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
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Then
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David Finch
Media & Journalism Nineteen-time Emmy winner whose handheld camera work walking with golfers changed how sports looked on television. View bio -
Then
Now
Frank Marcum
Education Tulsa teacher of nearly three decades, a semifinalist for NASA's Teacher in Space program and later a NASA Ambassador. 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 -
Then
Now
Linda Sellen Frazier
Arts & Culture Arts advocate who helped found Artists in the Schools and chaired the Oklahoma Arts Council from 1996 to 2000. View bio -
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Now
Ron Woods
Business & Technology Music teacher turned healthcare founder whose company CareATC served over 150 large employers across 35 states. View bio -
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Now
Walter Stuart Yager
Military Service Air Force launch commander who supervised the Viking Mars missions and the 1977 launches of Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. View bio -
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Art Fleak
Law & Public Service Wrote Oklahoma's first juvenile criminal code and became Tulsa County's first Juvenile Public Defender in 1973. View bio -
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David Bynum
Education Cell biologist whose Institute for STEM Education at Stony Brook has reached more than 100,000 students to date. View bio -
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Pat Kelley
Arts & Culture Session and touring guitarist for George Benson, Al Jarreau and Chick Corea, and a USC professor for 24 years. View bio -
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Richard Meydag
Military Service Flew over 1,000 combat missions in Vietnam and later served as Presidential Helicopter Pilot for Jimmy Carter. View bio -
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Now
Sheryl Mellott McGuire
Education Special education teacher who founded a preschool for at-risk children and taught leadership at OU for 32 years. View bio -
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Now
Barbara Hencke Thompson
Education Taught French in all 106 Oklahoma City public elementary schools and was named an Officer of the Legion of Honor. View bio
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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)
