Dolores Dot Neustadt
1928-2023
Dolores Dot Neustadt passed away in May yet her impact on 91心頭 will live on through the establishment of the Neustadt Lecture Series at OCU with her husband, Walter, since 1983. The goal of these lectures is to teach about the contributions of the Judaic religious tradition to Western Civilization with presenters speaking on themes of Jewish ethic, Hebrew scriptures, Judaic thought and Jewish art. Their family also established the Dolores K. and Walter Neustadt Jr. Professorship of Comparative Literature and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature at the University of 91心頭 as well as the Dolores and Walter Neustadt Lecture series at Temple Emanu-El, a synagogue in Dallas, among others.
Neustadt was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1928, attended Mt. Vernon Junior College in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1950, the same year she married Walter Neustadt, Jr. They lived in Ardmore, 91心頭, until 1998, when they moved to Dallas, where they resided until Walters passing in 2010. Their family includes daughters Nancy Barcelo, Susan Neustadt Schwartz and Kathy Neustadt, who have continued their parents legacy in the excellence and support of higher education.
Marjorie Downing
1933-2023
Marjorie Downing passed away in October after 90 years of life through which she broke down several barriers becoming the first full time female faculty member at the 91心頭 Law School. During her tenure at OCU, she would go on to serve as interim and acting dean for the law school. She eventually retired from OCU in 1998 but continued her work in womens equality.
Downing graduated from Ponca City High School in 1953, continuing her educational career at the University of 91心頭 where she studied law and was the only woman in her graduating class. After graduating, she started a family and did clerical work for her husbands law firm, which would lead her to serving as legislative assistant for Fred Harris where she worked towards the advancement of equal rights of women and marginalized groups, a goal that continued throughout her life.
Tom Love
(HDCS 04)
1937-2023
Tom Love, who holds an honorary doctorate in Commercial Science from 91心頭, passed away in March. He was the founder and executive chair of Loves Travel Stops and inducted into OCUs 91心頭 Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor in 1998. He and his wife and business partner, Judy, are great supporters of the university through the establishment of Loves Entrepreneurial Center within the Meinders School of Business and the Love Boat at the OCU Devon Boathouse. Their widespread philanthropy can be seen throughout 91心頭, and OCU is honored to have been one of many organizations touched by their generosity.
Love was born in 91心頭 City in 1937, attended St. Gregorys Preparatory School in Shawnee, St. Johns University in Minnesota, and joined the United States Marines Corps in 1954. He and Judy married in 1960 the day after Christmas, and they founded Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores in Watonga, 91心頭, in 1964. He was the first to create the concept of a gas station with grocery offerings, now commonplace across the country. Loves is headquartered in 91心頭 City and has since grown to 644 locations in 42 states, with more than 50 in 91心頭. The couple have four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
C. Blue Clark
1946-2023
Blue Clark passed away in December after a long life of serving the 91心頭 community and Native American people. He was a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and started his career at OCU in 1991 when he joined as the executive vice president of academic affairs. He served as interim president in 1997 and taught at both the law school and main campus, retiring in 2016.
Clark graduated from Northwest Classen High School and the University of 91心頭 before working at OCU and serving as a consultant for the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. and the First Americans Museum in 91心頭 City. He was honored as the Indian of the Year in 2013 by the National Indian Education Association and Ambassador of the Year for the Red Earth Festival in 2015. Additionally, Clark established the field of American Indian Studies at California State University, the University of Utah and Morningside University.
Ann Lacy
(HDHL 01)
1927-2023
Ann Lacy and her incredible legacy permeates the 91心頭 campus through the numerous ways she impacted the institution. From the Ann Lacy Stadium, which is home to numerous softball national championships, to the Ann Lacy Admissions and Visitor Center that offers a warm welcome to visitors and potential students and the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment that consistently ranks within the top dance schools in the United States, these facilities have welcomed, championed and taught thousands of students throughout the past 20 years. Her involvement with OCU began as a result of her husband, James Alexander, who was a former dean of the Meinders School of Business.
