East Central University

The Columns
of East Central
Fall 2011
Scholarship Gala
Accreditation Visit
Stonecipher Gift for School of Business
The Columns 1
The Columns
of East Central Universityy
Fall 20111
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.
President’s Welcome...4
Stonecipher & School of Business...6
Brandon Whitten Institute...12
Reader’s Guide
The Columns is published biannually—fall and spring—by the
Offices of Alumni Relations and Communications and Marketing.
Feature Writers: Jill Frye, Cathie Harding & Brian Johnson
Other Contributors: John Hargrave, Phyllis Danley, Catie Caton,
Amy Ford, Tiffany Grant, Susan Ingram, Buffy Lovelis &
John Long
Designers: Amy Ford, Jill Frye, Susan Ingram, Gina Smith
& Catie Caton
Photographers: Amy Ford, Jill Frye, Susan Ingram, Buffy Lovelis,
Gina Smith, Catie Caton & the University of Oklahoma
Alumni News & Events: Buffy Lovelis & Catie Caton
Sports Information: Brian Johnson & Brian DeAngelis
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.
In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX
of the Education Amendment Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and
other federal laws and regulations, East Central University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, religion, handicap, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices
or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and education
services. This publication is issued by East Central University as authorized by Title 70 OS 1981, Section
3903. Cable Printing, of Lindsey, Okla. has printed and mailed 1,800 copies at a cost of $2,620.00. 08/11
2 The Columns
Athletics...14
Homecoming...20
Alumni...22
Johnson, Osborne, Danley & Forbes...28
Evening of Honors...30
Ways to Give...32
Salute to Veterans...34
Tiger Tracks...36
Postcard Photos sent from:
1. Tom & Charlee Lanis (ECU Faculty)
2. Jonathan & Caitlin (current student) Clifton
3. Craig & Diana Watson-Maile (‘79)
4. Taylor Woods (‘11) & Tiffany Osborne (current
student)
5. Catrina Ellis (current student)
6. Jim (‘73) & Shelley Ross Hamby (ECU Staff)
2
1
4
3
6
5
3 The
Columns
The
Columns
3
Welcome!
Greetings Alumni & Friends,
Fall is here, which means FOOTBALL season is upon us. We are excited
about entering a brand new athletic conference this year, the Great American
Conference, and expect great successes for all our athletic teams. Other
teams in the Great American Conference are Southeastern Oklahoma State
University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University and, in Arkansas the
universities include the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Arkansas
Tech, Harding, Henderson State, Ouchita Baptist and Southern Arkansas.
All the schools are similar in size, budgets and type of cities and towns.
Our first home football game is Sept. 17. The soccer and volleyball teams
have played their first home games already, and the men’s and women’s cross
country teams will be competing across the region this year.
We are extremely excited to see all the alums come out to support the
athletes and, of course, there is no better time than Homecoming. This year
homecoming will be on Oct. 15. “All Roads lead to HOMEcoming” is the
theme, so pack your bag and head to Ada for the weekend or for the entire week. Be sure to check out all of
the details for Homecoming 2011 on pages 20 & 21.
We are happy to share the news with you in this issue about a generous donation that will make a huge
difference on our campus and about two other alums who have received national recognition.
First, Harland Stonecipher (’60), who is known internationally as the entrepreneur who started Pre-Paid
Legal Services Inc. in Ada, and his wife Shirley have made a $2 million donation to the ECU Foundation. That
gift assures us that we will have enough funds to construct a new School of Business and Conference Center
adjacent to the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
Retired high school football coach Jesse Parker (’62) was inducted into the National High School Athletic
Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year during its annual convention in Grand Rapids, Mich. He is the
second all-time winningest coach in Arizona high school football history with 309 career wins and five state
titles. He held the number one spot when he retired in the spring of 2009.
Carlos Johnson, a CPA in Oklahoma City, has received the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants’ Special Recognition Award for his more than 40 years of exemplary service to the CPA
profession. Not only is he an alum, he is a former ECU faculty member. He has been a key player in the
accounting profession for many years in the state and federal legislative and regulatory arenas.
We value all of our alums and can’t wait to see you on campus!
John R. Hargrave, J.D.
President, East Central University
4 The Columns
ECU Undergoes Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission
Invites Third-Party
y Comment
East Central University will undergo a
comprehensive evaluation visit Oct. 31 through
rough Nov. 2 by a
ommission of
team representing The Higher Learning Commission
North Central Association of
Colleges and Schools. ECU has been accredited
edited by
the Commission from 1922-1934, and
1947-present. ECU’s accreditation is at thee
bachelor’s and master’s degree levels.
The Higher Learning Commission is one
of six accrediting agencies in the United
States that provides institutional accreditation
tion
on a regional basis. Institutional accreditation
ion
evaluates an entire institution and accreditss it as
a whole. Other agencies provide accreditation
tion for
specific programs. Accreditation is voluntary.
ary. The
Commission accredits approximately 1,100
0 institutions
of higher education in a 19-state region. The
he commission is
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
ucation.
For the past two years, ECU has been engaged
ngaged in a process of
self-study, addressing the Commission’s requirements
equirements and criteria
for accreditation. The evaluation team willl visit the institution to
gather evidence that the self-study is thorough
ugh and accurate. The team
will recommend to the Commission a continuing
tinuing status for the college;
following a review process, the Commission
on itself will take the final action.
The public is invited to submit comments regarding the university to:
Public Comment on East Central University
The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
Or submit comments electronically at www.ecok.edu/self_study/comments
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs.
Written, signed comments must be received by Sept. 30, 2011. The Commission cannot guarantee that
comments received after the due date will be considered. Comments will not be treated as confidential.
Note: Individuals with a specific dispute or grievance with an institution should request the separate Policy on
Complaints document from the Commission office. The Higher Learning Commission cannot settle disputes
between institutions and individuals. Complaints will not be considered third-party comments.
The Columns 5
Stonecipher Makes Generous Cont
The School of Business at East Central University
will morph from an entrepreneurial vision to a concrete
foundation for business education over the next 20 months.
The final necessary boost occurred last month when
Harland and Shirley Stonecipher donated $2 million to the
ECU Foundation Inc. to finalize the construction of a new
business school and conference center.
The 62,000 square-foot building – which will house
the Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business – will
be located due west of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts
Center and is estimated to cost $10-12 million.
The vision started taking form several years ago as
numerous partners began making generous contributions
to the proposed facility.
“With the Stoneciphers’ gift,” said ECU President John
Hargrave, “we believe the building can be constructed
without borrowing any money.
“Through their generous contribution to the new ECU
School of Business, Harland and Shirley Stonecipher
have shown how an entrepreneurial vision can become a
reality that benefits many,” Hargrave said. “As business
students walk into the ECU School of Business, they will
be reminded of the Stonecipher name and what can be
achieved through innovation, hard work and dedication.”
Harland Stonecipher graduated from ECU in 1960
with a degree in education with a major in English.
Following a brief career as a teacher and speech coach,
6 The Columns
he became an insurance salesman. In 1969, while driving
to a sales appointment, he was involved in an automobile
accident that literally changed his life. The legal wrangling
that ensued led to his founding of Pre-Paid Legal Services
Inc.
Realizing he had insurance for everything except legal
expenses, he decided to design and sell legal service plans
that would give members access to professional legal
counsel for a monthly fee. He grew the company from
scratch to the point it was ultimately listed on the New
York Stock Exchange.
But success did not come easily. Starting the business
was extremely hard, he said.
“It took a long time,” Stonecipher said. “Fifteen years,
as some have said, to become an ‘overnight success.’
Nobody had heard of anything like it. They thought it was
a crazy idea. Shirley was never ready to quit, but I was, a
number of times.”
Today, more than 400,000 independent sales associates
are active in Pre-Paid Legal Services and nearly 1.5
million families own memberships.
Stonecipher believes that people can change their
lives simply by changing their minds. Attitude makes the
difference.
“When I was in my early 30’s I started reading all the
self-help books,” he said. “I thought they had the secret to
success. I realized they all referred back to the Bible. ‘As
a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ Attitude determines
altitude!
“I believed that more and more as time went along.
Today, I feel more strongly than I ever did because I’ve
seen it work so many times. People who never finished
high school, who have never been around successful
people, have become millionaires. This has caused me
to develop a training program I call ‘The Blueprint for
Success.’”
Working with people, especially those who at first
showed no aptitude as sales associates, and seeing them
become successful has given the Stoneciphers great
satisfaction.
“There are a number of people that Shirley and I have
helped and it changed their lives. We feel so good about
that,” he said.
“It’s not about your family background. It’s how you
feel. You have the ability to do what you want to do. Too
many people think there’s some invisible hand that holds
you down.
“That hand is yours, and you can move it.”
A new chapter in the Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc.
story began on June 30 of this year when the company
was sold to MidOcean Partners, a leading U.S. private
equity firm, for $650 million.
Stonecipher said his lifelong role as an entrepreneur
inspired him to make the major contribution to ECU.
“East Central University is very important to us,” he
said. “I was the first in my family to obtain a degree in
higher education. Both of our children, Allen and Brent,
received degrees from ECU. Now, our first grandchild,
Greg, is enrolled here.
“We know that students pursuing business degrees
have an entrepreneurial drive within them and we want to
be a part of feeding that spirit. We appreciate what ECU is
ribution to the School of Business
Construction of new
School of Business and Conference Center
set to begin
Fundraising is
almost complete and
a groundbreaking
ceremony is scheduled
this fall for the new
$10-12 million School
of Business and
Conference Center
at East Central
University.
The building will
have three stories with
the first floor housing
a business conference
center and community saferoom. This area will
be used for lectures, presentations and other
important gatherings for the School of Business.
A Synergistic Learning Center, Small Business
Development Center, campus police and food
court also will be located on the first floor.
The second floor will consist of state-of-theart classrooms and a student lounge. Offices
for the dean and
faculty members,
conference rooms,
computer labs and
a student work
area will make up
the third floor.
The facility will
be located at the
gateway entrance
to the campus and
adjacent to the
Hallie Brown Ford
Fine Arts Center.
Opportunities are still available for donations.
“We want to thank all of the generous donors
who have made this dream come true. In this
day and age, there is no limit to the amount
of technology and costs associated with a
conference center,” said ECU President John
Hargrave. “Long after the building is finished,
there will be opportunities for sponsorship.”
