EOSC Selects Interim President
(Press Release 2-27-04)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Eastern Oklahoma State College Regents named a former Eastern Vice President of Academic Affairs as Interim President of the Wilburton college during their special board meeting Wednesday (2-25-04).

Following a nearly three hour executive session, Eastern Regents named Dr. Richard M. Bernard to hold the position effective immediately. Bernard left Eastern at the end of the spring 2000 term to become the Academic Vice President at University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha where he has been since that time.

Eastern Board members also ratified Bernard's proposal to hire Dr. Bradley R. Rice to serve as Vice President of Academic Affairs. Rice will take the position effective March 8.

Bernard first joined the Eastern staff in the fall of 1997 to replace retiring J.C. Hunt who was to serve as director of the McAlester campus. Bernard is a native Oklahoman who was serving as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and history professor at Niagara University, NY, before joining the Eastern staff.

He was born in Duncan and calls Edmond his hometown. He received his B.A. in 1970 from the University of Oklahoma in political science; M.A. in 1971 from Wake Forest University in history and his Ph.D. in 1977 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Bernard has held similar academic positions at Simpson College in Iowa and Bethany College in West Virginia. He also held positions as a senior Fulbright Fellow in American Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; professor and history department head, Auburn University at Montgomery, AL; assistant professor of history and director of urban affairs, Marquett University, Milwaukee, WI; lecturer, University of Maryland, European division, and as a lecturer at Austin Community College, TX.

As an American historian, Bernard is the author and/or editor of four books and a number of articles on recent American urban politics and city life. His work on the metropolitan politics of the Sunbelt and Snowbelt is often cited by scholars in urban fields.

Bernard is married to Terry (Bowman) from Duncan. They have two children, Benjamin and Emily.

Rice is leaving retirement to join the Eastern staff. He retired from Clayton College & State University, Marrow, GA, in December. Rice served as a history professor from 1981 until retirement as well as Associate and Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs from 1988 at the school.

Rice earned his B.A. in history in 1970 from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; M.A. in 1970 from the University of Texas, Austin, and his Ph.D. in 1976 from the University of Texas.

He has published three books, four study guides and 22 articles in American history as well as served as editor, Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South from 1983 through 2001.