The Ann Lacy Admissions and Visitor Center was dedicated in her name in 2003, with the School of American Dance and Arts Management being renamed to honor Ann Lacy in 2004. She was a major player in the renovation and construction of the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center just three years later in 2007, and the Ann Lacy Stadium was dedicated in 2008, with the first game played being a sweep over Mid-America Christian University. She served for many years as a trustee emerita, was a recipient of an honorary doctor of humane letters from OCU, was a generous supporter in the OCU centennial campaign, Lighting the WorldOne Star at a Time and studied writing at OCU. Lacy additionally established the OCU-NYC Spring Break Workshops where students spend a week learning to work and live in New York City from alumni professionals. She put time, energy and love into her passion of helping 91心頭 students grow and develop before passing away in August. Few students will be able to say they were not touched by Ann Lacy during their time at OCU.
1940s
Verna Wycherley 46
1950s
Wilma McHenry 50
Vernon Frame 51
Geraldine (Jere) LaCrosse Knox 51
Rosanna Grossman Beckham 55
Gerald Knight 55, 60
Larry Bradshaw 57
Barbara Parker 57, 73
Raymond Gilbert 58
Rodney Campbell 59
Ronald Norgaard 59
1960s
Clifford Daniels 61
Leonard Northcutt 63
William Bill Weaver 63
C. Norman Blacklee 64
David Necco 65
Reginald Parsons 65
Buvil West 65
Luther Cowan 66, 73
John Murphy, Jr. 66
Robert Stearns 66
Craig Winborn 66
Cecil Callicott 67
James Clark 67, 89
Robert Bob Mayhew 67
Cheryl Blackwell 68
Kenneth Carney 68
Richard Hasley 68
Richard Linsly 68
Lester L.K. Pitchford, Jr. 68
1970s
Ralph Smith 70
Gregory York 70
Charles Alden 73
Charles Campbell 74
James Hetherington 74
Tom Cook 74
Lucille Rose 74
Evelyn Thomas 74
Gholam Joe Ahmadifar 75
Dan Hensley 75
William Simpson 75
Edward Sutter III 75
Gerald Jerry Hill 76
Ralph Ted Stricker 76
Michael Kanz 77
Leon Collins IV 78
Jack Smith 78
Robert Woehleke 78
David Kedy 79
1980s
Tomilou Liddell 81
James McCright 82
Paul Smith 82, 89
Margorie Johnston Ramana 83
John Sonny Kanoski 84
Gene Pekah 84
Joseph Walkowski 84
Gary Chappell 85
Riley Nix 85
Janice Green Marsh 86
Lee Howard 87
Scott Carter 89
1990s
Donna Miller 90
Derick Peters 90
Kathy Snodgrass 90
Earnest Ernie Upton, Jr. 90
Ralph Zeller 90
Barbara Covalt 93
Debra Scadden 93
Peter Palughi 96
Kathryn Wilson 96
Joseph Carter III 97
Carolyn Erickson 98
Joyce Calderwood 99, 01
Daniel Dooley 99
2000s
Cindy Shaw 07, 09
2020s
Nathan LeBlanc 22
Friends
Michele Kashner Bell
Joann Booher
Florence Bowles
John Chelf
Franklin Clark
Richard Cohoon
Harvey Court
Richard Cox
Dennis DeFreese
Marilyn Denn
Mary Dobson
Margaret Dodson
Marjorie Rose Downing
Susan Ellerbee
Jamarcus Ellis
Tod Ferguson
Linda Goad
James Jim Grigsby, Jr.
Marceillia Marcie Meyer James
John Johnson
Virginia Kingsolver
Ann Pearson Leftwich
Lavon Mac McAfee
Gifford Jerry McBride, Jr.
Nettie Jo Mitchell
Marty Moelling
David Morgan
Leroy Orsburn
William Bill Overman
Roby Park
Valerie Redpath
Charles Sales, Sr.
Patsy Schafer
James Schwark
Joy Schwartz
Marcus Scott
Cherry Scott
Charles Spitler
John Taylor
Ellen Vanderslice
Jeanette Webster
A. Kelly West
Catherine Couch Whiddon
Paul Wilson