The Columns
Columns 7
The
doing and commend President John Hargrave on the job
he is doing – his vision, his persistence and his approach
were a major factor in our decision. Dr. Hargrave is a
tremendous asset to ECU and our community.”
In referencing the ties to ECU, Stonecipher also
noted the vast majority of management at Pre-Paid Legal
Services Inc. are graduates of the school.
“I’ve said many times, in many places, that the
management team we have at Pre-Paid Legal is second
to none,” he said. “They would do well at any business,
anywhere in the world. ECU had a part in making them
the people they are.”
In many ways it was hard to give up his company,
he admitted, because of the many relationships he has
formed over the years, almost like family.
“Obviously, the last 40-plus years of our lives have
been dedicated to Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. We’ve
made mistakes along the way, but we never gave up and
we always found a way to ‘keep on keeping on’ and to
make it work.
“Now, it’s time to give someone else a chance. We’re
not retired,” he pointed out. “We’re just doing something
different.”
After the Stoneciphers lost their younger son Brent,
his wife, Tina, and only granddaughter, Nikki, in an
airplane crash on July 24, 2005, they tried to think of
“how to make things better for us or ease the pain. We
realized the only way to do this was to help others with
their pain.
“Before, we’ve said, ‘We know how you feel’ (to
people who have lost children). But we didn’t know how
they feel, and you don’t want to know,” Stonecipher said.
“What people fear the most, and what we feared the
most, since this was a whole family, is that our children
will be forgotten after we are gone. People don’t want
8 The Columns
their children to be forgotten.”
They came up with the idea of building a memorial
chapel where anyone in the United States or throughout
the world could come and establish a memorial in the
name of his or her child.
“We haven’t completely decided how we will do
that,” Stonecipher said. “They will have a picture of their
child, probably some kind of a statement and maybe some
of their favorite things. We’re still working on that.”
The Stoneciphers have worked with the Kerr
Foundation, the Chickasaw Nation and Pre-Paid Legal
Services Inc. to acquire a total of nine acres. This property
near the Kerr cabin and Pre-Paid Legal is one of the
largest areas around Ada, overlooking a beautiful valley.
“We decided we should also probably have a church
there so that something is going on all the time, so it will
have life around it,” he said.
Their plans call for building a new Life Community
Church, where the Stoneciphers are members, with a
memorial chapel attached. The property will belong to the
church.
As a result of the efforts and continued support
of Mike Turpen, Gayle Serba and John Long, the
Stoneciphers also established the Nikki Stonecipher
Memorial Scholarship through the ECU Foundation in
2005 to provide full scholarships for students preferably
from Tupelo High School where Brent and Tina
Stonecipher were graduates.
And what if Harland Stonecipher had never been
involved in that traffic accident in 1969?
“I’ve thought about that,” he said. “It changed the
whole course of our lives. But I can’t imagine not doing
this. There’s nothing I could have done that I would feel
better about.”
The Columns 9
ECU School of Business
on the Move
Students and professors spend four days on the road
ECU entrepreneurs pose with executives
ffrom
fro
fr
rom i2E, (Innovation to Enterprise,) a venture
development organization, at Abuelo’s
Mexican Food Embassy in Oklahoma
City’s Bricktown. Wayne Embree (left), vice
president of entrepreneurial services, and
Kenneth Knoll, concept investment manager,
got them fired up about the Governor’s Cup, a
business plan competition whose first prize is
$20,000. Several of the students hope to
enter the competition this next year.
Danielle Tate (driver’s seat), Stefany
Stewart and Erin Franetovich check out
the inside of one of the trucks at Stevens
Transport in Dallas.
Rasheed Lowery checks out a vat of plastic pellets at IRIS
y
USA, Inc., a Japanese-owned injection molding company.
T
The pellets will soon become plastic containers.
Dr. Steve Agee, dean of
the Meinders School of
Business at Oklahoma
City University, gives the
travelers some information
on graduate school.
Alumni from the
class of 2009 join
the group at a
Texas Rangers’
game at Rangers
Ballpark in
Arlington.
Sara Jones (left) and Katie Friant pose in front
of a race car at the Texas Motor Speedway in
Fort Worth. Students were given behind-thescenes access to several areas of the raceway,
an up-close look at a number of cars and
a tour of the speedway.
10 The Columns
Twenty-two students from ECU’s Career Exploration class and five from the
Business Club visited companies, graduate schools and sports complexes during a
bus trip this summer that took them from Oklahoma to Texas. Along the way,
they met with executives, recruiters and alumni who gave them tools to help them
succeed in the business world in addition to information about internships and job
opportunities. The students were accompanied by Wendell Godwin, dean of the
School of Business, and Dr. Pat Fountain, professor of business administration.
ECU students look sharp during an
executive lunch hosted by Devon
Energy at the exclusive Petroleum
Club in downtown Oklahoma City.
ECU grad and Devon employee
Mark Walters (left) visited with the
group during the meal.
JJean Bosco (left) and Akanni Agboola
experience
exp
ex
pe
a Dallas Cowboy press conference
ncce
from a player’s point of view in the Texas
Stadium media room. The tour also included
the cheerleader’s locker room,
suites and field.
Tony Mendoza (right), an accounting alum and chief
financial officer at IntegraColor printing company in
Mesquite, gives the class a tour of his facility.
A member of the college recruiting
team from Chesapeake Energy in
Oklahoma City gives the ECU crew a
tour of the Chesapeake campus. The
team also gave students a crash course
on everything they needed to know to
successfully land a job.
Alan Marcum, alum and chief operating officer
at Devon Energy, tells the ECU delegation
about events at Devon and gives them advice
on making it in the corporate world during lunch
at the exclusive Petroleum Club in downtown
Oklahoma City. ECU grads working at Devon
a s participated in a panel discussion.
al
n.
also
The ECU group listens attentively to an executive team member at the
Walmart Distribution Center in Pauls Valley.
The Columns 11
BRANDON WHITTEN INST
IN FIGHT AGAINST SUBSTA
The Brandon Whitten Institute for Addiction &
Recovery officially opened at East Central University
with a ribbon cutting May 27 by the Ada Area Chamber of
Commerce. The institute works to educate ECU students,
as well as community agencies, schools and individuals,
about substance abuse and recovery issues.
The BWI was established by Reggie Whitten, an
Oklahoma City attorney whose 25-year-old son, Brandon,
died in a motorcycle crash in 2002. He had fought
addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol.
Whitten said ECU President John Hargrave came up
with the idea of creating the Brandon Whitten Institute.
“I’ve known John Hargrave since we debated each
other in high school,” Whitten said. “We reconnected the
first day of law school in 1977 and have been good friends
since. He has known my son Brandon since he was in
diapers. Brandon and John’s son, Jeff, basically grew up
together.
“I am so honored that John thought of this,” Whitten
added. “It was 100 percent his idea and his vision. Without
12 The Columns
his vision and
leadership the
Brandon Whitten
Institute would
not be possible.
Brandon would
have loved this
and would have
been very pleased
that we are doing
something to fight
this disease.
“I’m happy
we are doing
something to save
lives.”
Hargrave
said he witnessed
first-hand what
Brandon Whitten
Brandon Whitten Inst
TITUTE AT ECU HELPING
ANCE ABUSE, ADDICTIONS
titute for Addiction & Recovery
and his family got caught up in.
“It can get any of our kids,” he said.
Hargrave said he wants the BWI to bring the campus
and community together to reduce substance abuse and
fight addictions.
“Our mission is to assist individuals, groups and
agencies as they provide top-quality addiction and
recovery services through education, collaboration and
research,” Hargrave said. “We want to ensure that all
Oklahomans have access to an effective and respectful
recovery-oriented system of care.”
Holli Witherington, executive director of the BWI, said
the institute does not provide substance abuse treatment
or counseling services but can offer referrals to those
who want help. It does educate students and others about
substance abuse and recovery issues through classes,
lectures, trainings, meetings and other events.
The institute also focuses on prevention efforts,
contemporary and relevant research and increasing the
awareness of the impact of addiction and drug use.
“We want the Brandon Whitten Institute to empower
students, and help professionals and collaborators to
provide current, applicable and effective methods of
addiction treatment, prevention and outreach,” Hargrave
said.
The Columns 13
ECU Alum and Hall-of-Fame Great
Jesse
Parker
Roams Hallways and Sidelines
for More Than 40 Years
To inspire his team and help them discover the
realm of the possible, Tim McCarty, East Central
University’s head football coach, has lined the walls
of the Tiger locker room with photos of former players
who have used ECU as a launch pad to success.
This year he will add another one to his collection,
that of Jesse Parker.
At 71, Jesse, now retired, is the second all-time
winningest coach in Arizona high school football
history with 309 career wins and five state titles.
When he left coaching in the spring of 2009, Jesse
held the number one spot.
“The world isn’t interested in the
storms you encountered but whether
or not you brought in the ship.”
- Raul Armesto
favorite quote of Jesse Parker
Growing up dirt
poor in Idabel with five
brothers, Jesse credits
Franklin Roosevelt’s New
w
Deal with giving him the
chance to go to college. He
n
graduated from ECU, then
ge, in
East Central State College,
tor
ory,
y
1962 with a degree in history,
hin
ing
g
and a teaching and coaching
ur
career spanning over four
decades began.
play
ay
ay
yed
ed
d
While at ECU, Jesse pl
played
os
o
st
defense for one of the most
ah
aho
ho
om
ma
influential figures in Oklahoma
oa
o
ach
ach
ch
sports history, football coach
Elvan George.
b
allll,,”
”
“Good coach, good ba
ball,”
xp
pe
erriien
ence
ce.
e.
Number 85 said of the experience.
144 The
The C
Th
Co
Columns
olu
umn
mnnss
While bowl games and victories provide lasting
memories for any player, on a recent visit to campus
Jesse fondly recalled “Coach George sitting in the
back of the bus on the way to out-of-town games
discussing Greek and Roman history and philosophy
with his players.”
Thanks to Louise Hornbeak and Palmer Boeger,
history professors at ECU, Jesse was able to hold his
own in the conversation.
But, the highlight of college had to be meeting
Latsy Gooch, a cheerleader at the time who would
become his number one fan in life. The two courted
at Wintersmith Park and in the Memorial Student
Union and were married in Wilburton. Latsy’s favorite
memory of her days at ECU is watching Jesse play
football.
