with 78 rushing yards, while redshirt freshman
Carson Hyles earned the start at QB and went 11-of-30 for 183 yards passing.
Junior Jameel Whitney led the defense with seven total tackles, improving
on his own school record for tackles in a season to 111. Whitney also added 2.0
tackles-for-loss (six yards) and 1.0 sacks (three yards). Senior Daniel Holland also
had a strong night, adding to his GAC record for sacks in a single season. Holland
recorded 2.5 sacks (16 yards) to improve his season total to 14.5.
The postseason appearance was followed by several Tigers earning honors.
Junior Travis Hening led the list with four postseason honors. The list was
highlighted by an Associated Press Little All-America Offensive Third Team pick.
He was one of two players from the GAC to earn a spot on the team that includes
top players from NCAA Division II, III and the NAIA. The All-GAC first-team
selection also garnered postseason All-America notoriety from AFCA and Beyond
Sports Network.
Besides Hening, seniors Daniel Holland and JoJo Snell were also honored by
BSN, with Holland earning second team defensive honors and Snell third team
offensive accolades. Holland was also named to Daktronics All-Super Region 3
Defense Second Team and Don Hansen All-Super Region 3 Second Team.
The Columns 45
Historic Season for ECU Tig
I
t was a historic run for East Central
University athletics in 2014-2015.
Other than the softball team’s
first Great American Conference
Championship finish and berth in the
NCAA Division II Central Regional,
along with the football team’s first
postseason appearance since 1993
and bowl berth since 1975, the Tigers
excelled in numerous other sports.
ECU earned a GAC men’s cross
country championship for the third
time in four years and the women’s
tennis team claimed a conference
crown while advancing to the NCAA
Division II Central Regional.
Additionally, the Tiger men’s
basketball team produced its best season
since joining the NCAA Division II
ranks.
Individual honors came as well,
including tennis player Agostina Moran
being named to the NCAA Division II
Woman of the Year Top 10 List. She is
the first representative from ECU for a
major NCAA Honor.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
The men’s cross country team
became the first of four sports in 201415 to send a representative to the NCAA
postseason as junior Juan-Joel Pacheco
46 The Columns
Orozco finished 50th at the NCAA
Championship in Louisville, Ky.
Pacheco Orozco was
the lone representative
for ECU and the Great
American
Conference
and
was
the
first
Tiger representative at the NCAA
Championship since 2011 when the
team qualified and finished 11th.
Before advancing to the NCAA
Championship, the GAC Male Runner
of the Year and All-GAC First Team
selection helped ECU finish seventh at
the NCAA Central Regional and claim
its third GAC title in four seasons.
The Tigers saw runners finish 1-23-4 and 7 at the GAC Championships
on their home course and end with 17
points. The second-place team earned
50 points, making it the largest margin
of victory in GAC Championship
history at 33 points.
Orozco, the 2014 U.S. Track &
Field and Cross Country Coaches
Association and NCAA All-Central
Region selection, became just the third
individual from ECU to earn a spot in
the national championship race and
the first since 2006 when Koby Styles
qualified. He was also the first studentathlete to compete in a national
championship event since 2011.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The ECU women’s tennis team
advanced to the NCAA DII Central
Regional by claiming the tournament
championship crown and also clinching
a share of the 2015 GAC regular-season
title with a 15-12 overall record. The
Tigers sent eight student-athletes to the
NCAA tournament before falling to
Arkansas Tech in the opening round.
Three Tigers – sophomores Gloria
Mayorga and Julia Municoy, along with
senior Bernardito Muscillo - received
postseason awards from the conference.
Sophomore Gloria Mayorga was
named GAC Newcomer of the Year and
was selected to the All-GAC Second
Team. Municoy was picked for the
All-GAC First Team and Muscillo was
chosen for the All-GAC Second Team.
2015 Great American Conference
Tennis Champion Tigers.
ger Athletics
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The ECU men’s
basketball team made
strong progress in the
GAC, going from the
only team not to make
the GAC Tournament
two years ago to
advancing to the championship game
in 2014-15.
The trip to the GAC title game
was the first conference championship
game for ECU since the 1996-97 season
when the Tigers claimed the Oklahoma
Intercollegiate Conference title in their
final season in the NAIA.
The season was also heavy with
individual and team accomplishments
along with records. Redshirt sophomore
Braxton Reeves and junior Stirling
Thomas were competing all season to
see who would set the single season
record for made 3-pointers, with Reeves
earning the honor with 100 and the best
three-point field goal percentage of 44.2
(100-of-226). The duo paced the Tigers
to a new team single-season record of
289 made triples and most assists with
457.
Reeves and Thomas were two of
three players to earn All-GAC honors
for the year, while Thomas was also
named to the Daktronics All-Central
Region Second Team. Thomas was
the team’s first All-GAC First Team
selection, while senior Henry Pwono
was just the second to earn All-GAC
Second Team honors and Reeves was
an honorable mention selection.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The women’s basketball
team saw the 13th player
become a member of the
1,000-Point Club in Dilan
Webster, who finished
her career No. 7 on the list with 1,260
points. Webster was already the career
blocks leader for ECU since the 201314 season, ending her career with 163.
OTHER SPRING AWARD WINNERS
Baseball senior Nick Spini was
named to the Capital One Academic
All-America Second Team.
Spini had a standout senior season
at ECU by also being named a National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
(NCBWA) 2015 Honorable Mention
All-American. This is the
first All-America honor
for an ECU Baseball
player since joining the
NCAA in 1996-97.
Spini has also earned NCBWA AllCentral Region First Team, Daktronics
All-Central Regional Second Team
and All-GAC First Team honors. He
graduated with a 3.76 GPA in biology
and is going to continue his education
in medical school this fall. Spini was
also named to the 2015 All-GAC First
Team and the 2014 All-GAC Second
Team.
The Fairfield, Calif., native finished
the 2015 season first on the team and
the GAC with a .430 batting average,
ranked No. 3 in the GAC in hits (64),
No. 1 in doubles (20), No. 8 in total
bases (90), No. 1 in on-base percentage
(.497) and No. 8 in slugging percentage
(.604).
Another Tiger senior,
Kaspars Briska, became the
29th ECU student-athlete
to represent the school at
an NCAA Tournament.
Briska earned a spot at the 2015 NCAA
Division II Track & Field National
Championship in the 3,000-meter
steeplechase in Allendale, Mich. Briska
ended his career, representing the
Tigers on a high note, by taking fifth in
that event and earning All-American
honors in the process.
Briska finished the finals in a time
of 8:53.25 (a personal-best time), taking
10 seconds off his time of 9:04.90 in the
prelims the day before. He is the first
member of the track & field team to
earn NCAA All-America honors and
to represent the Tigers at the NCAA
Championships since ECU joined the
NCAA ranks in 1996-97.
Briska’s summer didn’t end at
the NCAA Championship, as he
represented both ECU and Latvia at the
World University Games in Gwangju,
South Korea, July 8-12.
Check out the latest
sports updates @
ecutigers.com
The Columns 47
s
n
o
i
p
m
ha
c
l
l
a
b
t
of
S
T
he East Central University
softball team had a historic
season, not only for the program,
but also the athletic department as a
whole. The Tigers finished the year with
a 34-16 overall record and were second
in the Great American Conference
with a 25-8 mark.
ECU then started to turn up the
temp in the postseason, earning the
team’s first GAC Championship Title
as the No. 2 seed and advancing to the
NCAA Division II Central Regional for
48 The Columns
the first time in program history.
The historical markers didn’t end
there, as the team went 2-2 in the
regional and advanced all the way to the
finals before falling to No. 9 Augustana
College.
The two wins, against No. 14 Winona
State and Central Oklahoma, were
the athletic department’s first NCAA
postseason wins since joining the
NCAA in 1996-97.
