Oklahoma

Meet the 2024 Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame class

Published

6 months ago

July 25, 2024

Meet the 2024 Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame class

The current president of the University of Oklahoma, a past president and first lady at Oklahoma State University and a pair of just-retired Oklahoma university presidents are among 11 people who comprise the 2024 class of the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society announced the list of inductees this week. The 30th annual induction ceremony and banquet will be held Nov. 4 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

OU President Joseph Harroz, who has led the Norman university since May 2019 and earlier served as the dean of OU’s College of Law, will be among those recognized.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame Class of 2024,” Harroz said. “This recognition is a testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of the entire University of Oklahoma community. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the other inductees this year, whose contributions have enriched the landscape of higher education in Oklahoma. Together, we celebrate the transformative power of education and reaffirm our commitment to advancing knowledge, opportunity, and excellence for all.”

Also on the list of inductees are Jim Halligan, former OSU president and former state senator, and his wife, Ann Halligan. Jim Halligan served as OSU’s leader from 1994 until 2002 and represented Stillwater in the Oklahoma Senate from 2008 to 2016.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Jim and Ann Halligan,” said Kyle Wray, OSU’s senior vice president for system affairs. “As consummate servant-leaders, the Halligans led OSU through steadfast dedication and unwavering focus on improving the lives of the Cowboy family. Whether it was leading the university’s first capital campaign to overwhelming success or directly impacting students through retention efforts, facility upgrades, or simply hosting them for dinner, Jim and Ann’s leadership laid the foundation for success at OSU, and their impact continues to echo throughout the university system.”

Larry Rice, of Rogers State University, and John McArthur, of Cameron, who each retired last month after long tenures, also will be inducted. Rice was president at Rogers State in Claremore from 2008 until June after serving four years as an executive assistant to the president at the University of Tulsa.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected for induction by your peers. It’s one of the highest honors you can receive, to be recognized for your lifetime commitment in education, in my case, higher education,” Rice said. “I’m very appreciative of those individuals that nominated me.”

McArthur has been at Cameron, located in Lawton, since 2004, serving as a dean and the vice president of academic affairs before becoming the university’s president in 2013.

Two former state regents among those also being inducted

Ann Holloway, of Ardmore, who served on the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education from 2013 until this past April and previously served a nine-year term as a Regional University System of Oklahoma regent, also is a member of the induction class. Holloway now holds the title of state regent emeritus. She is president of Holloway, Inc., which focuses on real estate and home building.

“Regent Holloway is a tireless champion for Oklahoma’s students and higher education campuses, especially in support of adult learners returning to complete a degree they started, but didn’t finish,” state higher education Chancellor Allison Garrett said. “She is deeply deserving of this recognition for her exceptional service to our state system of higher education.”

Other inductees include:

• John F. Barthell, who served from 2013 2020 as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma;• Clyde Montgomery Jr., the vice president of academic affairs at Langston University for 12 years. His administrative roles also included associate vice president of academic affairs, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Music;• Marion Paden, who served as vice president for enrollment and student services at Oklahoma City Community College from 1992-2015 and president and chief executive officer of Leadership Oklahoma from 2015-2024;• Robert L. Spurrier Jr., who served 14 years as the director of the Honors College at OSU and has been its director emeritus since 2014;• Russell D. Vaught, a former president and general manager of the Oklahoma Journal newspaper who was instrumental in founding and developing Oscar Rose Junior College, now known as Rose State College in Midwest City. He also served as a state higher education regent for 14 years (1973-1987) and was chairman for two terms.

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Oklahoma

These 10 sites are the strangest landmarks in Oklahoma, WorldAtlas says

Published

10 hours ago

January 27, 2025

Press Room

These 10 sites are the strangest landmarks in Oklahoma, WorldAtlas says

From a large blue whale in a landlocked state to a haunted mansion, Oklahoma is home to several odd landmarks that attract visitors from all over.

WorldAtlas recently named these weird sites the 10 strangest landmarks in Oklahoma.

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Location: 2600 N State Hwy 66, Catoosa

A local celebrity resides along Route 66 year-round in northeast Oklahoma, welcoming visitors into its aquatic belly.

The Blue Whale of Catoosa was built by zoologist Hugh S. David in 1972 so that his grandchildren could play in the nearby pond, according to Travel Oklahoma. David’s friend, Harold Thomas, assisted the zoologist in building the The 20-feet-tall and 80-feet-wide mammal over a span of two years.

While swimming is no longer available, visitors can still picnic and fish with the famous Blue Whale.

World’s largest peanut

Location: 300 W Evergreen St., Durant

A small city in southeast Oklahoma is home to the world’s largest peanut commemorated with a statue outside of Durant City Hall, according to Travel Oklahoma. The statue was dedicated in 1974.

“Dedicated to the Bryan County peanut growers and processors,” inscription reads.

Circus cemetery: Mount Olivet Cemetery

Location: Trice & S 8th St., Hugo

Hugo, another small city in southeast Oklahoma, has a cemetery for rodeo greats Freckles Brown, Lane Frost, Todd Watley and L. Hammock, according to Travel Oklahoma.