Jesse and Latsy have
b
be
ee
en
nm
arrri
a
ried
ed almost
allm
mo 50 years
been
married
an
a
nd ha
h
ave
ve
e ttwo
wo s
wo
on Robert
on
and
have
sons,
an
a
nd Jo
J
on,
n, a d
aug
au
gh
gh
and
Jon,
daughter,
Kathy,
and s
an
si
ix gr
g
rand
an
a
ndc
dch
and
six
grandchildren.
“Y
Yo
ou
uh
av
a
ve g
“You
have
got to have
the
th
e rri
ight
ght wi
gh
w
ife tto
ife
o put up
the
right
wife
with
hac
oa
o
ach
ch,”
,” Jesse said.
with
coach,”
When
Wh
en a c
o
When
couple
has
bee
be
en m
en
a riie
ar
ed
d that long,
been
married
some
so
meti
time
ti
m s it
i is difficult
sometimes
o fi
fig
g
urre o
ou
u what to
to
gure
out
give
gi
ve e
ach o
ac
give
each
other for
sp
s
pe
ec
ciia
al o
oc
c
special
occasions.
n2
00
05 wh
w
h Jesse
In
2005
when
was facing
wa
ffa
ac
ciin a lifetime
was
of k
idne
id
dne
ne
ey
y dialysis,
of
kidney
La
L
ats
tsy
sy gave
ga her
ga
Latsy
husb
hu
ba
an
n the gift
husband
iiffe,
e, one of her
off llife,
kidn
ki
dn
ney
ey
y
kidneys.
“T Lord
“T
“The
ga
g
av
ve
e us two
gave
kiidn
k
dn
kidneys
so we
co
c
ou give one
could
awa
aw
away,”
she
sa
sa
said.
Jesse
put his degree from ECU, plus a master’s degree from
ro
om
m
the University of Kansas, to good use. For most of
his career, he taught American, economic and world
history.
As head of the social studies department at
Mountain View High School in Mesa, Ariz., he honed
his students’ critical thinking skills in advanced
placement American history, a rigorous college-level
class intended to prepare them for the highest level of
college success.
“He was one of the greatest teachers I ever had at
Mountain View,” Karen Lusk Rydin said on the Coach
Jesse Parker Alumni Facebook page. “He was pretty
cool and his story-telling in class made it so much
fun.”
The page was created by Brian Evans for students,
athletes and their families to comment on Parker’s
influence in their lives.
The road to coaching honors began in Amarillo,
Texas, at Caprock High School where Jesse, as
assistant to John McGuire, learned to make the best
with the players he was given, a lesson he would take
with him.
“The team that wins is not always the most
talented,” he said. “Character means more than
ability, and experience and maturity mean a lot.”
Arizona recruiters came calling and after a brief
stint as assistant coach at Union High School, Jesse
began his head coaching career at Camelback High
School in Phoenix where the Spartans won one state
championship and had a 48-27-2 record.
Jesse left Camelback to head up the football
program at brand new Mountain View and was
undefeated his first year. He led the Toros to four state
championships and finished with a 185-43-2 record.
“Most people can do much more than they think
they can,” Jesse said. “A coach needs to help the
player understand this.”
Athletes from Camelback and Mountain View have
gone on to professional careers with the Cleveland
Browns, Houston Oilers, San Francisco 49ers,
Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons.
Not always known as Mr. Warm and Fuzzy, except
maybe to his grandchildren, Jesse demanded and got
the best out of his players.
“I believe in hard work and discipline with a
strong emphasis on character building through high
expectations,” he said.
After Mountain View, Jesse was hired to restore
discipline to the program at Texas High in Texarkana.
He then went back to Arizona’s Gilbert High School to
close out his career with a winning record.
Jesse is second only to Vern Friedli from
Amphitheater High School in Tuscon in Arizona wins.
Ironically, when the two met on the gridiron, Jesse’s
team won every game. Friedli is still coaching.
“I owe a lot to Coach Parker for the man that I
am today,” said Steve Smith, a former player from
Mountain View. “He always found a way to push me to
the brink of death, or so I thought, just to find a hidden
strength I never knew I had.”
This year Jesse was inducted into the National
High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall
of Fame during its annual convention in Grand
Rapids, Mich. Coaches are recognized for lifetime
achievements on the field and for being leaders and
role models to America’s youth.
“I am so proud of him for the many young men and
women that he has helped along the way,” Latsy said.
Although Jesse misses the association with
players, the games and the chess mentality necessary
for game preparation, he and Latsy are healthy and
happy in their retirement. They enjoy being with family,
traveling and relaxing at their cabin in the White
Mountains of Arizona.
But Coach Parker is not headed for the rocking
chair just yet. Arizona State University has asked him
to evaluate their student teachers and mentor them
this fall. He even had hopes of returning to Idabel to
coach football with his brother, giving credence to his
rule, “You are not allowed to quit.”
So now, when current Tigers look up from their
lockers and see Jesse’s photo and read about his
success, they can dream of things to come.
The
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olumn
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5
After claiming a Lone Star Conference North Division Football Championship
in 2010, ECU’s Tigers are primed to take an even bigger step in the new
Great American Conference in 2011. ECU posted a 5-6 overall record last
season, including an impressive 5-1 mark against LSC North competition.
DEFENSE
“It’s basically all starters back for us. These
guys either started the whole season or started
about half or more of our games,” said head
coach Tim McCarty. “We have a lot of players in
our system who are young, but we feel like they
have gotten a lot of experience.”
LINE
Back for the Tigers is junior defensive end
Armonty Bryant, who was named a D2Football.
com First Team All-American and a Daktronics
Second Team All-American in 2010. He was also
selected to Lindy’s Magazine Preseason AllAmerican list for 2011.
Bryant (6-0,260) was third in the nation in
quarterback sacks in 2010 at 13.5, but topped
all defensive linemen in the country in that
category. He was also among the leaders in
NCAA Division II in tackles for loss with 19. He
also returned one interception and one fumble
for touchdowns and blocked four kicks while
being named Lone Star Conference North Player
of the Week twice and Special Teams Player of
the Week once.
He was also voted LSC North Defensive
Lineman of the Year as only a sophomore.
“He has added about 15 to 20 pounds,
kept his speed and had a great spring for us,”
McCarty said.
Expected to occupy the other defensive
end spot is Lonnell Rice (6-6, 265) who appeared
in 10 games and received several starts after
registering 5.5 tackles for loss, including a pair
of pass breakups in
n 2010.
Also returning
g is
T.J. Peek, who sat out
last season after seeing
eeing
quite a bit of action
n as a
true freshman, along
ng
with junior college
g
transfers Alex King
(6-4, 250), Jason
16 The Columns
Ketchings (6-3, 225) and Otis Brooks (6-5, 240).
“We will be deep and talented at defensive
end,” McCarty said.
The nose guard position will have depth
as junior Erik Howell (6-2, 270) returns while
sophomore Lamares Shields (6-3, 270) and
redshirt freshman Dalton Hunter (6-2, 290) could
figure into the mix.
Howell notched 20 tackles (14 solo), one
for a loss, two pass breakups and a forced
fumble last year. Shields totaled eight tackles
(four solo) with 1.5 stops for lost yards.
Others possibilities at nose guard are
freshmen newcomers Randy Armstrong (65, 230), Garrett Martin (6-3, 230) and Richard
Sheridan (6-2, 250).
LINEBACKERS
Depth should be a rule of thumb for the
Tigers, particularly at outside linebacker with
the return of two LSC North Second Team
honorees, junior Tyler McGrew (5-11, 185) and
sophomore Jameel Whitney (6-1, 215).
McGrew had 30 tackles (16 unassisted)
with six stops for lost yardage, including three
quarterback sacks, to go with a pass breakup
and a 67-yard fumble return for a touchdown
against West Texas A&M. Whitney, a true
freshman in 2010, made an immediate impact
with 34 tackles (23 solo) with 5.5 stops for lost
yards and two QB sacks. He also broke up a
pass and forced a fumble.
Also anticipating playing time at outside
linebacker are junior Dustin Lasell (5-7, 160),
true freshme
freshmen Jamaal Whitney (Jameel’s
younger brothe
brother) and Nathan Locke.
Tarkpor
Tarkpo Willie, Blake Spring and
Stephen Mapp, who have been in the
Step
prog
program
for a year, could also see
some
som action this season.
Returning
at
inside
linebacker
are senior Kerel James
li
(6-0,
(6-0 230) and junior Amos Cherry (6-
0, 220).
James was fourth on the team in total
tackles with 55 last year, including 33 solos. He
also had four tackles for lost yardage with one
sack and two broken up passes. Cherry was
sixth on the squad in stops with 48, including
five tackles for lost yards and 1.5 QB sacks.
Also expected to make an impact are
returnee Ken Berry and University of Oklahoma
transfer Jerico Rogers. Possibly figuring into
the mix are freshmen Carter Grigg and Dillion
Pulliam.
“Overall, we feel like we have depth and
talent at linebacker,” said McCarty.
SECONDARY
Cornerback Dontae Smith (6-1, 180)
was ECU’s other First Team All-LSC North
performer after leading the league with six pass
interceptions, two of which he returned for
scores. Smith, a 6-1, 180-pound senior-to-be,
was named to the Daktronics All-Region First
Team as was Bryant.
Smith was third on the team in total tackles
with 57 (42 solo) to go with six pass breakups
and a recovered fumble.
Senior Austin Daniels (5-9, 160) is expected
to occupy the other corner after compiling 48
tackles (33 unassisted) with a tackle for loss,
three pass interceptions (second on the squad)
and a team-leading 10 pass breakups.
Sophomore Reuben Tiller had a breakout
year as a true freshman and could see playing
time again as a corner after registering 31
tackles (17 solo) with
th two stops for
lost yards and a pairr of recovered
fumbles.
Three redshirts,
s, Qumain Black,
los Nazario, could
Deon Criss and Carlos
make an impact, while
hile freshmen
Bacarri Jackson,
Deshon Wartley and
d
LeQwan Heath may
figure into near-future playing time plans.
At safety, the ringleader of the Tiger
defense is 6-0, 175-pound safety Norris Wrenn,
who has started every game since his freshman
year and was voted a team captain as only a
sophomore last year. Wrenn, who was an AllLSC North Second Team pick, finished second
on the team in total tackles with 64, including 47
solos to go with three interceptions, three pass
breakups and a pair of forced fumbles.