The honors for the Tigers kept
pouring in, starting with seven players
being named to the All-GAC Teams.
Juniors Marissa Shaffer (P), Jordynn
VanPelt (OF) and Taylor Davis (DP/
UTL) were all first team selections,
senior Samantha McGraw (3B) was
a second team pick and juniors Lacey
Paulk (P) and Autumn Suydam (OF)
and senior Kaile Marcum (2B) were
named to the honorable mention team.
Davis, McGraw, Suydam and junior
Lauren Reeves were then also added to
the GAC All-Tournament Team, while
Paulk was named the MVP.
After the regional tournament, Davis
was named to the Daktronics and
NFCA All-Central Region First Team
and then to the Daktronics All-America
Third Team and NFCA All-America
Second Team. The Keller, Texas, native
led the team throughout the season at
the plate and is ranked No. 50 in the
NCAA in batting average, No. 38 in onbase percentage (.518), No. 97 in triples
(3) and No. 71 in walks (0.58).
Suydam was also honored by the
NFCA as a first-team pick and became
just the fourth ECU student-athlete to
earn Capital One CoSIDA Academic
All-America honors, being named to
the second team. She was eligible for
the honor after earning Capital One
Academic All-District Seven honors.
Suydam was second on the team
with a .423 batting average and was
first on the team with a perfect 15-of-15
stolen base attempts mark. The Keller,
Texas, native added a .989 fielding
percentage, with just one error, 85
putouts and three assisted outs.
Suydam, a 2015 All-GAC honorable
mention, ranks No. 65 in the NCAA in
batting average and No. 67 in sacrifices
per game (0.23).
NCAA Woman
of the Year
Top 10
Honoree
N
A
R
O
M
A
AGOSTIN
E
ast Central University women’s
tennis alumna Agostina Moran
was named a Top 30 2014 NCAA
Woman of the Year finalist. The top 30
is split up into 10 representatives from
each of the three NCAA divisions, with
ECU part of NCAA Division II.
The top 30 honorees reflect the
pillars of the Woman of the Year
award: outstanding achievements
in academics, athletics, community
service and leadership.
“These women are perfect examples
of NCAA student-athletes succeeding
on the field, in the classroom and in life,”
said Gloria Nevarez, NCAA Woman of
the Year selection committee chair and
senior associate commissioner for the
Pac-12 Conference. “We are impressed
by their outstanding achievements,
and no matter the paths they take after
college, we are confident that they will
continue to lead their peers for many
years to come.”
Moran went from one of 446
nominees across all NCAA Divisions to
one of 120 conference representatives
and finally to the top 10 in NCAA
Division II. Moran was the international
representative for the Great American
Conference and Kristen Celsor from
Harding was selected as a representative
for the GAC.
“Agostina represents the best of
what college athletics is about,” said
GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt.
“She’s a great representative for the
GAC in this awards process.”
The
conference
honorees
represented student-athletes from
15 different sports. By division, 52
honorees competed in Division I
conferences, 25 competed in Division
II and 49 competed in Division III.
The Cordoba, Argentina, native
excelled in all areas while at ECU,
including helping the Tigers women’s
tennis team claim the first tennis titles
in school history when they won the
2012-2013 GAC regular season and
tournament titles.
“Agostina has shown leadership
characteristics toward her teammates,
especially when it comes to their success
(cont’d)
ECU tennis player Agostina Moran (center) receives
an award as an NCAA Woman of the Year Top 10
Honoree. Coach Justin Graham is at right.
The Columns 49
both on the field and in the classroom,”
said head tennis coach Justin Graham.
“She has the unique ability to get
along with everyone whether it is
the administration, faculty and staff,
coaches, the university community or
the outside community.”
Despite her many extracurricular
activities, Moran graduated in May
2014 with a bachelor of science in
kinesiology and a 3.82 GPA. The ECU
nominee for 2014 GAC Female ScholarAthlete of the Year continued her
education at the University of Florida
where she has earned a scholarship
that will cover her master’s degree and
a doctorate in biobehavioral science,
with a concentration in neuromuscular
physiology. The scholarship is for five
years and is a graduate school fellowship
from the College of Health and Human
Performance and includes a research
assistantship position.
Now in its 24th year, the NCAA
Woman of the Year award honors
graduating female student athletes
for their achievements in academics,
athletics, community service and
leadership.
What is you favorite
game-day memory?
Send us a quick note
and we’ll publish
it in an upcoming
Columns magazine.
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50 The Columns
t
y Bryan
armont
olley
Caleb h
her
t
o
s
n
i
o
j
k
c
qumain bla ing in the nfl
tigers play
East Central University football
player Qumain Black continued a
tradition of late for the Tigers, by
making it three-straight seasons that an
ECU senior will play in the NFL as he
signed a free-agency contract with the
Chicago Bears.
“This is a great opportunity
for Qumain,” said head coach Tim
McCarty. “It’s really special for us being
a hometown guy, going from Ada High
School to ECU and on to the NFL.”
Black finished the 2014 season with
43 total tackles (25-18), 2.5 tacklesfor-loss (six yards), one forced fumble,
one interception, and five pass breakups. During his career he was named
to the All-Great American Conference
honorable mention team twice and was
a first-team pick in 2013.
During his junior season, the
Ada, Okla., native also earned Don
Hansen All-Super Region Three ThirdTeam honors after garnering three
interceptions, 15.5 total tackles, one
fumble recovery and six pass breakups. He also returned nine kicks for 281
yards.
Black came to the Tigers after
spending a redshirt season at
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
and was an all-state selection for Ada
High School.
Black joins Armonty Bryant
(Cleveland Browns) and Caleb Holley
(Buffalo Bills) as former Tigers
currently playing in the NFL.
The Columns 51
Love
Books We
PART 2
Title: A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to Work
Author: Michael A. Crawford
ECU Alum: 1977
OVERVIEW
Michael Crawford (‘77) shares humorous stories of his
life’s true misadventures in A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to Work. Each chapter describes an event
that has made his life enjoyable and brimming with
humor. Memories like “Give My Regards to Broadway,”
which tells of the time he went to see “The Boy from
Oz” with Hugh Jackman and Crawford and his wife
Debbie ending up on stage dancing, “A Play on Words”
highlighting an unforgettable moment at a public
speaking event and “When I Grow Up” showing how
he turned his rock star days in the band Revelation to
rock star status within the CPA profession, will keep
the reader laughing.
Title: An Assessment of the
Effectiveness of the
National Association of Student
Personnel Administrators
Minority Undergraduate Fellows
Program
Author: Richard Carvajal
ECU Alum: 1993
Title: Another Walk Along Tiger Trails, a History of St. Louis,
Oklahoma
Author: Mildred Dennis
ECU Alum: 1950
OVERVIEW
Mildred Dennis (‘50) takes readers on a journey through
the history of tiny St. Louis, Oklahoma in Another Walk
Along Tiger Trails. Complete with rare photographs
and the voices of local pioneers, she shares the
deepest feelings and memories of times gone by from
settlement, through the Oil Boom days, to what remains
of St. Louis and its current and former inhabitants.
Title: Cartwheel Boy Goes to D.C.
Author: Fenessa Little
ECU Alum: 2001, 2004
OVERVIEW
The study, a requirement for completion of
Richard Carvajal’s (‘93) master’s degree, paints a
comprehensive picture of the MUFP experience
for students in 1995. It gives the findings from a
study conducted to examine the impact of student
participation in the NASPA MUFP. Participants were
questioned concerning their experiences in mentoring
relationships, campus-based activities, leadership
institutes and summer internships.