Mount Olivet Cemetery is also the final resting place for Ed Ansley, also known as Buster Brown, and William H. Darrough, the founder of Hugo.

Blanchard Cemetery

Location: 2318 North Council Ave., Blanchard

Another known cemetery in Oklahoma is the Blanchard Cemetery where visitors may see a dark figure in a trench coat waving at them, according to WorldAtlas.

If they keep walking, they may spot a little girl flitting between the gravestones, or hear a small child crying or see a blue light hovering over the graves in Section 2, the website says.

Overholser Mansion

Location: 405 NW 15th St, Oklahoma City

The Overholser Mansion, the former abode of Henry and Anna Ione Overholser, is a most famous haunt in Oklahoma City. The ghost-story-filled mansion has been a museum and public venue for decades.

Some claim the ghost of Anna Ione Overholser, once the queen of Oklahoma City society, still haunts the home. She wears a pearl-decked lacy white gown, her dark hair piled gracefully around her face.

Frog Rock

Location: Frog Rd., Terlton

A large amphibian sits in Terlton on Frog Road just outside of Mannford. The six-foot-tall rock formation is painted green and white to look like a frog, according to Travel Oklahoma.

To get to it, trek over a bridge and through backwoods, but don’t worry — it can’t hop away before you reach it.

Cimmy the Dinosaur

Location: 1300 N Cimarron, Boise City

Sitting outside of the Cimarron Heritage Center in Boise City is Cimmy the Dinosaur, a metal Apatosaurus, measuring 65 feet long, 35 feet high and weighs thousands of pounds, according to Travel Oklahoma.

The dinosaur was created as a real life representation of a dinosaur that was extracted from Cimarron County in the 1930s. It’s referred to as a “Cimarronasaurus,” according to the state’s travel website.

Center of the Universe

Location: 20 E Archer St., Tulsa

Located in downtown Tulsa, the Center of the Universe if an 8-feet concrete circle described as an “acoustic anomaly” by Travel Oklahoma.

Noises made inside the brick circle is loudly echoed, but only those inside the circle can hear it. Loud sounds heard inside the circle cannot be heard from outside the perimeter of the brick structure.

Lake Hefner Lighthouse

Location: Lake Hefner Pkwy., Oklahoma City

Lake Hefter Lighthouse, officially the Lighthouse at East Wharf, in Oklahoma City is one of the finest spots in Oklahoma City to watch the setting sun.

The 36-foot lighthouse, beige with burgundy trim and a locked green door, was built in 1999 as part of a development project led by Randy Hogan. The lighthouse is modeled after the Brant Point Light Station on the north side of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

Gravity Hill

Location: Pioneer (Pitt) Rd., Springer

Gravity Hill, or Magnetic Hill, is another anomaly in Oklahoma near Springer. On the hill, drivers will sense that instead of their car rolling downhill with the motor turned off, it’ll actually roll uphill, according to Travel Oklahoma.

The website instructs visitors to drive to Pioneer Road, stop the car at the bottom of the hill and put it in neutral, then feel a force “pull” you and the car up the hill.

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Oklahoma

WATCH: Oklahoma HC Jennie Baranczyk and F Sahara Williams Georgia Postgame Press Conference

Published

22 hours ago

January 27, 2025

Press Room

WATCH: Oklahoma HC Jennie Baranczyk and F Sahara Williams Georgia Postgame Press Conference

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is managing editor at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City.

Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more.

Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com.

Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.

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Oklahoma

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Game preview, prediction, time, TV channel

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Game preview, prediction, time, TV channel

The Portland Trail Blazers return home from a 3-0 trip with a four-game winning streak to face their most daunting home stand of the season starting Sunday afternoon with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Blazers have lost twice to the Thunder, falling 137-114 at home on Nov. 1 and 109-99 on the road on Nov. 20.

The Blazers put forth an impressive defensive effort at the Thunder to trail by just one point entering the fourth quarter.

Portland has played impressively on defense lately, allowing 96 points per game during their last four victories. But it’s doubtful Portland’s defense will hold up against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City ranks sixth in offensive rating (116), first in defensive rating (103.7) and first in net rating (plus-12.3).

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA with 32 points per game.

Prediction: The Thunder will win. There’s no need for an explanation.

• • •

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

What: Trail Blazers (17-28) vs. Thunder (36-8), 3 p.m., Sunday.

Where: Moda Center.

Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).

TV channel: KATU (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Xfinity: 302 and 1170. DirecTV: 688-1. KUNP (Antenna: 47.1. Xfinity: 16, 302, 1170. DirecTV: 47. Spectrum: 184).

How to Watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with the help of an HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost around $20. You can purchase one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or from Amazon and have it shipped quickly to your home. Here are some instructions on how to set up an HDTV antenna on your television or other display. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on in your area by using the channel finder here.

• • •

ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)

Moneyline: POR +470 | OKC -650

Spread: POR +11.5 | Over/Under: 225.5

INJURIES

Blazers: Deandre Ayton (right knee soreness) and Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) are out for Friday.

Thunder: Cason Wallace (nasal fracture) is available. Luguentz Dort (right knee soreness), Chet Holmgren (right iliac fracture), Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) and Ajay Mitchell (right toe surgery) are

NEXT UP

The Blazers host Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)

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