Sophomore Markell Walker (6-1, 185)
received two honorable mention awards
as a safety and return specialist. Perhaps
the highlight of his season was a 100-yard
interception return for a touchdown during a 2019 victory at arch-rival Southeastern Oklahoma
State. Walker ended up with two picks on the
season and topped the team in tackles with
69, including 45 solos, to go with two pass
breakups, a forced fumble and a recovered
fumble.
Other returning players who could see
action at safety are sophomores Brenden Brown
(5-10, 190) and Victor Cooper (5-11, 185).
Redshirt freshman Chance Carey could see
playing time as well while freshmen newcomers
Marcus Caddell and Shawn Hoagland could
make a future impact.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACKS
The Tigers return nine starters on offense,
led by senior quarterback Tyler Vanderzee (6-6,
230).
In his initial season last year, after
transferring from Mt. San Antonio Junior
College (Calif.), he threw for 2,461 yards and 15
touchdowns while completing 51.5 percent of
his passes (189-of-367) with 15 interceptions.
He threw only five picks in the final five games
(one each in a 4-1 finish). He was an honorable
mention all-conference awardee.
“It feels good to have Tyler back. We expect
good things out of him,” McCarty said.
There are three other quarterbacks, Cody
Miller (6-5, 225), Spencer Bond (6-3, 215) and
Robert Thomas (6-2, 200).
“We have enough competition and talent
that all are very capable of seeing the field this
season,” said McCarty.
LINE
Protecting Vanderzee and the backfield up
front is LSC North Offensive Lineman of the Year
Carlos Savala (6-6, 315) at left tackle, along with
three returning starters in left guard Desmund
Farris (6-2, 295), center
ce
Chad Roark (6-2, 300)
and right tackle Rod
Rodney Picou (6-5,
6-5, 300).
Savala was voted Daktronics
ronics Second
Team All-Region tto go with his conference
lineman of the year
yea award while
hile Farris
and Roark nabbed honorable mention
all-conference accolades
acco
in 2010.
0.
Junior Tobyn L
Large (6-3, 305)
05) could
guard. Also vying for
start at right g
starts along the offensive line will be junior
Nathan Vogel (6-2, 270), transfer Colton Cline
(6-4, 300) and redshirt freshman Burgess Shaw
(6-1, 295).
The Tigers have four true freshmen, Cody
Bazzario (6-3, 290), Eli Cook (6-3, 255), Tyler
Whitfield (6-1, 290) and Anthony Mayberry (6-6,
270).
TIGHT ENDS
Only two experienced tight ends return,
sophomore Cody Nall (6-6, 250) and junior
Colter Huff (6-6, 214). As a true freshman, Nall
picked up honorable mention all-conference
honors for his blocking abilities to go with six
receptions for 62 yards while Huff caught seven
passes for 68.
Also expected to figure into possible
playing time are redshirt junior Aury Barrett (61, 210) and true freshman William Kirkpatrick.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The Tigers’ top two returnees will be seniors,
Zack Patteson (6-1, 200) and Chris Espinoza (6-1,
195).
Patteson, an LSC North Second Team pick
in 2010, caught a team-leading 50 passes for 809
yards and three touchdowns after earning AllLSC North First Team honors as a sophomore in
2009.
Espinoza led the team with five TD
receptions, three of which came in a 22-19 home
victory over Eastern New Mexico. His other two
touchdown grabs came in a 36-33 win at Texas
A&M-Commerce, which clinched the LSC North
crown.
Sophomore LaQuan Harper (5-11, 185) was
a medical redshirt last season. Junior Phillip
Pawelek (6-2, 175) latched on to nine passes for
68 yards. McCarty is looking to get playing time
or a start out of junior college transfer George
Robbins (6-4, 190).
Five freshmen newcomers include Adrian
Woodard (6-1, 180), Mariano Dillard (6-0, 180),
Eric Granado (6-2, 205), Devonte McCully (6-5,
210) and Jordan Robinson (6-2, 185).
“This is an unproven area. We’ve got speed
and talent. We’ve just got to find guys who will
make plays in the games at that position,” said
McCarty.
RUNNING BACKS
Charles Opeseyitan (5-11, 220), a transfer
from the University of Tulsa, led ECU rushers
last year with 427 yards on 109 carries for a
3.9 yards per carry average and three rushing
scores as he earned second team all-conference
honors. He had back-to-back
back-to-bac 100-plus yard
rushing games, includ
including 21 carries
for 102 yards in a win
w over Eastern
New Mexico and 121
12 yards on 28
attempts in a big road victory
at Southeastern
Southeas
Oklahoma
State.
Also returning are
Al
sophomores Domonique
sophomo
Massengill (5-11, 205)
Mass
and Justin Todd (5-7, 175). Massengill had a
season-best 104 yards rushing on 21 attempts
in a home loss to Incarnate Word as he finished
the season, netting 238 yards on 78 tries for a
3.1 yards per carry average.
Two new junior college transfers, Chad
Winbush (6-1, 205) and Titus Mobley (5-11, 205),
should also make an impact. Winbush was a
Second Team All-American at the junior college
level last season.
“We feel like our running back position has
real good talent and depth,” McCarty said. “We
have good depth and talent on offense in general.
We just have a couple of positions where we need
to produce better. Consistency will be the key to
success. We’re just looking this season to see if
anyone takes that step forward.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Freshman deep snapper Dalton Wortham
is back after picking up an LSC North honorable
mention award in 2010 as a true freshman.
The Tigers may have to rely on a junior college
transfer, Brian Gonzalez, to handle the kicking and
punting chores.
Walker and Smith are ECU’s return
specialists. Walker ran back 18 punts for 169 yards
for a 9.4 average and one touchdown of 39 yards
for the Tigers’first score in a 23-0 home victory over
Southwestern Oklahoma State. Smith ran back 14
kickoffs for 321 yards, a 22.9 average. His longest
return went for 46 yards.
2011 ECU
Football Schedule
ECU vs Incarnate Word
7 p.m., Sept. 3, San Antonio, TX
ECU vs Ouachita Baptist
6 p.m., Sept. 10, Arkadelphia, AR
ECU vs Northeastern
6 p.m., Sept. 17, Norris Field
ECU vs Southeastern
6 p.m., Sept. 24, Norris Field
ECU vs UCO
2 p.m., Oct. 1, Edmond
ECU vs Southwestern
2 p.m., Oct. 8, Weatherford
ECU vs Arkansas-Monticello
4 p.m., Oct. 15, Norris Field
ECU vs Henderson State
3 p.m., Oct. 22, Arkadelphia, AR
ECU vs Arkansas Tech
2 p.m., Oct. 29, Russellville, AR
ECU vs Harding
2 p.m., Nov. 5, Norris Field
ECU vs Southern Arkansas
2 p.m., Nov. 12, Norris Field
The Columns 17
Long-time Athletic Director
Dr. Tim Green, East
Central University’s
director of athletics from
1981-2006, died April 12
after a lengthy illness. He
was 74.
Green oversaw
ECU’s transition from
the NAIA ranks to NCAA
Division II as well as
many of its athletic
teams excel on the national level.
He was voted NAIA District 9 Athletic Administrator
of the Year for 1990-91.
Green’s passion was instructing future teachers
how to teach children to read, a job he held at ECU
for 10 years prior to taking over the A.D.’s position. He
continued to work with future teachers while holding that
A.D. tag.
In 1974, Green served as faculty representative to
ECU’s athletic conference (Oklahoma Intercollegiate
Conference) and became A.D. when the school’s
D r. T
18 The Columns
previous A.D. died unexpectedly.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma
State University in 1959, the same year he was the
starting right fielder on the university’s 1959 NCAA
national championship baseball team.
After earning his degree from OSU, Green earned a
second bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from
Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. His
doctorate is from the University of Oklahoma.
Green and his teammates were named to the OSU
Hall of Honor and he was inducted into the ECU Athletic
Hall of Fame in 2009.
During his tenure as athletic director, ECU won its
only national championship in 1993 in football, and the
men’s and women’s basketball teams made numerous
appearances at the NAIA national tournament.
That 1993 national football championship season,
under the direction of Hank Walbrick, saw the Tigers roll
to three straight playoff wins, including a 49-35 decision
over Glenville State (W. Va.) in the title game.
In men’s basketball, coach Wayne Cobbs’s Tigers
reached the NAIA national finals before falling to St.
s
t
r
o
im Green All-Sp
r Passes Away
Mary’s (Texas) in the 1989 title game. The Tigers also
made national tournament appearances three straight
years from 1996-98.
“I’ve never been around a better person than Tim
Green. He was as a good a person as you would want
to work with and work for,” said Cobb. “A lot of people
like to give advice. When he gave advice, you paid real
close attention. If everybody in the world was like him,
you wouldn’t have police. He was very knowledgeable
about athletics, something that I don’t think a lot of
people gave him enough credit for.
“He was part of a national championship team
(at OSU) and very few people ever knew. He always
bragged on me or another coach, but he never bragged
on himself. He was in a class of his own.”
The women’s team, under head coach Kent Franz,
also made three straight appearances at the NAIA
national tournament from 1996-98. The 1996-97 squad
achieved its highest national ranking ever at No. 5 and
had a school-best 30-5 record.
“What an extraordinary man he was. He was a
Christian man who lived his life the right way,” said
Franz, who just wrapped up his 20th season at that
post. “He gave me my start at East Central University
as a coach. He was an incredible mentor throughout
his years as an athletic director and beyond. The East
Central family and those whose lives he has touched
will sorely miss him.”
Green also oversaw the addition of four sports
during his tenure at ECU – women’s and men’s cross
country, along with women’s soccer and softball.
He was editor of the Oklahoma Reader for the
Oklahoma Reading Association for 25 years and served
on the Board of Directors for Valley View Regional
Hospital in Ada.
He is survived by his wife Paula, daughter,
Kelly, and her husband, Jeff Maloy, along with four
grandchildren – Patrick, Molly, Christian and Matthew.
Memorials may be made to the Dr. Tim Green
Centennial Scholarship Fund through the East Central
University Foundation, Inc., or to Compassion Outreach
Center through the Central Church of Christ where
Green was a member.
1
1
0
2
c
i
s
s
a
l
C
f
l
o
G
The Columns 19
The Columns 19
ALL ROADS LEAD TO
East Central University
Monday, Oct. 10
Parade
Co
t
r
e
c
n
•
Football
Golf Tourn.
ECU Women’s Soccer vs. Harding University
4 p.m.