52 The Columns
OVERVIEW
The children’s book Cartwheel Boy Goes to D.C. was
inspired by Fenessa Littles’ (‘01, ‘04) son Jared who
was so thrilled when he learned how to do a cartwheel
that he couldn’t stop flipping head over heels even
on a trip to Washington, D.C. Little wrote the story of
him seeing most of the sights upside down and Jared
illustrated the book. Published in 2013, it is for children
of all ages.
Title: Country Singers As I Know ‘Em
Author: Mae Boren Axton
ECU Alum: 1972
OVERVIEW
Mae Boren Axton (‘72), the queen mother of country
music and confidante to the stars, gives a glimpse
into the personalities of some of her treasured friends
and biggest names in the business in Country Singers
As I Know ‘Em. She recounts first-hand stories of
musicians ranging from Oklahoma’s own Roger Miller
and singer/songwriter Willie Nelson, to jazz great Ray
Charles, sixties icon Arlo Guthrie and pop star Glen
Campbell, all the while giving readers an intimate look
at “her people, country music folk.”
Title: Cousins in Calico
Author: Ruth Elizabeth West
ECU Alum: 1962, 1970
OVERVIEW
Cousins in Calico by Ruth West (‘62, ‘70) relates the
story of two young girl cousins in the piney-woods
area of West Central Louisiana in 1920 who enjoy time
together as their mothers, who are sisters, and their
fathers, who are brothers, carry on the typical lives
of rural families during the era following World War I.
While the thick pine forests were a boon to the sawmill
trade, they were filled with wild animals and timber
rattlers. Related by nine-year-old, Lizbeth Ann Hunter,
the story entails times of anguish, joy and intrigue.
In the last edition of the The Columns, we highlighted
books written by authors who have attended ECU and
then asked for submissions from any authors that we
missed. In response, you sent us books to fill an additional
bookcase. So here are some more books we love from
authors that live up to the slogan “Once A Tiger...Always
A Tiger!”
Title: The Great River and Small and
Other Poems
Author: Welborn Hope
ECU Alum: Life Certificate 1922
OVERVIEW
Title: CPA’s Multistate Guide to Ethics
and Professional Conduct
Author: Michael A. Crawford and
D. Scot Loyd
ECU Alum: Michael Crawford 1977
OVERVIEW
Michael Crawford’s (‘77) more serious side is revealed
in CPA’s Multistate Guide to Ethics and Professional
Conduct. In it he and co-author D. Scot Loyd discuss
the importance of proper ethical behavior by the
accounting profession because the absence of, or
decline in, ethics and moral character leads to a loss
of public trust. The book is a complete guide for the
accounting professional.
Title: Glenn Pray, the Man Who Brought
Legends to Life
Author: Josh B. Malks
ECU Alum: Glenn Pray 1952
The Great River and Small and Other Poems is a
collection by Oklahoma’s Tramp Poet Welborn Hope
(‘22) who captures life as he tramps across America.
The work includes “The Great River and Small”
detailing his memorable walk along the Mississippi
River from St. Louis to New Orleans. It contains 50
poems in all ranging from an homage to fellow tramp
Johnny Appleseed, to Hope’s many adventures in the
manmade canyons of New York City.
OVERVIEW
Glenn Pray (‘52) personifies the ultimate automobile
hobbyist. To create Glenn Pray, the Man Who Brought
Legends to Life, Josh Malks interviewed him for hours
and pored over surviving documents and photographs
going back 40 years and more. The book provides
an opportunity for the enthusiasts of Pray’s creations,
such as the 1936-37 Cord and the 1935-36 Auburn
Speedster, to more fully understand how they came to
be. It is complete with candid photographs illustrating
his story.
Title: Gwendolyn Brooks, Poet from
Chicago
Author: Martha E. Rhynes
ECU Alum: 1975, 1980
OVERVIEW
Title: Custer’s Reward
Author: Welborn Hope
ECU Alum: Life Certificate 1922
Title: Governmental GAAP Guide
Author: Michael A. Crawford and
D. Scot Loyd
ECU Alum: Michael Crawford 1977
In Gwendolyn Brooks, Poet from Chicago, Martha
Rhynes (‘75, ‘80) tells the story of the African American
poet, a recipient of the National Book Award and the
Pulitzer Prize, through the various stages of her life
from 1917 to 2000. Readers come to know Brooks and
the struggles she faced as she questioned her beliefs
over the course of her life. Turbulent times, as reflected
in her poetry, along with stories and commentaries
provide insight into what a gifted poet Brooks was.
OVERVIEW
Custer’s Reward is an epic poem of the Old West. In it
Welborn Hope (‘22) tells the legendary tale of George
Armstrong Custer through the eyes of Oklahoma
rancher, 92-year-old John Eddings. Once a fan of
Custer, Eddings turns against him after the Seventh
Calvary attacks peaceful Cheyenne Indians at the
Battle of the Washita. The narrative follows Custer
through his campaigns and political conniving and
concludes with the massacre at Little Big Horn.
OVERVIEW
Governmental GAAP Guide was written by Michael
Crawford (‘77) and D. Scot Loyd for financial
professionals working with state and local governments
who must stay current with emerging governmental
standards or face unfortunate consequences. This
one of a kind tool discusses all the promulgated
principles that are applicable to accounting and
financial reporting by state and local governments.
The Columns 53
Title: It’s Gonna Be OK: A Lease
Child’s Legacy
Author: Mildred Dennis
ECU Alum: 1950
OVERVIEW
Avid storyteller Mildred Dennis (‘50) began chronicling
the lives of family and friends along with memories
of growing up in Oklahoma oil lease camps after her
husband James gave her a typewriter for Christmas
40-plus years ago. In It’s Gonna Be OK, she explores
the gamut of her experiences as a spunky little girl
living on the leases during the 1930s and 1940s. It’s
an adventure of joys and tears shared by all those
gritty people who lived in the camps.
Title: My Name Was Harry 1942-1945
Author: Harry P. Zimmerman
ECU Alum: 1947
Title: The Life of a Successful Bank
1908-1978
Author: Odie B. Faulk, Welborn Hope,
Pendleton Woods
ECU Alum: Welborn Hope
(Life Certificate) 1922
OVERVIEW
In The Life of a Successful Bank 1908-1978, Odie
B. Faulk, Welborn Hope (‘22) and Pendleton Woods
tell the story of Fidelity Bank – its people, its officers
and directors, its customers and its fellow residents
of Oklahoma City. More than just a summary of the
workings of a financial institution, it includes Oil Boom
and Great Depression stories, the lasting effects
of World War II on the institution and the tale of an
unsuccessful bank robbery and other scares.
Title: Less Than an Eagle, More Than
a Duck & Other Stuff
Author: Mildred Dennis
ECU Alum: 1950
OVERVIEW
Less Than an Eagle, More Than a Duck & Other Stuff
is a collection of vignettes of faith celebrating life. In
sections called “God’s Natural World,” “Faith -- a Daily
Walk,” “Special People” and “Other Stuff,” Mildred
Dennis (‘50) reaches out to readers with stories
describing the valley and mountaintop experience
of living all mankind shares. Tales range from “Less
Than an Eagle, More Than a Duck,” which tells of her
own husband’s massive stroke, to “Way to Go Buddy”
describing a little boy’s struggle to stand, to her tribute
to “The Ordinary Man.”
54 The Columns
OVERVIEW
In My Name Was Harry 1942-1945, Harry
Zimmerman (‘47) leaves his bucolic life at East
Central University to enter the fray which was World
War II. The book follows his journey from Fort Sill,
where he was called up from the reserves, to basic
training at Camp Hood and the European Theatre of
Operations with the 808 Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Zimmerman reflects on his experiences and
thoughts during those crucial years of his life but
makes no attempt to describe the horrific violence
of combat.
