History

The Alumni Association began the Hall of Fame 19 years ago with three distinguished alumni followed by two the next year. Since that time, the Association has added one distinguished alumni each year.

The Hall of Fame began during the first meeting of the Alumni Association, Dec. 5, 1987, when the new organization directors were seeking a method to inspire current Eastern students and honor distinguished alumni. Recipients must have had a dynamic impact on education, the state or nation and attended Eastern to be considered for the Hall of Fame.

History of Inductees
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William H. (Bill) Lewark will join McAlester native George Nigh who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and president of the University of Central Oklahoma.

He will also join Dr. E.T. Dunlap, who has been recognized nationally for his contribution to education and served as Eastern President and Chancellor of Oklahoma Higher Education; Scott Salmon, who was a nationally known choreographer; Rita Smith Kipp, class of 1966, who serves as professor of anthropology at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, a widely published author and Wilburton native.

He also joins J.D. Williams who was inducted while an attorney in Washington, D.C., and, among other things, served as Editor of the George Washington Law Review and Federal Bar Journal.

Billy West became the sixth Eastern alumni to be elected to the Hall of Fame. West served as a laboratory research scientist at the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta. Sidney Carney, among other achievements, served as Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Director in Anadarko where he developed and supervised programs benefitting more than 40,000 Indians within a four state area.

Ross Harlan, Oklahoma City, was added to the Hall of Fame in 1992. He served as Senior Vice President of Administration and Public Affairs before his retirement from OG&E.

"Pat" Murphy, Tulsa, followed Harlan in 1993. He established the Frank W. Murphy MFR, an international company holding 15 United States and foreign patents in the area of instruments and control systems.

Sports journalist "Spec" Gammon was inducted in 1994. He served as sports information director at Texas A&M and became known as the radio voice of Texas A&M football. Don Parham became the eleventh member added to the Hall of Fame and began his academic career as an educator in southeast Oklahoma more than 40 years ago. He is recognized not only as one who has experienced success in athletics but also as one whose life's work has stressed high academic standards.

Dr. Robert H. Purcell became the twelfth member. He is a research scientist and serves as the head of hepatitis viruses section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Charles Montgomery serves as the Director of the Center for Comparative Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas. He is recognized as an expert in comparative medicine throughout the world.

Dr. Henry Migliore, Jenks, was added as the 14th member of the Hall of Fame last year and is a university professor and consultant in strategic management. He has lectured in universities and consulted with organizations around the world.

James F. Howell became the 15th member of the Hall of Fame in 1999. He was admitted to practice law in Oklahoma in 1963 and since that time has been admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Oklahoma for the Western District; The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma; The United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit and The Supreme Court of the United States of America. He was elected to the State Senate in 1970 and served until 1986.

Guy L. Curry, class of 1961, became the 16th member of the Hall of Fame. Curry is a professor of industrial engineering at Texas A&M University. He has served as a consultant for a number of national and international firms. During his tenure at Texas A&M he has garnered funded research grants of more than $4 million, authored or coauthored three books and has 50 papers published in 31 refereed journals.

Ken Brasfield became the seventeenth member. He has compiled an outstanding record of corporate and community leadership in Jackson, Tennessee. He served as president of United Way, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Boy Scouts Council, American Cancer Society, Rotary and the Jackson Arts Council.

Dr. Sue Ellen Read was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. She was named the 2001 Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She received her Associate Degree from Eastern in 1962, Bachelors Degree from NSU in 1964, Masters from University of Central Oklahoma in 1971 and PhD. from the University of Oklahoma in 1987. She is currently a member of the NSU faculty.

Charles W. Davidson and John H. Hendrix became the nineteenth and twentieth members of the Hall of Fame. Although Davidson has lived in San Jose, CA, since May of 1952, he was born and raised in Pittsburg County near Bache and has never forgotten his roots that go as deep in Oklahoma as Indian Territory. He attended East Central, Eastern (1950-51), and later received a degree in civil engineering from San Jose State University. Davidson has been a homebuilder and developer and currently owns several construction an property management companies.

Hendrix has a myriad of life experiences beginning as high school student cutting pulpwood and logs with hay cutting and bailing tossed in for good measure to Chairman and President of numerous educational and financial boards including his own company, the John H. Hendrix Corporation. He graduated from high school at Gillham, AR, and attended Eastern where he received his Associate in Science Degree in 1956. He then attended Oklahoma State University earning his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Petroleum Option) in 1958 and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1960.

Ray Henson became the 21st Hall of Fame member. He has served on a number of national, state and local civic and educational positions during his professional career. He was appointed to the White House Indian Committee-Conference, an organizer and chairperson of the Tri-County Superintendents Association, President of the National Board of North Central Association, NCA Vice President, President of the State North Central Association and many others.

Supreme Court Justice Tom Colbert became the 22nd Hall of Fame member. Colbert is a 1970 Eastern graduate and star-athlete. On Oct. 7, 2004, Colbert became the first African-American to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Tulsa County Bar Association and the National Bar Association.

As a national figure with the Boy Scouts of America, Don R. Adkins was inducted in 2006 as the twenty-third member of the Hall of Fame. He spent 39 years employed as a professional executive within the organization. Atkins retired in 1994, after spending his last 12 professional years as a member of the National Council Staff.

As president of East Central University, Dr. Bill Cole led the university through the technology revolution, continuous improvements of campus facilities and the development of centers of academic excellence until his retirement in 2006. He became the twenty-fourth Hall of Fame inductee in 2007. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 1996.