ECU Soccer Field
•
Jim Peterik - Classic Rock Concert
7:30 p.m.
Ataloa Theatre
Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
Tuesday, Oct. 11
•
•
5K
Comedy Show
Time TBD
Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
•
School of Business Alumni Luncheon
12 - 1 p.m.
Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom
$10/person
ECU Volleyball vs. Bacone College
7 p.m.
Kerr Activities Center
Part of the season tickets package,
or $18. Ticket information available at
www.ecok.edu/hbffac
Alumni Association 5K Tiger Run
8 a.m.
Wintersmith Park
$25/ entry
Chip timing by DGProductions
•
Golden Tiger Brunch
9:30 a.m.
Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom
Free for Golden Tigers
(graduates of 1961 or before)
$10 for all others
Wednesday, Oct. 12
•
Alpha Phi Sigma Hamburger Fundraiser
11 a.m.
Lawn east of Horace Mann
Thursday, Oct. 13
•
Pep Rally
12:30 - 2 p.m.
The Mall
•
Concert
9 p.m.
Kerr Activities Center
Remember to wear your golden medallion
to the brunch and football game!
•
Athletic Alumni Meeting
11 a.m.
Kerr Activities Center, Room 203
•
Homecoming Parade
Noon
Ada Main Street
•
Honors Program Open House
1 - 3 p.m.
Faust Hall, Room 155
Friday, Oct. 14
•
Alumni Association Golf Tournament
Oak Hills Golf & Country Club
•
11:30 a.m. - hamburger lunch for
all paid golfers
•
1 p.m. Shot Gun start
$100/golfer - Sponsorships Available
www.alumni.ecok.edu
Saturday, Oct. 15
•
Homecoming Activi
20 The Columns
ROA
DTR
IP
•
Special Collections
Library Exhibit
1 - 3 p.m.
Linscheid Library
•
ECU Football vs.
Arkansas-Monticello
4 p.m.
Norris Field
•
Pi Kappa Alpha Dad’s Day &
Alumni Meet & Greet
1 - 3 p.m.
Pike Lounge, Pesagi
•
La Fraqua Revisited
8 p.m.
Ada Elk’s Lodge
•
Chi Omega Alumnae Reunion
& Open House
1 - 3 p.m.
Chi Omega Lounge, Pesagi
•
Math & Computer Science
Department Alumni Reception
1 p.m.
Science Hall, Room 208
•
ECU Social Work Alumni:
“Travel the Road to Reunion!”
1 - 3 p.m.
Horace Mann Building, 2nd Floor
•
Baseball Alumni Game
1:30 p.m.
ECU Baseball Field
•
ECU Band Alumni Meeting
2 p.m.
Kennedy Band Hall,
Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center
•
Homecoming King &
Queen Coronation
3 p.m.
Norris Field
Tiger Tailgate
Pack your cooler and start your grill –
We want you to Tailgate with
us like never before!
Please let us know if you need special
parking for your RV.
EXIT NOW
D
L
IE
Y
STO
P
For more details visit,
www.alumni.ecok.edu
ities 2011
The Columns 21
2011
Greetings from the Alumni Association!
The Alumni Association and East Central
University have wrapped up another successful
reunion season! The spring and summer months
were filled with events from Houston to Tulsa
with stops in Dallas, Ardmore, Ada and
Oklahoma City, just to name a few. We always
he
enjoy seeing our alumni and friends of the
university at our events and I hope you had a
chance to make it to at least one gathering.
culty
The fall semester is here and that means students, faculty
and staff are back on campus and gearing up for another eventful
semester. East Central University is preparing for its first-ever
ver
“Fine Arts Season,” and we have a full schedule of wonderful
rful
productions, programs and recitals. Sign up for your seasonn tickets
today.
ampus
Homecoming is always an exciting time to be back on campus
and this year is no exception. On behalf of the association,
n, I invite
you back for Road Trip 2011 “All Roads Lead to HOMEcoming,”
coming,”
Oct. 14th and 15th. As always, we have many events for you and
your family to enjoy. Along with the 5K Tiger Run, I invitee you
to join us for our other annual activities like the golf tournament,
ament,
Golden Tiger Brunch and parade, as well as the coronationn
ceremony and Homecoming football game. Visit our website at
alumni.ecok.edu for more information and to register for many of
the 2011 Homecoming events.
There are so many ways to get involved and stay connected
with ECU. I encourage you to check out the campus events calendar
ar
at www.ecok.edu for more information on events and activities goingg
on around campus and in the Ada community.
As always, it’s a wonderful time to be a Tiger and I look
forward to seeing you on campus this fall.
Go Tigers!
Tiffany Grant, Class of ‘07
President, ECU Alumni Association
22 The Columns
Alumni Reunions
The
Th
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he Columns
Co
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olu
lumn
mns 23
23
OU PRESIDENT BOREN HONORS WIFE
WITH DONATION TO ECU FOUNDATION
OU President David Boren
and Molly Shi Boren
A $5,000 gift from University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren
to the East Central University Foundation Inc. will increase the endowment
fund of an ECU scholarship named for his wife, Molly Shi Boren.
With the endowment now at $15,000, the scholarship will provide
additional assistance for the recipient and will be known as the Molly Shi
Boren Centennial Scholarship. It will be awarded to a freshman, based on
need, and will continue until the student graduates, as long as the student is
enrolled in at least 12 hours each semester and maintains a 2.0 grade point
average.
“It has been a pleasure working with the Borens on this scholarship,”
said Phyllis Danley, executive director of the ECU Foundation. “A chance
meeting and a casual conversation at Folger’s Hamburger Drive-In led
to the establishment of this scholarship at the Centennial level, and ECU
students for years to come will benefit from the Borens’ generosity.”
Molly Boren, a native of Ada, taught school after receiving an English
degree from ECU. She completed both a master’s degree in English and
a law degree at OU. She began practicing law in Ada and was a special
district judge for Pontotoc County from 1975 until 1977 when she married
then-Gov. David Boren. She was one of the youngest female judges in
Oklahoma history.
She was the first woman to serve on the Oklahoma Bar Association
board of trustees and the first woman elected to the board of directors for
the Ada Chamber of Commerce. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall
of Fame in 2004.
Pi Kappa Alpha Reunion Held
On Aug. 6, in OKCBricktown, alumni of the
Epsilon Omega chapter of PI
KAPPA ALPHA gathered for
their annual reunion.
There were alums from
five different decades in
attendance. A great time
was had, as old friendships
were rekindled and new ones
made.
The evening was
highlighted by a short speech
from fellow PIKE and ECU
President John Hargrave.
The 2012 Epsilon Omega
Alumni Reunion will be held
Aug. 4, 2012, (location TBD)
and the 50th Anniversary
(on ECU campus) and
Alumni Reunion/Celebration
is scheduled for Aug. 2-4,
2013, in Ada.
24 The Columns
For more information, please visit www.EastCentralPIKES.com
or email [email protected].
HOMECOMING EVENT
Home
comin
Event g
HOMECOMING EVENT
HOMECOMING EVENT
HOMECOMING EVENT
For a complete list of scheduled events, including ECU Theatre
productions and art shows, and for ticket information,
visit www.ecok.edu/hbffac.
The Columns 25
New York Gallery Exhibits Art Linked to ECU
New York
art gallery Benrimon
Contemporary hosted a group exhibition May 14June 18 that examined the impact of a small liberal
arts university – East Central University – on the
contemporary art world.
“Red Country Pictures,” curated by Dr. Bradley
Jessop and Justin Irvin, offered a glimpse at the art
of ECU over several generations through works on
paper, paintings and sculptures from 11 artists who
are all linked to ECU.
Jessop is director of ECU’s School of Fine Arts.
Irvin is the registrar for Benrimon Contemporary and
an ECU graduate.
“Basically, I had the idea for this show because,
being an ECU grad, I knew about all the great artists
that have passed through ECU over the years,” Irvin
said.
‘Red Country Pictures’ was similar to ECU’s
annual faculty show, he said, just on a bigger stage.
In addition, including emerging artists and past
students made it more of a generational survey of
ECU.
“I showed Leon Benrimon, the owner/director,
and Molly Sampson, assistant director, some work
from the artists I wanted to include and they loved it
all,” Irvin said. “I told them that for several possible
reasons, every 10-15 years or so this small school in
Ada, Okla., has a great group of artists come through.
“And I just wanted to highlight some of these
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artists in a group show. Leon loved the idea of
focusing a show on one particular institution’s impact
on the art world, and said he didn’t remember a show
doing something like that before, particularly in a
contemporary gallery setting.”
ECU’s art department was created and staffed
by Columbia University graduate Ida Hoover. In the
late 1930s, another Columbia graduate, Emma Box,
brought the teachings of Hans Hoffman to ECU. The
result was the first significant graduate from ECU,
Leon Polk Smith, who has joined the art historical
canon as one of the founders of hard-edged painting
from the 1940s through the 1980s.
Hoover and Box later were joined by Kenneth
Campbell and DJ “Pete” Lafon. Lafon was chair of
the Art Department from 1964 until 1984. Under Lafon,
the faculty exhibited widely throughout the Southwest
and was collectively known as the Ada Trio. Lafon
combined classical realism and social commentary in
his work.
Deloss McGraw attended ECU during this period
and picked up on Lafon’s lyricism and wit. While
McGraw attended a number of other institutions, this
lyrical quality is still a part of his complex, literate and
intensely colorful oeuvre.
Since the 1990s, artists from ECU have gone on to
teach at more than a dozen colleges.
Artists from this period are represented by
California-based Gerald Clarke, a former ECU faculty
member who explores concepts of native sovereignty
and legacy; Jessop, who biographically records
his life with art as a vehicle for nexus; Kate Rivers,
who assembles the debris of the culture to create a
personal anchor in collage; and Aaron Hauck, whose
work encompasses his fascination and annoyance
with consumerism and how the resulting energy
waste, material consumption, transportation methods
and litter affect the culture and the environment.
Four ECU graduates joined them in the exhibit.
Vance Wingate manipulates a self-imposed set of
rules to investigate the tension between rigid systems
and intuitive intervention. Justin Irvin’s collages offer
something recognizable yet unfamiliar and are the
whimsical results of an interest in Surrealism, religion
and astronomy.
Mark Hatley’s work ranges in style, yet is
consistently modern, focusing primarily on
manifestations of physical and chemical energy as
subject and nature as the source. Blake Morgan’s
deep, almost Baroque surfaces add new dimensions
to the landscapes and figures that populate his work.