Title: Oklahoma Government Today How We Got There
Author: George Nigh, Carl Reherman,
and Bob Burke
ECU Alum: George Nigh 1950
Title: Memorial Addresses Delivered
in Congress
Author: The Joint Committee on
Printing
ECU Alum: Robert S. Kerr 1911
OVERVIEW
Memorial Addresses Delivered in Congress is a
collection of tributes from friends and colleagues
across the country for Robert S. Kerr (‘11), the late U.S.
Senator from Oklahoma. The list of speakers reads like
a Who’s Who of U.S. history, including such notables
as Senators Everett Dirksen, Eugene McCarthy,
Hubert Humphrey and Margaret Chase Smith along
with members of the House of Representatives Carl
Albert and Page Belcher of Oklahoma. The work also
contains passages from editorials written in Oklahoma
newspapers at the time of his death.
OVERVIEW
The story of Sooner State government, as told by
George Nigh (‘50), Carl Reherman and Bob Burke in
Oklahoma Government Today – How We Got There, is
the saga of the bold and courageous men and women
who staked a claim in a new land, did their best to draft
a constitution that provided protection to the individual
and then set out to live under the umbrella of the
government they created.
Title: One Man in His Time
Author: Jack T. Conn
ECU Alum: 1931
Title: Stray Hearts
Author: Julius Lester Medlock
ECU Alum: Life Certificate 1923
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
One Man in His Time offers readers a glimpse into life
in Ada, Oklahoma as experienced through the eyes
of attorney and businessman Jack Conn (‘31). The
biography, commissioned by the Oklahoma Heritage
Association as part of their Trackmaker Series, begins
with his birth during statehood in 1909 and follows
Conn’s life through national, state and local historical
events including an insider’s look at the infamous Ada
hanging, life at East Central State Teachers College
and colorful descriptions of recognizable names from
Ada’s past.
Julius Lester Medlock’s (‘23) vision of mankind’s
path to redemption is chronicled in his 112-volume of
poems Stray Hearts. In three parts “The Inner Gate,”
“The Outer Gate” and “And Into the Wide, Wide World,”
Medlock entices readers away from the mundane and
ephemeral aspects of life and encourages them to
stop, read and treasure his words of peace, serenity
and hope.
Title: Retreat from Rostov
Author: Paul Hughes
ECU Alum: 1936
Title: Students of Surprise: An
Examination of Unusual Growth
in Social Competency
Author: Richard Carvajal
ECU Alum: 1993
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
In Retreat from Rostov, dedicated to the people of
Russia during World War II, Paul Hughes (‘36) tells
the story of 34 days in late 1941 which saw armies
of Adolf Hitler defeated for the first time, at Rostov
in the North Caucasus. The characters, with the
obvious exceptions of Stalin, Hitler, Timoshenko, von
Kleist and others equally well known, are fictional,
but its historical matters, military movements,
communications and the like are authentic.
This study, Richard Carvajal’s (‘93) doctoral
dissertation, analyzes why some students experience
an unusual rise in social growth following their
experiences at college. It tells the stories of five
graduates of regional public universities in the
Midwestern United States to determine the impact
of faculty intervention, student involvement, living
arrangements, employment, peer groups, family
relationships and exposure to media.
Title: Tell Me about the Presidents
Author: Mike Henry
ECU Alum: 1987
OVERVIEW
Tell Me about the Presidents was written for students
at the elementary stage of their education. Mike Henry
(‘87) includes an interesting story about each president
and concludes each with three questions for the reader
to answer. This book is a great learning tool for both
parents and teachers to teach American history in a fun
way.
Title: What’s Right with America
Author George Ing
ECU Alum: 1969
OVERVIEW
Readers of What’s Right with America will see the
country differently through the eyes of naturalized
citizen George Ing (‘69). Ing analyzes the state of
affairs in other countries, historical facts and events
and the Bible among other things to give his unique
perspective on the status of America. He also tackles
other topics ranging from stress management and
happiness to learning to listen and service above self.
We still love receiving books!
If you are a published author or know of a book about an ECU Alum, send us a signed copy.
Mail a copy of your book to:
ECU Foundation, Inc. • East Central University • 1100 E. 14th Street, PMB Y-8 • Ada, OK 74820
The Columns 55
DR. ANDERSON RETIREMENT
56 The Columns
LONGSTANDING ECU VICE
PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
DR. DUANE ANDERSON RETIREs
Dr. Duane Anderson, the longestserving chief academic officer in
Oklahoma, announced his retirement
at East Central University’s faculty and
staff convocation Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015.
His retirement was effective June
30.
Anderson had been ECU’s vice
president for academic affairs since
1994 and provost since 2006. He also
served as interim president of the
university in 2009 in transition from
Dr. Richard Rafes to current President
John R. Hargrave.
In 1990, Anderson came to ECU as
associate vice president for academic
affairs and dean of the School of
Graduate Studies. He also taught British
history.
Anderson was instrumental in
spearheading transfer articulation
agreements between ECU and Eastern
Oklahoma State College, Murray State
College and Seminole State College to
help ensure more ease for students in
the transfer process from the three twoyear institutions to ECU.
He drove a campaign for the
establishment of centennial endowment
scholarships in 2009, the 100-year
birthday of the institution. The goal was
to raise five $15,000 scholarships. But
that goal was overwhelmingly exceeded
as total of 22 scholarships were created
for a total of more than $350,000.
One of the centennial history
scholarships is named in honor of
Anderson and his wife, Marian.
Anderson’s
other
major
accomplishments, besides providing
a smooth leadership transition from
Rafes to Hargrave as president, are
leading the effort to infuse computer
technology in the teaching and learning
process, chairing the faculty committee
that revised the general education
curriculum in 1996, developing the
institution’s strategic planning efforts,
strengthening and highlighting the
importance of graduate programming,
establishing an external funding
program and overseeing the expansion
of funding success.
Anderson
oversaw
the
incorporation of service learning into
the curriculum and helped establish
various campus-wide programs to
retain students and encourage student
success.
In addition, the percentage of
faculty at ECU holding doctorate
degrees has continually increased
under Anderson’s leadership.
He previously was director of
continuing education at Mesa State
College in Grand Junction, Colo.,
from 1986 to 1990, and held several
positions, including dean of community
service, at El Reno Junior College (now
Redlands Community College) from
1975 to 1986.
Anderson earned his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from the University of
North Dakota and a doctorate in history
from the University of Oklahoma.
new
KatriciaV.P.
Pierson
Dr. Katricia Pierson
views strong relationships
as the key to strengthening
current programs and
developing new ones.
Those efforts have
led to a successful run as
assistant vice president
for academic affairs at
ECU since 2011. Now, Pierson takes over
as ECU’s provost and vice president for
academic affairs, replacing the retiring Dr.
Duane Anderson.
“Dr. Pierson has proven to be innovative
and proactive in her duties in dealing
with students and faculty as assistant vice
president for academic affairs,” said ECU
President John R. Hargrave. “These qualities,
along with her four-year familiarity with the
university, certainly enhanced her ability to
acquire this position. We look forward to
what she will bring to the table in coming
years.”
In upholding ECU’s mission to educate
students for life in a rapidly changing
and culturally diverse society, Pierson
has implemented changes such as the
establishment of a retention office to work
with faculty and students, automation of
end-of-course surveys with more than 50
percent being completed online, use of
MyECU for online enrollment and, most
recently, the availability of a student’s degree
audit being available in MyECU.
Pierson has continually reviewed
data to determine if a process or policy
needs revision. Her focus is on using new
information and technologies to become
more efficient, to streamline processes, to
eliminate redundancies and to be fiscally
responsible.
In addition to her assistant vice
president for academic affairs duties the
past four years, she has served as professor
of English and languages in ECU’s College of
Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
Pierson earned both her doctorate
degree (2004) and master’s degree (1998)
in English from the University of Arkansas
in Fayetteville and received her bachelor’s
degree in English and Journalism Secondary
Education from the University of Wyoming
in 1988.
