Hall of Fame
The Ropers Who Made a Difference.
Celebrating the Will Rogers alumni who have gone on to shape Tulsa, and the world, through their work, their service, and the lives they’ve touched.
Will Rogers has a long tradition of honoring its distinguished alumni at special ceremonies held over the years. The Hall of Fame was the Foundation’s first initiative, long before the Foundation’s mission grew to include direct support for today’s students. It remains the Foundation’s way of saying: this school produces people worth celebrating, and their stories are worth telling.
Each year, a new class of inductees is added, chosen by a selection committee from nominations submitted by the Will Rogers community.
Search below to explore inductees by name, year, or field of endeavor.
Class of Excellence
All Inductees
-
Then
Now
Anita Bryant Dry
Arts & Culture Singer, TV personality and author, voted the most admired woman in America three years running by Good Housekeeping. View bio -
Then
Now
Archie Goodwin
Arts & Culture Comic book writer and editor of Creepy and Eerie who set up Epic Comics at Marvel and adapted Star Wars into comics. View bio -
Then
Now
Billy Joe Johnston
Arts & Culture Dove Award songwriter and advertising executive who helped pioneer McDonald's Happy Meal and won two Will Rogers Medallions. View bio -
Then
Now
Charles Bell
Arts & Culture Corporate comptroller turned full-time painter, recognized as a pioneer of Photorealism for his large-scale still lifes. View bio -
Then
Now
Christy Kelley Tate
Arts & Culture Oklahoma film and TV actress who starred in three seasons of Mike Rowe's series "The Way I Heard It" and Lifetime films. View bio -
Then
Now
David Gates
Arts & Culture Founder of Bread, who wrote and sang all eleven of the band's Billboard Hot 100 singles between 1970 and 1973. View bio -
Then
Now
Elvin Bishop
Arts & Culture Chose the University of Chicago for its blues clubs, co-founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and charted in 1976. View bio -
Then
Now
Gailard Sartain
Arts & Culture Hee Haw regular for twenty years who appeared in over 50 motion pictures and works as a painter and illustrator. View bio -
Then
Now
J. David Nunneley
Arts & Culture Held five U.S. patents in oil and gas before turning full-time sculptor in 1995, with monuments across North America. View bio -
Then
Now
JoAnne Meade Lewis
Arts & Culture Interior designer and community organizer who created the Price Tower Museum Store and led the Will Rogers High School Community Foundation. View bio -
Then
Now
Leon Russell Bridges
Arts & Culture Session musician, songwriter and performer who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Elton John in 2011. View bio -
Then
Now
Linda Barton Paul
Arts & Culture Grammy-nominated harpist, principal with five symphonies, and an ordained minister who works with prison inmates. View bio
No inductees match those filters yet.
Showing 12 of 80 inductees
Load More Inductees
Hall of Fame Nominations
Know Someone Who Deserves This Recognition?
The Hall of Fame honors Will Rogers alumni who have made extraordinary contributions to their field and to their community. Nominations are reviewed annually by our selection committee. To be considered for an induction class, a nomination must be submitted or postmarked by 5:00 p.m. on August 31; later nominations may be held for the class after.
- Must be a graduate of Will Rogers High School (now Will Rogers College Middle and High School)
- Demonstrated excellence in their field of endeavor
- Positive impact on their community or society at large
Full eligibility requirements, the review timeline, and what to include in a nomination are outlined in our Nomination Rules and Procedures.
Nominations are closed for this year.
View Nomination Rules and Procedures (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