“Red Country Pictures” included artists who are
at different points in their careers, established artists
such as Polk Smith and McGraw, mid-career artists
currently on staff at ECU and elsewhere who are
showing in the Midwest and on the West Coast, as
well as emerging artists who are just beginning their
professional careers.
Irvin also wanted to do the show to bring more
recognition to “middle America.”
“There are countless talented artists between the
coasts and hopefully this show will give a little more
credit to this group and the region in general,” he
Pictured left to right are the artists who attended
the opening show in New York: Aaron Hauck, ECU
faculty; Brad Jessop, ECU faculty; Mark Hatley,
ECU class of 2004; Kate Rivers, ECU faculty; Blake
Morgan, ECU class of 2003; Justin Irvine, ECU class
of 2003.
Not pictured: Vance Wingate, ECU class of 1985;
Deloss McGraw, attended 1965-1966; Gerald Clarke,
former ECU faculty; DJ Lafon, former ECU faculty
(deceased) and Leon Polk Smith, ECU class of 1934
(deceased).
said. “I think people on the East and West Coasts are
interested in that part of the country, I just don’t think
it’s an ‘active’ interest. But I do think if something
like an art show or film or Broadway play focuses on
a place like Ada, Okla., and is presented well, people
are interested to see what it’s about.
A portion of the proceeds from the show were to
go toward a scholarship fund set up in honor of DJ
LaFon and the other members of the Ada Trio.
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Johnson Receives State Award
Carlos E. Johnson, CPA,
Ed.D., of Oklahoma City, is
the recipient of the American
Institute of Certified Public
Accountants’ Special
Recognition Award for
his more than 40 years of
exemplary service to the
CPA profession.
The AICPA’s Special
Recognition Award is given
to an individual who has
contributed to the success
of a particular professional initiative - contributions of an
outstanding nature.
Johnson is a 1964 ECU graduate and has served on
the ECU Foundation’s Board of Trustees for a number of
years. He is the current chair of the National Association of
State Boards of Accountancy’s Committee on the Uniform
Accountancy Act, which is the template for state-level
accounting legislation nationwide.
Dr. Bill Osborne Retires
After 19 Years at ECU
Dr. Bill Osborne, dean of
the College of Education and
Psychology and an ECU alum,
retired in May after 19 years of
devotion to ECU.
Osborne came to ECU as
director of the Grants Research
Information Center. Among the
grants he wrote and received
was a $1.5 million grant in 1993
for a Strengthening Institutions
Program. He became a faculty
member in ECU’s Department
of Education in 1997 to
help start the superintendent
certification program. He was acting dean of what is now
the College of Education and Psychology for a year and
was dean from 2001 until he retired.
Osborne’s awards include the 1992 Quinten S.
Mathews Award from the National Council of University
Research Administrators’ Region V Executive Committee,
the 1993 Malcolm Baldrige Award for Excellence for
evaluating American institutions for excellence, and the
1994 regional TRIO Achiever of the Year Award.
He received a bachelor’s degree in education in 1970
and a master of education degree in 1973, both from
ECU, and a doctor of education degree in 1987 from the
University of Oklahoma. He also earned certifications
from OU in secondary administration and as a public
school superintendent.
28 The Columns
Danley Named Director of
University Advancement
Phyllis Danley (’73),
executive director of the East
Central University Foundation,
Inc., since September 2009, has
been named director of university
advancement and alumni relations.
While continuing to manage the
foundation’s approximately $25
million asset base and its fundraising
activities, she will also oversee
alumni and advancement functions.
The foundation, which was
established in 1970, uses interest
income from endowments and
donations to provide numerous scholarships to ECU students
and also is an active part of fundraising for other needs of the
university.
Danley was affiliated with the East Central Credit Union for
over 28 years, serving as CEO from 1995 through 2009.
Danley is the daughter of the late Dr. James O. Danley and
the late Wanita Danley-Plunk, who both taught at the university
for a number of years. Dr. Danley also served as the chair of
the math department and dean of the Graduate School, and was
instrumental in establishing the Ardmore Higher Ed Center and
the Continuing Education Department at ECU. His wife, Wanita,
taught English for several years and also worked as director of
the Higher Ed Center.
“ECU has been an integral part of my life for over 50
years,” Danley said, “and working for both the foundation and
the university is an exciting and fulfilling way to give back to the
university and to enrich my family’s heritage.”
Forbes Named Vice President
Dr. Jerry Forbes became
ECU’s vice president for student
development on July 1. He oversees
programs and services designed to
help students develop to their full
potential, including recruitment and
retention, financial aid, campus life
and leadership, student government,
student health services, disability
services, international student
programs, career development,
several federal grants, and housing,
residence life and dining services.
Forbes had been dean of
students at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville since
January 2008. He was hired as ATU’s first associate dean and
director of retention services in 2005 specifically to oversee and
improve student retention rates. During Forbes’ tenure, ATU
experienced an increase of almost 1,200 students, a 40 percent
increase in students living on campus and a 7 percent increase in
retaining first-year students.
The Columns 29
30 The Columns
ECU’s Evening of Honors and Recognition
Distinguished Former Faculty Award
Distinguished Former Faculty Award
Jeff Frederick (center), a retired music professor and director of
choral activities at ECU, accepts the Distinguished Former Faculty
Award from ECU President John Hargrave. Dr. Mark Hollingsworth
(left) assists. Frederick retired from ECU in 1998.
Dr. Elmer Brown (left) receives the Distinguished Former Faculty
Award at ECU from Dr. Nick Cheper, chair of the Biology Department, and ECU President John Hargrave. Brown retired from ECU in
2000 as a professor of biology.
Distinguished Family Award
Distinguished Service Award
Phyllis Danley (front row, left), executive director of the ECU
Foundation Inc., sits with the Bulman Family, named ECU’s
Distinguished Family for 2011. Members of the family are John
David Bulman (front row, second from left), Bronson Warren, Jack
Penner, Grace George, Berta Bulman, and Dr. John Bulman; (middle
row) Kyle Bulman, Kerri Bulman, Kamryn Bulman, Kaitlyn Bulman,
Elizabeth Thompson, Rick Thompson, Becky Thompson, Dr. Allene
Warren and Suzanne Coyle; shown with (back row) ECU President
John Hargrave.
Members of the Horne family, the recipient of ECU’s Distinguished
Service Award, are Jeanetta Horne Bagwell (front row, from left);
Twylah Horne, Bill J. Horne Sr., Jenonne Horne Kessler, Kenda
Horne, Judy Horne, Allison Horne; and (middle row) Carson
Thetford, Trey Petty, Christina Thetford, Jenny Horne, Katie Horne,
Karen Horne, Sarah Petty, Joshua Horne, Zachary Horne; and (back
row) Steve Bagwell, Bill Horne Jr., Jeremy Franklin, Ned Kessler,
Cameron Horne, Jay Horne and Steve Horne.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Distinguished Alumni Award
Elizabeth Smith (second from right) accepts a bronze tiger
from Tiffany Grant, president of the ECU Alumni Association.
Participating in the ceremony are ECU President John Hargrave
(from left); Buffy Lovelis, director of alumni relations; Grant; and Dr.
Bill Osborne, dean of ECU’s School of Education and Psychology.
Smith is a 7th grade reading teacher and the girls’ assistant basketball
coach at Byng Junior High School and the 2011 Oklahoma Teacher of
the Year.
Stephanie Canada (second from right) one of ECU’s Distinguished
Alumni for 2011, poses with ECU President John Hargrave (from
left); Buffy Lovelis, director of alumni relations; Tiffany Grant,
president of the ECU Alumni Association; and Dr. Bill Osborne,
dean of ECU’s School of Education and Psychology. Canada, an
instructor of education and kinesiology at ECU, She is a former
Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
The Columns 31
How to Give
to YOUR University
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 faculty, staff and
students of the future.
Whatever the reason, donor gifts are
important to the Foundation and to the
University, and we want to make sure that you
are aware of all of the different ways that you
can donate.
The 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 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.
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32 The
The Columns
Columns
There are many ways to give to ECU.
Here are the most common types of gifts...
Gifts of Insurance
Gifts of Cash, Check or
Credit Card
Gifts of Real
Property
These gifts are always welcome
because they are available
immediately to strengthen the
Foundation and the University or
begin earning income for the future.
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 Foundation.
When the 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.
Gifts-in-Kind
Donations of software, licenses,
services, vendor products and other
property also support the mission
and programs of ECU. These gifts-inkind allow the Foundation to use our
resources for other needs while you
get credit for your support.
Gifts of Trusts
This can include charitable remainder
trusts, unitrusts, lead trusts, family
trusts, annuity trusts, etc., that can
avoid capital gains taxes and provide
an annual income for life.
Gifts of Securities
These gifts include stocks, bonds,
mutual funds and IRAs, and are also
available immediately to impact the
work of the Foundation.
Gifts of Personal
Property
Personal property can include
coin collections, antique cars,
gun collections, artwork, musical
instruments, etc.
Naming the Foundation as the owner
and 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.
By assigning ownership to the
Foundation and making the
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
Foundation and deduct that gift as a
charitable contribution.
Proceeds of the policy will pass to the
Foundation free of estate taxes. New
policies may also be obtained listing
the Foundation as the owner and/or
beneficiary as a part of financial or
estate planning.
The ULTIMATE Gift:
Wills & Estate Planning
The will is the most widely used
estate-planning tool in America today.
A simple document that is easily
drafted and updated, it remains the
most popular method of planned
giving for almost every charity,
including the ECU Foundation.
There are five types of charitable
bequests you can make when
directing all or part of your estate to
the Foundation:
identified property or security,
including real estate, stocks or bonds.
5. Restricted Bequest: any of
the above bequests with a specific
purpose for the property, such
as establishing a scholarship or
endowment.
3. Residuary Bequest: all or a
portion of an estate’s property after
all debts, taxes, expenses and other
bequests have been made.
4. Contingent Bequest: the
Foundation serves as an alternate
beneficiary in case a beneficiary dies
or disclaims a bequest.
While a will can be a simple and
effective option for many, a living trust
might allow assets to be distributed
to heirs without the delays or costs of
probate. Be sure to consult with a
qualified professional before you
draft your will or trust, and review
it often.