The Columns 57
DR. WEEMS
RETIREMENT
58 The Columns
new
dean
Carl Gilbert
A longstanding fixture in East
Central University’s College of Health
and Sciences and senior faculty
member, Dr. Bruce Weems, retired
in December 2014, after 42 years of
service to the university.
Weems had served ECU since 1972,
first as a physics professor and later
Physics Department chair. He had been
dean of ECU’s College of Health and
Sciences since 1991. His work helped
many students, faculty members and
department chairs with every aspect of
science education during his tenure.
“As a dean of the College of
Health and Sciences, Dr. Weems set
high standards for his fellow deans in
managing the affairs of the college,” said
Dr. Duane Anderson, retired provost
and vice president for Academic Affairs.
“Under his leadership, the College of
Health and Sciences has secured high
levels of external funding and promoted
the integration of undergraduate
research. His leadership will not be
easily replaced. As a professor of physics,
Dr. Weems has impacted positively the
academic careers of countless students.”
Weems had diligently worked
with the Oklahoma State Science and
Engineering Fair (OSSEF) since taking
over as director in 1982. He helped run
the fair with Dr. Don Kellogg before
1982. During his tenure as director
until 2006, Weems fought for funding,
selected the best regional sites, found
volunteers and judges and handled
the paperwork. Weems had been
known to call every student and give
them a chance to turn in their missing
paperwork so that they could compete.
He took on the additional job of
science fair director because he saw the
benefit of students doing research as a
way of learning before many recognized
the benefit. Many of these science
fair students have made significant
impacts in science and engineering.
Each year, around 300 students attend
the Oklahoma State Science and
Engineering Fair, and through Weems’
efforts, approximately 7,500 students
have experienced the state fair.
“My years of service at ECU
have been a true joy. I have had the
opportunity to work with and get to
know some really great students, faculty
members and administrators. Sharing
experiences with them over the years
has been a blessing,” Weems said.
Just prior to his retirement, Weems
was honored for his service to science
education in the state as he received the
Dr. Jack Renner Award by the Oklahoma
Science Teachers Association (OSTA)
on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, at the DunlapCodding Law Firm in Oklahoma City.
“The John Renner Award from
OSTA is very special to me. Not only was
it recognition for many years of service
to science educators and students in
this state, but having known Dr. Renner
and working closely with ECU faculty
which were former graduate students of
his, made me feel humble and honored,”
said Weems.
East
Central
University welcomes Dr.
Carl Gilbert as its new
dean of the College of
Health and Sciences.
He replaces longtime
dean, Dr. Bruce Weems,
who retired in December
2014.
Gilbert had served as the dean of the
College of Science at the University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor in Texas since 2012.
Prior to that stint, Gilbert was the
head of the Department of Biology and
the coordinator of the Secondary Science
Education Program at the University of
Arkansas-Ft. Smith.
He also served as assistant professor of
microbiology at the University of LouisianaMonroe and has additional experience as
a research specialist at the University of
Arkansas-Fayetteville.
Gilbert earned three degrees at the
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville – a
doctorate of philosophy in molecular
biology and microbial physiology, master of
science in food safety and microbiology and
a bachelor of science in zoology.
In his most recent position at Mary
Hardin-Baylor, he was responsible for
the Departments of Biology; Chemistry,
Environmental Science and Geology;
Computer Science and Engineering;
Mathematics and Physics; Psychology;
Social Work, Sociology and Criminal Justice
and Military Science.
Gilbert has published or presented over
15 papers/manuscripts in the last 10 years in
which the topics ranged from the discovery
of molecular methods of detecting and
identifying bacteria in food products to the
enhancement of the instruction of biology
education in the college classroom.
He has worked with elementary
and secondary teachers and provided
professional development opportunities
for them. Gilbert also leads a National
Science Teachers Association review team
that evaluates science teacher certification
programs around the country.
The Columns 59
FACULTY & STAFF
Collage’
Director Retires
Starting as a part-time
instructor in at ECU 1983
and ultimately gaining
fulltime status in the
Kinesiology Department
in 1989, Victoria Dansby
has been a fixture among the teaching
faculty at ECU.
She retired as a full-time instructor
in December 2014, but continued to
teach a class in the spring and worked
with the ECU Collage’ team as it
prepared for its spring festival.
In 2002, the ECU Collage’s
presentation of “Ups and Downs” was
selected for the ACDA’S GALA Award
performance at the University of Texas.
In addition to being part of the
ACDA, ECU Collage’ has been a part
of the American Alliance of Health,
Physical Education, Recreation and
Dance (now known as SHAPE America)
and has received several awards. The
most recent outstanding performance
was “Within Me” in 2012, as well as
“The Way Within” and “Tomorrow” in
2008 and “Auxillary Expenditures” in
2007.
Dr. Nicholas Cheper,
professor of biology,
joined the faculty in
1980. He earned his B.S.
from the University of
Notre Dame in 1971, his
M.A. from SUNY at Stony Brook in
1974 and his Ph.D. from the University
of Tennessee in 1979. Dr. Cheper served
as chair of the Biology Department
from 1996 to 2015. He demonstrated
his commitment to the university
through his service on the HLC Steering
Committee in preparation for the 2001
and 2011 self-study preparation. He
served as a judge for the Oklahoma
State Science and Engineering Fairs
from 1984 to the present. He also had
a long-standing leadership role in the
Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science.
Dr. Kevin Davis,
professor of English and
languages and director of
the Writing C enter,
joined the faculty in 1987.
He earned his B.A. and
M.A. from Southeast Missouri State
University and his Ph.D. from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Davis
positively impacted ECU students
through his work with the Writing
Center. He was honored with three
Teaching Excellence Awards in 1991,
1996 and 2003. Honors students chose
him as Faculty of the Year in 2007.
Ms. Pattie Howell,
director of Educational
Talent Search, began
her employment at ECU
in 2004. She earned a
B.S. from Oklahoma
State University and an Ed.M. in
administration, planning and social
60 The Columns
RETIREMENTS
policy from Harvard University. Prior
to working at ECU, Howell directed the
National American Indian Head Start
Training Center at the University of
Oklahoma and worked as a consultant
to the Child Care Bureau, Head
Start Bureau and Corporation for
National and Community Service in
Washington, DC. She is most proud of
the efforts she made in Talent Search
and her other positions to encourage
students to further their education and
achieve success.
Mrs. Evelyn Martin,
director
of
the
Educational Opportunity
Center, joined the ECU
Staff in 1994. She earned
her bachelor of arts in
1994 and a master of science in 1996
from ECU. She began her career at
ECU as an intern at EOC, a program
she has directed for the past 16 years.
Her previous positions at ECU include:
recruiter for ECU as a graduate assistant;
counselor coordinator, Talent Search
Program; academic advisor, Upward
Bound Math/Science; and counselor
coordinator for Upward Bound.
Additional work experiences have
been: owner of Ashley’s Collections, a
ladies and children’s clothing store and
Merle Norman Studio; realtor for Evan’s
Realty, and owner and general manager
of Hot Looks Tanning.
Ms. Linda Newcomer,
instructor of nursing,
served on the faculty
from 2004 to 2008 and
from 2009 to 2014. She
has a B.S.N. and M.S.
from Texas Christian University.
Newcomer maintained an active
presence and involvement with the
international student community.
She was an energetic teacher who
implemented many creative teaching
and learning activities.
Dr. Robert Newcomer,
associate professor of
cartography and geography, joined the faculty
in 2002. He earned his
B.A. and M.A. from
Texas Christian University and his
Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.
Newcomer demonstrated an active
passion and support for cultural events
in working with international students
and served numerous terms on the
Global Education Committee and
Faculty Senate.