1. General Bequest: an agreedupon dollar amount.
2. Specific Bequest: a specific,
ECU Foundation, Inc. & Advancement
Phyllis Danley
Director of ECU Foundation, Inc. & Advancement
[email protected]
Business: 580-559-5514
Cell: 580-272-3575
1100 E. 14th Street, PMB Y-8 
Dr. Gerald Williamson
Development Officer
[email protected]
Business: 580-559-5590
Cell: 580-421-7621
Ada, OK 74820
The Columns 33
Thanks for your service
We asked our alums to tell us if they
have served in the military.
Here are some of the 44 responses.
(edited excerpts from original emails)
George W. Palmer,
(‘73, B.A., SpanishHistory-Education)
U.S. Army/Intelligence
Overton “Buck” Cheadle, the Indian
counselor at ECU from 1975-84,U.S.
Navy, 1943-45. Rehabilitated wounded
sailors during WWII.
Rev. Robert S. Duran Sr. (MSHR
‘02)
(Pastor, Antlers First UMC, Soper UMC,
United Methodist Church).
U.S. Air Force, active duty 1968-1971.
USAFSS, SSGT (E-5) discharge rank.
Overseas duty at Clark Air Base,
Republic of the Philippines, 1970-1971.
Lawrence Barnett (1952, 1957)
• U.S. Navy, 1945-47
• U.S. Air Force,
1950-53
• Oklahoma National
Guard, 1955-57
“I received my high
school diploma while in
the Navy from the GED
test and am told I was
among the first
to receive this!”
Maj. Gen. Tony L.
Corwin, (Ret.)
Commissioned a
second lieutenant in
the Marine Corps in
May 1973. Retired as a
major general.
He was the
commanding officer
of 2d Battalion, 8th Marines, and
deployed the battalion as the ground
combat element for the 24th Marine
Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special
Operations Capable (SOC). During the
first Gulf War, the battalion participated
in operations in Northern Iraq.
He was assigned to the Pentagon
in 1992 and returned to the 2d Marine
Division in 1995, assuming command
of the 8th Marine Regiment. In 1996, he
deployed a Special Purpose MAGTF to
Liberia and subsequently served as the
commander, Joint Task Force Assured/
Quick Response.
In 1997 he became the Marine Corps
programs officer, Office of Legislative
Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps.
In 1999 he was promoted to brigadier
general and reassigned as the legislative
assistant to the commandant. In 2004
he was reassigned as the director,
expeditionary warfare, OPNAV N75, and
was promoted to major general.
Corwin is a senior principle with the
Blank Rome law firm in Washington,
D.C., and the lead for defense
and national security issues in the
Government Relations Practice Group.
Riley William (Bill) Bailey Jr. (‘69)
USAF pilot, 1969-79. Flew 100 Young
Tiger Missions, Vietnam 1971-72.
Currently, owner of Little Glasses Resort
and Marina at Lake Texoma.
34 The Columns
Kevin W. Wells, OD, FAAO (‘92)
Four years in ROTC at ECU, eight years
combined U.S. Army and Oklahoma
National Guard.
Richard Kevin O’Brien, ‘05
Bachelor’s degree in history/teaching
certification. Captain in the U.S. Marine
Corps flying F/A-18’s with VMFA (AW)533, stationed in Beaufort, S.C.
John Fred Jumper (‘70)
Dropped out of Ada High School
in 1960. Served in U.S. Army 196063. Attended ECU from 1964 to 1970.
Worked for U.S. Customs Service from
1970 to 2005. Rose to position of district
director of customs in Port Arthur, Texas.
Received honorary Ada High School
Diploma in 1985, 15 years after receiving
bachelor’s degree from ECU.
Attended Teletype Intercept School in
Fort Devens, Mass., for the U.S. Army
Security Agency. Spent two years in
England serving at Menwith Hill which
according to the internet is the largest spy
base in the world. “Married an English
girl and my first daughter was born in
England. We have been married for 48
years and have three daughters and six
grandsons and four great grandchildren.
Returning to Ada in 1963, I worked
odd jobs and began to attend East
Central. I graduated in 1970 with a
double major in history and sociology
and was hired by the U.S. Customs
Service. I worked as an inspector and
supervisor and manager in Texas at
Roma, DFW Airport, Brownsville,
Houston and Port Arthur, and at Nassau,
Bahamas.
I owe my career to ECU. I participate
in ECU’s Career Days every year. I now
live in Highland Village, Texas.”
Sheryl Ann Gaut
Toyer (‘82)
Graduated from Nursing
Program. Served in U.S.
Army from December
1980 until retiring in
September 2004. Now
working travel nursing.
Capt. Mark E. Pike, MPH, RPES
(‘85)
Except for a brief sabbatical, was
an engineer officer with the Oklahoma
Army National Guard, 120th Engineer
Battalion, Okmulgee, May 1980
through May 1988. Currently in U.S.
Public Health Service as an O-6\Capt.
Is the branch chief for Division of
Environmental Health & Engineering –
Environmental Health Services Branch,
Tucson Area Indian Health Service.
Maj. Edward Lee
Hobbs Jr. (‘95)
In U.S .Army at
Kirtland Air Force
Base, N.M., assigned
to Defense Threat
Reduction Agency,
Albuquerque. Selected
for promotion to
lieutenant colonel. Was an Army aviator
flying the OH-58, Blackhawk, Apache
and Longbow Apache from 19952004. Attended Air Force Institute of
Technology, earned a MS in nuclear
engineering in 2006. Married to Kathy
(‘95) with two children, Trey (13) and
Jacob (9). Parents are Edward and
Nancy Hobbs.
Timothy Ezell (‘95)
U.S. Navy, 1977 to 1982. “I served
aboard the 7th fleet flagship the USS
Oklahoma City, the propellers of which
are now sitting outside Oklahoma City,
from December 1978-January 1979.
It was my first ship out of A school
and it was my first trip to the Western
Pacific.
The ship was one of the last with teak
decks. I used to take naps on that deck.
To me it was as comfortable as any bed.
I went through my first typhoon on
her. We were on a joint exercise with the
Japanese Defense Force flagship as well
as the Australian flagship.
During the night you could tell that
weather was getting rough. She was a
relatively large ship and she began to roll
James David Hammond (‘69)
Commissioned as a second lieutenant
in U.S. Marine Corps at graduation
ceremony and was a career officer until
retiring in 1989 as a lieutenant colonel.
Served in Vietnam and was awarded
the Bronze Star for valor in combat
leading a rifle platoon and company in
combat. Served in the Middle East as the
antiterrorism officer for the Persian Gulf
area.
Personal military awards include
the Bronze star with combat V, the
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two
awards), Navy Commendation Medal,
Navy Achievement Medal and 12 other
personal and unit awards.
Awarded All Conference Honor as
a tight end on ECU’s football team his
junior and senior years. Has master’s
degrees in psychology from the
University of Northern Colorado and
strategic intelligence (Distinguished
Graduate) from the Defense Intelligence
College, Washington, D.C.
After retiring, founded Cammond
Industries, a metal manufacturing
company, in Ada and sold it in 2008.
Now the plant manager. Company
received the Governor’s Award
for Excellence in 2005. Also was
chairman of the board of the Oklahoma
Manufacturer Alliance. Married to his
wife Linda (ECU alum) for 42 years and
has two children, Heather, an attorney,
and Jason (deceased).
John Hudson (‘82)
Served in U.S.
Marine Corps from
1966-70. Is a Viet Nam
combat action veteran,
with a tour of duty from
1967-68 during the Tet
Offensive. Later attended
college, mostly on the GI
Bill, and earned a B.S. in
business. Since he was
employed full-time and
it was long before online
classes were available,
he attended night school
every semester for eight years. He
is senior vice president of operations
& engineering at People’s Electric
Cooperative in Ada where he’s worked
for 36 years. He’s married to Karen
Hudson (‘85), and they have four children
and five grandchildren.
Kenneth “Wayne” Lee (‘89 gov’t)
Enlisted 1985 U.S. Army Reserve.
Commissioned 1988 ECU ROTC 1989 Distinguished Military Graduate
assigned to Oklahoma Army National
Guard. Platoon leader, executive
officer, company commander - Company
C, 45th Infantry. Completed Airborne and
Air Assault schools. Awarded ARCOM
and AAM Medals. Ended service after
serving one year as sergeant/squad leader,
2000.
Lt. James G. Upchurch (‘67)
Lt. Lawrence Beck (‘67)
U.S. Marine Corps, from Ada and
Lubbock, Texas. Died March 25, 1969.
Played varsity football and charter
member of Phi Kappa Tau.
U.S. Marine Corps, from Paoli. Died
January 1969, Vietnam.
and heave with the storm. I went out on
the fantail the first thing in the morning
and the waves were cresting far above
the main deck. I turned and looked at the
ocean in awe. For once I was truly awed
at the sea. I looked for’ard and the bow
was slamming into the waves at about
20 knots and the entire front half of the
ship was awash in white foam. I looked
aft and the Soviet fishing trawler that
had been following us was being tossed
around like a toy. I kind of felt sorry for
those fellows.
We spent five days in that storm and
it proved to me that even typhoons can
get a bit dull if you spend enough time in
one.
We went through that storm for the
sole reason of intercepting the Soviet
fleet and to get a look at their new and
only air craft carrier, the Petropavlosk,
and the guided missile cruiser, the Minsk.
When we came along side, the Soviet
sailors, some women, since they had
women on their warships then when we
didn’t, were lined up in rigid ranks. They
saluted us as we came alongside. On our
deck the action was so different and yet
so telling of our culture. The CIA had
told us that we could take all the pictures
we wanted to of the Soviet ships, but
that they wanted to take a look at them
and we could have them back. When
we came alongside the Minsk and the
Soviets saluted, all they saw on our decks
was the flash of cameras. It reminded me
of paparazzi chasing a movie star. The
contrast was so extreme I had to laugh.”
The Columns 35
Tiger Tracks...
GRADS IN THE NEWS
See the full stories at
www.alumni.ecok.edu/news
After
teaching
throughout
Oklahoma
for a combined 73
years, Danny(‘69) and Kit (‘74)
Jacobs retired and moved to
Purcell...
Susan
Ingram (’08,
’11) receives
first Dr. Marvin Kroeker
Annual Best
Historical Research Paper Award
from the retired ECU history professor. She wrote about Louise
Hornbeak and her two sisters...
Fredda Perry (’70) recalls years
as Purcell teacher and business
owner...