Dr. Anita Walker,
professor of mathematics,
served on the faculty
from 1983-2015 and was
honored with a Teaching
Excellence Award three
times for 2001-02, 2007-08 and 201314 on the basis of teaching evaluations
and supporting letters from current
and former students. She spent time as
an advisor on various undergraduate
research projects for students in the
Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science while also serving as
advisor for the Oklahoma Delta ECU
Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon. Walker was
honored as a Hedgehog and Fox Faculty
Lecturer in 1998. She graduated summa
cum laude from Southern Methodist
University in 1978 with a bachelor of
science in mathematics and a bachelor
of arts in German. Walker obtained a
master’s degree in mathematics (1980)
and a doctorate in operation theory,
nonlinear functional analysis and
undergraduate research (1983), both
from the University of Oklahoma.
Ms. Bea Waller, Student Counseling Center
director, graduated with
a bachelor’s of science
and master’s of science
in
education
from
ECU. She is a licensed professional
counselor and has National Counselor
and National School Counselor
certifications. Waller began her career
at ECU in 1981, working for 18 years
as an administrative assistant before
going into public education in 1999 as a
school counselor. She has been a school
counselor in elementary, middle school
and high school. On Nov. 1, 2007,
she returned to ECU and became the
director of the university’s first student
counseling center.
December 2015 Retirements
Dr. Larry Choate
Professor of Biology
1995-2015
Dr. Teresa Rothrock
Assistant Professor
of English
2003-2015
The Columns 61
Tig
er
TRACKS
1950s
Wayne (‘55 & ‘59) and Sammie
Kendall (‘57) are involved in the Tulsa
Metro Retired Educators Association
(TMREA). Sammie was recently
chosen to be the president-elect for
the 2015-16 year and Wayne was recently elected
president for the 2015-16 year. TMREA works closely
with the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association to
support legislation favorable to public schools,
Oklahoma Retirement System and retired educators.
Wayne served in the Tulsa Public Schools as a
teacher, counselor and middle school principal for 34
years then took early retirement in 1992. Wayne
enjoys his grandchildren and gardening. Sammie
earned her master’s in education from the University of
Tulsa in 1968. After serving as a teacher and many
years as a high school counselor in Tulsa Schools,
Sammy retired in 1992 and enjoys her grandchildren
and writing. She has recently published a book,
Somebody’s Daughter, under the pen name of Anna
Kent. The couple enjoys traveling together.
Elmer (‘56 & ‘59) and Betty Gerth
celebrated 60 years of marriage. Mr.
Gerth was an educator at Union Public
Schools in Broken Arrow, Hickory Public
Schools and Latta Public Schools and retired in 1990
from Latta. Mrs. Gerth worked for Gem Jewelers and
retired from Oklahoma State Bank in 1989.
Douglas (‘57) Whitaker and his wife
Martha celebrated their 64th wedding
anniversary on June 9, 2015.
1960s
Ruth West (‘62 & ‘70) has published
Cousins in Calico, a historical fiction
book suitable for young adults. It is set in
West Central Louisiana in 1920.
62 The Columns
Billy Gene Ballard (‘65) and
Barbara Lee Eldridge celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary.
They were married June 1, 1965,
at the Stratford Church of Christ
with Cole Tidwell officiating.
Dr. Gil Morgan (‘68), is in the first
class to be inducted into the Oklahoma
Golf Hall of Fame in October 2015.
He has won 25 Champions Tour
events, including three majors.
Steve Gregory (‘68), inventor and
founder of the Ram Jack method of
foundation repair, was honored as
Entrepreneur of the Year and
delivered ECU’s Leonard Limes
Lecture on Nov. 19, 2014.
also an Army Veteran. He writes, “I will always miss
Ada and have many fond memories of my time at
ECU!”
When Allene Warren (‘76 &
‘77) opened Wiggles for
Wisdom, she envisioned a
hobby that would enliven her
retirement. The store has
become less of a hobby and
more of a job for the Ada woman. Wiggles to Wisdom
is a wonderful world of toys, books and all things for
kiddos on Main Street in Ada, Okla.
Darrell Nemecek (‘77) served the City of
Ada over many decades, first as a police
officer and then 12 years as city councilor
and mayor. Nemecek retired in May 2015
to spend more time with his family.
Roger R Harris (‘79) is married to
Vivian Herr. He has three kids, Weston
Harris, Caroline Harris (who is currently
James Cooper (‘70) and his
attending ECU) and Paul Harris. He just
wife Kay celebrated their golden
ended a 17-year honorary stint on the
wedding anniversary on May 23, board of directors of the Oklahoma Association of
2015, at their home.
Broadcasters where he served as a member for 15
years, vice president for one year and ended his
tenure as president.
1970s
Maj. Gen. Myles Deering (‘73)
became Governor Mary Fallin’s
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
1980s
Leigh Gaddis (‘80) was appointed by
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin as the first
female commissioner for the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation. Her
appointment is for District 3 which
Gerald Allen (‘74) and his wife
includes Creek, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Seminole,
Martha have 10 grandkids and
Pottawatomie, Pontotoc, Hughes, Johnson and Coal
21 great grandkids. They have
Counties. She is serving the unexpired term of fellow
lived in Oklahoma City since
ECU alum Harland C. Stonecipher, who died Nov. 10,
1977, and Gerald has worked
2014. Leigh and her husband Roger Gaddis are the
at the OU Health Sciences Center for 25 years. He is co-founders of Gaddis & Gaddis Wealth Management,
headquartered in Ada with offices in Ardmore, Durant
and McAlester.
Tom Luttrell (‘80), a football standout
for ECU’s football teams from 1976-79,
received the 2014 Milam Award. This
award is presented annually at ECU’s
Homecoming football game and recognizes a former
Tiger football player who not only excelled in the
classroom and on the gridiron, but distinguished
himself in his chosen career.
Dr. J. Steven Walker (‘83), ECU
director of choral activities, was
inducted into the Oklahoma Music
Educators Association Hall of Fame
at the OMEA Winter In-Service
Conference January 2015 in Tulsa.
2000s
Tiffany Oliphant (‘00) was named as Latta’s
Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2015. Oliphant
teaches Algebra I and Algebra II classes at Latta
Middle School.
Adam Mewhorter (‘00) is the band director at
Southmoore High School. His marching band received
local notoriety for its tribute to 2013 Moore tornado
victims.
Zac Walters (‘02) was promoted to vice
president/human resources officer at
Citizens Bank. He has been in banking for
13 years, including 10 years at Citizens
Bank of Ada. Walters completed the
Leadership Ada program in 2010.
Amanda Bowser (‘04) was named
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
Broken Arrow Public Schools 2015
announced the release of the latest work from author
District Teacher of the Year
Mike Henry (‘87), Tell Me About the Presidents. It is
the first children’s book written by the former American
history instructor who has authored four other works
Jerel McCullar (‘04) was promoted to vice
on the subject.
president at Citizens Bank. He has worked
for Citizens Bank for nine years. McCullar
is a graduate of OBA Consumer Lending
Roy Deering’s (‘90) first novel for young readers, School, OBA Intermediate School and ABA
Finders Keepers, recently won the Oklahoma Book Commercial Lending School.
Award for young adult fiction. The Oklahoma Center
Zeak Naifeh (‘04) was named dean of
for the Book sponsors the annual awards, which honor
students at Cameron University in
work produced by an Oklahoman or about Oklahoma.
Lawton, Okla. He earned a bachelor of
accounting from ECU in 2004 and a
Garyl Geist (‘92) was hired at McGee Eye Institute as
master of education in higher education
the vice president and chief operating officer.
leadership from the University of Arkansas in 2006.
Lynda Roberts (‘93) was awarded the
Ada City Schools Teacher of the Year for Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor David
Walkingstick (‘06) was appointed by
2015.
Gov. Mary Fallin to serve on the
Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian
Education. He has his master’s degree in
The Ardmore school board approved
Josh Newby (‘99 & ‘09) as their new
school administration from ECU. He has served on
head football coach and athletic director.
Tribal Council since 2011. He was also named a 2013
Native American 40 Under 40 recipient by the National
Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.
1990s
Brett Evans (‘07) and Tiffany Grant
(‘07) were married on July 11, 2015
in Oklahoma City. Brett graduated
from Ada High School in 2003 and
ECU in 2007 with a bachelor’s
degree in biology. He is the owner of Evans Built
Construction in Ada. Tiffany graduated from Luther
High School in 2001 and ECU in 2007 with a bachelor’s
degree in biology. She received a master of arts in
dietetics from Oklahoma University Health Sciences
Center in 2008 and is a registered dietitian for the
Chickasaw Nation. Tiffany also serves on the East
Central University Alumni Association Board of
Directors and is adjunct faculty for the Department of
Family and Consumer Sciences at ECU.
Aarica Mims (‘07) was promoted to
senior vice president of Peloton
Commercial Real Estate in Dallas.
Dr. Carol Fischer (‘07) testified in Washington D.C.
on the importance of the Ronald E. McNair Program.
PEC’s Corporate Services Division Employee of the
Year is Tara Mullins (‘07). Mullins worked in the retail
industry for nearly 10 years and a short time in human
resources before arriving at PEC in October 2012
when she was hired for her current position. Mullins
lives in Ada with her husband Jimmy and two sons,
Dylan and Kendrick.
Elizabeth Marie Hall (‘08) graduated from Oklahoma
State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa
with a doctorate of osteopathic medicine. Hall earned
a bachelor of science in biology from ECU in 2008.
Jesse Allen (‘09) graduated from the University of
New Mexico Law School in 2013 and passed the
Oklahoma Bar Exam in 2014. Allen is employed by the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation as the oil and gas manager.
Terri Reams (‘09 & ‘11) has been
named director of finance for
Chickasaw Nation Health Systems in
the Department of Treasury. Reams,
her husband Randy and son, Dillon,
live south of Stratford.
SEND US YOUR TIGER TRACKS!
The Columns 63
2010s
Natalie Burden and Ty Gower (‘10)
were married July 12, 2014.
Jennifer Allen (‘11) married Cody
Brooks on May 23, 2015. Jennifer
graduated from ECU in 2011 with a
bachelor’s degree in special education.
She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in
secondary school counseling. She is employed in the
Stratford Public School system as a special education
teacher.
Carter James Stevenson,
son of Ashley Rushing
(‘11 & ‘13)
Carsyn & Masen Lovelis, children
of Greg (‘04 & ‘07) & Buffy (‘05 &
‘08) Lovelis
Keaton Pierce, son of
Corey Beth Stafford
(attended)
Kahla White (‘12) is among 88 veterinary
students at Oklahoma State University’s
Center for Veterinary Health Sciences
who have earned their DVM degree.
Kaylie Blackwell (‘12) and Bradley
Coleman exchanged wedding vows on
Nov. 15, 2014, in the Regents Room at
ECU. Kaylie graduated from Ada High
School in 2008, then graduated from ECU in 2012 with
a B.A. in English and now works at Linscheid Library
at ECU as an outreach assistant. Bradley graduated
from Ada High School in 2001, then attended Pontotoc
Technology Center and received a certificate in
building and grounds in 2001. He works at ECU.
Makena Lane, daughter
of Beau (‘03) & Alisha
(attended) Lane
Kirby & Luke Ellis, children
of Jerry (‘04) & Angela
(attending) Ellis
Hudson & Jackson Wellington,
sons of Parker (‘08) & Kailey
(‘08) Wellington
Kayla Johnson (‘13) and Drew Taylor
exchanged wedding vows on Oct. 18,
2014, at the Wilcher Ranch in Ada.
Kayla is a 2008 graduate of Byng High
School and a 2013 graduate of ECU
where she earned a bachelor of science degree in
kinesiology. She is currently employed with Ada Smile
Place. Drew is a 2007 graduate of Seminole High
School and a 2012 graduate of Rogers State University
where he earned a bachelor of science degree in
business administration/marketing. He is currently
employed with Enerfin Resources.
Trevin Vass (‘13) married Anna White
on May 23, 2015. Trevin graduated from
ECU in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in
cartography. He is employed by the
People’s Electric Cooperative as a staking engineer.
Vivian, Victor, & Violet Quinton,
children of Jerry Quinton (‘93)
Addy Jones, daughter of
Melissa Jones (‘07 & ‘09)
Jack Maner, son of Jeremy
Maner (‘92)
Whitney Brown Nall (‘13) and
Cody Nall (‘14) were married on
March 7, 2015.
Jordyn Marie Mills (attending) and
Dayne Parker exchanged wedding vows
on Sept. 20, 2014, at the home of
Jordyn’s grandparents in Allen. Jordyn is
a 2011 graduate of Allen High School and Jordyn is
currently enrolled in the ECU Nursing Program. She is
employed by Mercy Hospital in Ada. Dayne graduated
from Roff High School in 2010 and currently plays
minor league baseball in the Houston Astros’
organization.
64 The Columns
Zyla Campbell,
daughter of Zachary
(‘10 & ‘15) & Michelle
(‘10 & ‘13) Campbell
Finn Parsons, son of Ryan
& Natalie Parsons (Pictured
with great-grandpa
Clarence Oliver (‘55)
Abigail Modeste, daughter of
Toya Compton-Modeste (‘12)
Brynlee Hayden,
daughter of Drew (‘06)
& Sarah (‘07) Hayden
Braxton Mondy, son
of Michael Mondy
(attended)
Aidyn & Rhys Moreland, sons of
Brandon Moreland (‘01, ‘05, & ‘09)
& Syrena Moreland (‘01 & ‘05)
Grant Martinez, grandson
of Jim Gray (‘82 ) & Laurie
Gray (‘80)
Rhett & Colt Fagan children of
Cody (‘06) & Rheanna (‘05 &
‘06) Fagan
Samara & Samuel Warlick,
children of Mahate Parker (‘05)
Wyatt & Briar Ross,
children of Rheysa Ward-Ross (‘13)
Madison Audrey Carter,
daughter of Beau (‘10) &
Stephanie (Miller) (‘11) Carter
Ava & Madison Gifford,
daughters of Whitney
Gifford (‘08 & ‘09)
Madden Hoover, son of
Chris (’11) & Meagan
(attended) Hoover
Tatum Foster, daughter of Kyle (‘09) &
Kendall (‘09 & ‘12) Foster
Josiah Allen, son of Matt
Allen (‘94)
Chronister Family
Brielle H. Dean, daughter
of Matt (‘11) & Breanne
(‘08) Dean
Breckin Streater, son of
Tate (‘08) & Wendy (‘09
& ‘12) Streater
Cully Pletcher, grandson of Christopher (‘89)
& Kelby (‘90 & ‘95) Pletcher
(BACK ROW, FROM LEFT): Gene Chronister, Glen Wilson, Whitney Haney
(attending), Matt Haney, Wynotha Fortune (‘83 & ‘90) and Larry Fortune
(MIDDLE ROW): Danielle Armstrong (‘11), Hannah Armstrong (future tiger),
Sonya Chronister (‘07 & ‘09), and Athena Fortune (future tiger)
(FRONT): Keira Phillips (future tiger)
The Columns 65
We want to hear from you!
Been promoted? Honored? Awarded?
Recently moved? Married? Had a baby or grandbaby?
What’s the scoop about you and your family?