Cindy Adams
(’94, ’03) is the
Association
for Career and
Technical Education’s Region IV
Teacher of the
Year...
Karen James (‘92), BancFirst
executive vice president and
regional executive, is chair of
the Board of Directors of Rural
Enterprises of Oklahoma...
Rodney Gray
(’72), CPA, was
inducted into
the Oklahoma
Accounting Hall
of Fame on
June 10...
36 The Columns
Rozalin
Austin
and Chad Roark,
(both attending),
exchanged
wedding vows May 14,
2011, at Cross Point
Camp in Kingston,
Okla., with a special guest. The ceremony was in an amphitheater on
the water of Lake Texoma. As the sun
was setting and the guests had been
served at the reception in a wooded
area, the DJ loudly played the ECU
Fight Song and Roary made his grand
entrance. “It was a total surprise to all
the guests and they loved it! Everyone
stood up and clapped with the song.
ECU students even sang along!” Chad
will finish his last season with the ECU
football team this fall and graduate in
December with a bachelor’s degree
in physical education with teacher’s
certification plus a master’s degree
in sports administration. Rozalin will
graduate in December with a degree
in exercise science.
Emily Whitson and
Kyle Forgety (attending) exchanged wedding vows April 30,
2011, at Trinity Baptist
Church, Ada. Emily
graduated from Latta
High School in 2009
and is employed at Kellogg and Sovereign Consulting, Ada. Kyle graduated
from Seminole High School in 2007.
Keri Dawn Jones and Gene Garrett
(attended), exchanged wedding vows
June 4, 2011, at the
home of Dr. David
and Penny Martin.
Keri, a 2004 graduate
in emergency medicine, is a homemaker. Gene graduated
from Stonewall High
School in 1974 and attended ECU.
He is the owner of Heartland Frontier
Trading Company.
Megan Byrd (’11)
and Todd Martin
(02),
exchanged
wedding vows March
12, 2011, at Asbury
Methodist
Church.
Megan is a Latta High
School graduate, and
received a bachelor’s
degree in human services counseling
from ECU. Todd graduated from Ada
High School and earned a bachelor’s
degree in criminal justice from ECU.
Kirsten Krum (’11) and Cody Griffin
(’10, ’11), exchanged wedding vows
June 11, 2011, at The Wildwood Inn
in Denton, Texas. Kirsten graduated
from ECU with a degree in business
administration/finance. Cody graduated from ECU in 2010 with a degree
in exercise science and received a degree in biology in May 2011.
Hillary Dawn Miller (’10) and Robert
Tyler Brown (attending), Stonewall,
exchanged wedding vows July 23,
2011, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Hillary is a graduate of Ada High School.
She graduated from ECU with a bachelor’s degree in education. Robert, a
graduate of Stonewall High School,
is majoring in kinesiology at ECU.
Jacobi Elizabeth Nichols (’09) and
Braden Chase Whatley exchanged wedding vows June 11,
2011, at Dornick Hills
Country Club, Ardmore. She graduated
from Healdton High
School and earned a
bachelor’s degree in
political science from ECU. She is a
student at the University of Oklahoma
College of Law and plans to earn her
juris doctorate in May 2012. Braden
is a graduate of Wilson High School
and is an engineering student at Oklahoma City Community College. He is
a licensed mechanical apprentice with
Hardesty Team in Oklahoma City.
What’s up with your fellow alums?
Courtney Cowan and
Max Oliver (’08),
exchanged
wedding vows April 23,
2011, at the amphitheater in Wintersmith Park. Courtney is a 2006 graduate of Ada High
School. She is the manager of Smart
Style Salon in Ada. Max graduated from Battiest High School and
earned a master’s degree in education at ECU. He is employed at ECU.
Kasey West (’10) and Kolbie Brown
(’10) exchanged wedding vows June
4, 2011, at Trinity Baptist Church in
Ada. Kasey graduated from Latta High
School and received a degree in business administration from ECU. Kolbie
graduated from Latta High and from
ECU with a degree in cartography.
Bradey Leann Riddle
(’08) and Cody Brent
Mavroulis exchanged
wedding vows June 4,
2011, at Harn Homestead in Oklahoma
City. Bradey graduated from Davis High
School and received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from
ECU. Cody graduated from AbileneCooper High School and attended
Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
Ashley
Forehand
(’04) and Zac Brady
(’08), exchanged wedding vows June 7,
2011, at the Sheraton
Resort in Maui, Hawaii.
Ashley is a graduate
of Byng High School
and earned a bachelor’s degree in
business administration/finance at
ECU. Zac is a graduate of Ada High
School and graduated from ECU with
a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Jason Wilkerson (’07) is the new
Durant High School boys basketball
coach He previously coached at
Skiatook and Marlow. He played basketball for ECU and graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in exercise science.
Robin Pearce (’07) and Matthew
Frederickson exchanged wedding
vows April 30, 2011, at St. Joseph
Catholic Church, Ada. Robin is an Ada
High graduate and completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at ECU. Matthew graduated from Vanoss High.
Shawna Harrison (’98, ’07), a teacher
at Glenwood Early Childhood Center,
was named Ada City Schools’ Teacher
of the Year. She has a bachelor’s degree in speech and education and a
master of education degree from ECU.
Crystal Carter (’06) and
Odie Heck (’04), were
married March 11, 2011, at
Fittstown Church of Christ.
Crystal graduated from
Stonewall High School in
2002 and earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from ECU.
Odie graduated from Coalgate High
School and from ECU with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies.
Jeremy Humphers (’96) has been
promoted to vice president for accounting at Devon Energy in Oklahoma City.
Monica
Chamblee
Cowart
(’91)
and
Rob Neal (attended)
were married Jan. 23,
2011. Monica earned
a bachelor’s degree in
business
administration and is the senior
vice president of corporate services at Peoples Electric Cooperative
in Ada. Rob is an attorney in Ada.
Greg Pruitt (’92) never imagined
owning his own company. After trying his hand at teaching music and
corporate sales, he replied to a newspaper ad about a limo for sale and
leapt into business ownership. See
the full story at alumni.ecok.edu/news.
Dr. Dean McDaniel (‘86), Victoria,
Texas, medical director for Citizens
Bariatric Center, has been voted the
Crossroads’ best weight loss surgeon.
He performed the region’s first laparoscopic gastric bypasss surgery in 2000.
C.J. Vires (‘87)
has been named
vice president
for academics
and enrollment
management at
Freed-Hardeman
University in
Henderson, Tenn., a private school
which is affiliated with the churches
of Christ. He had been director of
academic success since July 2010
after serving nearly 11 years in
administrative roles at ECU. “I’m
excited about the opportunity to
serve the students and faculty at
Freed-Hardeman, and I’m thankful
for the many learning opportunities
provided while I was at ECU as
an administrator, graduate student
and undergraduate student,” Vires
said. “I would not be prepared to
serve in this new role without the
encouragement, teaching and
mentoring by so many faculty and
colleagues at ECU.”
Donnie Nero
(‘71), retired
president of
Connors State
College, was
inducted into
the Oklahoma
Educators Hall
of Fame on Aug. 12 in Oklahoma
City. Nero earned a bachelor’s
degree in health, physical
education and recreation at ECU
and both his master’s degree in
educational administration and
his doctorate in occupational and
adult education at Oklahoma State
University. He is a 2002 ECU
Distinguished Alumnus.
Carolyn Thomas (’04), former
principal of Dickson Middle
School, is the new director of
special education for Ardmore
City Schools. She has a master’s
degree in administration from ECU.
The Columns 37
We Want to Hear from You!
Send your Tiger Tracks information today to [email protected]
We want to send a FREE T-shirt to your child and/or grandchild!
Share your photo and we’ll publish it in an upcoming edition of The Columns.
Jordan Kade
Darbison, son of
Kristopher (‘09) &
Destiny (’10)
Darbison
Colt & Rhett
Fagan, sons of
Cody (’06) &
Rheanna (’05 &
’06) Fagan
Aidyn James & Rhys Gaven
Moreland, sons of Syrena (’01, ’05)
& Brandon (’01, ’05, ’09)
Moreland.
38 The Columns
Makena Preslee
Lane, daughter of
Beau (’03) & Alisha
Lane
Brody, Braelyn & Blaze Berlowitz,
Children of Jason & Melanie HaleBerlowitz ‘97
In Memoriam
George Ann Ables, 1942
Evan Anderson, attended
Cindy Balthrop, attended
Joseph Walter Barksdale, attended
John Binkley, attended
Dr. Jill M. Black, 1983
Jerry Don Cacy, 1965
Bobby Dathan Caton, 1964
Geneva Davies, 1933
Meghan Delobe, attended
Debra J. Edwards, attended
Gladys Eldridge, 1940
Juanita V. Ellis, attended
Lyndall Lucille Ezell, attended
Sheryl Ann Farmer, 1999
Rosemary Floyd, attended
Austin Johnson,
son of Brandon
(’96) & Melody
(’00 & ’01)
Johnson
Carsyn Leigh
Lovelis, daughter
of Greg (’04, ‘07)
& Buffy (’05, 08)
Lovelis
Adryn, Brayden, and Tytus Ingle,
sons of Daniel & Kassie Ingle ‘09
The ECU family offers our deepest sympathy to the
families of the alumni and friends we have lost
Lorene Fuller, 1941
Roxie Golden, attended
Dr. Timothy Green, attended
Roy Joe Grimes, 1955
Renee Genise Hood, 1994
Robert Huckleberry, attended
Annette Hudson, attended
Dorothy Weddle Hudson, attended
Elvin Jaquess, 1953
Mildred King, attended
Phillip Lynn “Phil” Kirk, 1970
Madlyn “Jo” Poteet Mann, 1970
Elizabeth Dickson Martin, attended
Jordan Todd McCullough, attended
Lavoid Meek, former staff
Judith “Judy” Gail Melson, attended
Cody Evan Myers, attended
Fred William “Bill” Nims Jr., 1968
Albert L. Patton, Jr., 1962
Clyde Wayne Petete, attended
Edward Francis Potts, 1949
Martha Kay Price, attended
Kathryn Ragland, 1933
Frank Risner, attended
Paula Rutledge, former professor
Derrek Trey Snodgrass, attended
Mary Louise Rector Stearns, attended
Velma Toole, 1976
Leroy Townsend, attended
James Ray Trahern, 1954
Wilbert Edward Wiggs, attended
Callie Pauline Young, attended
The C
Th
Columns
l
39
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