Personal Information:
Name:______________________________________________
First
Middle
Last
(Maiden)
Street:______________________________________________
City: ___________________ ST: _____ ZIP:______________
Email: _______________________ DOB: _________________
ECU Grad Year(s): _________ Major: ____________________
Family Information:
Spouse’s Name: _____________________________________
Spouse’s DOB: __________ Anniversary Date:____________
Did spouse attend ECU? o YES o NO Grad Year(s):______
Did other family members attend ECU? o YES o NO
If yes, please list their names & grad years:
Name:___________________________________________
Grad Year(s): ________ Relationship:_________________
with
Roary visited Hawaii
nding).
Shani Campbell (atte
Name:___________________________________________
Grad Year(s): ________ Relationship:_________________
Name:___________________________________________
Roary also
explored th
e Greco
Museo in
Toledo, Sp
Rachel Nic ain, with
hols (2015
).
Grad Year(s): ________ Relationship:_________________
Child(ren):
Name: _________________ DOB: _______ Shirt Size:______
Name: _________________ DOB: _______ Shirt Size:______
Name: _________________ DOB: _______ Shirt Size:______
Personal News: Tell us what exciting news is going on in
your life. We will print your update in an upcoming edition
of The Columns.
___________________________________________________
Roary saw
the sights
the Durha
at
m Cathed
ral and
Castle wit
h Dr. Katric
Pierson, V
ia
ice Presid
ent of
Academic
Affairs.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Clip & Mail this form to:
1100 E. 14th Street, PMB Y-8, Ada, OK 74820
Or submit your scoop online at:
Roary had a great time visiting Egypt and the Mediterranean
Sea
withColumns
Whitney Harbour (2008).
66 The
[email protected]
In Memoriam
The ECU family offers our deepest sympathy to the
families of the alumni and friends we have lost
Barbara Aubrey, 1968 & 1975
Lowell Adams, 1957
Linda Anderson, 1976
Colene Underhill Alexander, attended
Billye Barringer, 1943 & 1957
Kathy Bonner, attended
Helen Borders, 1964 & 1981
Velma Brumley, 1951 & 1970
Mary Ruth Krunk Brown, 1986
Charles Edward Brown, 1955
Dewayne Bryan, 1980
Johnny Bryan, 1970 & 1984
Charlotte Carpenter, 1988
Oleta Choate, Friend of ECU
Frances Cantwell, 1984
J. Tom Cothren, 1966
Marshall Cox, attended
Nancy Cravens, 1974
James Cruson, 1952
Wanda Cruson, 1955 & 1969
Jeremy Cumbie, 2007 & 2008
G. David Carter Jr., 1950
Lea Ann Champion, 1980
Edwin Clark Jr., 1955
Tom R. Condict, attended
Thelma Davies, employee
Billy Davis, attended
Tina Lynn Davis, 1986
Linda Day, attended
Mary Eckles, 1971
Wayne Everson, employee
Marvin Ewy, attended
Eddie Fausett, Jr., 1973
Gerald Flowers, attended
Floyd Goodson, 1963
Garry Gray, 1986
Pearl Gray, 1978
James W. Green, Friend of ECU
Jim Greenlee, 1962
Lillian Gutierrez, 1968
Betty Haraway, 1972 & 1983
Linda Harrel, 1981
Dick Hendrix, 1961
Dr. Paul Holley, 1953
Dr. Yvette Harjo, 1969, employee
Gary Don Hill, attended
Deandra Hightower, attended
Terry Hill, 1967
Bobby Hobson, Jr., 1976
Gloria Horne, attended
Clifford Jackson, attended
John Jones, attended
Robert Jones, 1955 & 1960
Jack Jones, Friend of ECU
Pauline (Northcott) Kimmel, attended
Lolita Kindrick, attended
Sue Kemp Fathree, 1968
Charlee Lanis, employee
Leon Lanoy, 1958 & 1963
Keith Lavender, 1968
Minnie Ola Mellin, 1949
Bill Lee, 1964
Brad LeMarr, 1996
Bobby Linker, employee
Alba Little, Friend of ECU
Jana Lovelace, 1971
Sara McDaniel, 1944
Jean McGovern, 1949
Lester Miller, 1962
Harry Morris, 1961
Danny Murray, 2003
Lou Ann Cantrell McVay, attended
Beverly Morgan, 1982
Dr. Donald J. Noble, 1959, employee
Shirley Nordean, 1975
Leon Norfleet, Friend of ECU
Carl Osborn, M.D., attended
Londa Parker, 1998
Helen Anne Parrish, attended
Paul Penrod, attended
Harold Pool, 1949
Rev. Larry Pruitt, 1973
Christopher Pletcher, 1989
Mike Radosevich, attended
Phil Ray, 1966
Douglas Reed, attended
Margaret Rigsby, 1970
Sally Roberts, attended
Jerry Rollow, 1991 & 1993
Andrea Rue, 1995
Billye Jo Rollow, 1947
Paul Scott, attended
Ellen Sherman, 1930 & 1931
Dr. Milton Simmons, Jr., 1951
George A. Smith, attended
Dr. John Smith, employee
Denver Spence, 1959
Glen Steele, employee
Ben Steen, attended
Kathy Stewart Roblin, 1982
Jennie Stone, 1996
Harland Stonecipher, 1960
Stanley Sayers, 1965
Phyllis Sullivan, 1956 & 1959
Gary Southerland, attended
Si Taylor, attended
Grant Thomas, 2000
Glendeen Unsell, 1995 & 1998
April Flowers Vickery, attended
George Walker, attended
Joe Wallace, attended
Mary Goodman Watson, 1942
Carmen Weaver, employee
Candace West, attended
Patti West, Friend of ECU
Douglas Whitaker, 1957
Fitz Whitaker, 1970
Barbara Wilson, attended
Darren Wise, 1984 & 1986
Dewey Wright, 1950
Phillip Wilson, attended
Shirley Wood, 1972
Bob Wyatt, employee
Harland C. Stonecipher, who provided
a generous gift to ECU’s School of Business,
passed away Nov. 10, 2014, at the age of 76.
His gift led to ECU’s School of
Business being renamed the Harland C.
Stonecipher School of Business when the
new Chickasaw Business and Conference
Center was opened in 2013.
Stonecipher was an insurance sales pioneer, starting PrePaid Legal Services, Inc., in 1972 in Ada. The unique business
was born after Stonecipher was involved in an automobile
accident on an insurance business sales trip in 1969.
Stonecipher led Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. as founder,
chairman and chief executive officer for 40 years. In the
spirit of health insurance, Stonecipher’s innovative idea led
to customers paying monthly premiums for help with a wide
range of legal matters.
The company’s initial one-room operation grew and
ultimately became listed on the American Stock Exchange. In
1999, Pre-Paid Legal moved to the New York Stock Exchange,
the world’s largest exchange, under the symbol PPD.
His vision of making quality legal services available to
every North American led to more than 1.4 million families
owning the membership and more than 300,000 sales
associates taking advantage of the business opportunity. He
devised a proprietary network of provider law firms to deliver
the legal services.
Stonecipher sold Pre-Paid Legal, Inc. in 2011 and it was
renamed LegalShield.
Born June 4, 1938 in Ashland, Okla. to Allen Clinton and
Viola Johnson Stonecipher, Harland Stonecipher attended
Tupelo Schools and was the first in his family to attend
college, graduating from East Central State College (now East
Central University) in 1959. He met his future wife, Shirley
Ann Thompson, at ECU in 1958 and the couple celebrated
their 56th wedding anniversary prior to his death.
Stonecipher, whose degree was in English, had a brief
career as an English teacher and debate coach before joining
with his mentor, Charlie Walls, in the life insurance business.
Stonecipher was recognized as ECU’s Distinguished
Alumnus in 1987.
The Columns 67
East Central University
1100 E. 14th Street, PMB Y-8
Ada, OK 74820
68 The Columns
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