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
Now
S. E. Susan Hinton
Arts & Culture Published The Outsiders a year after graduating and became known to a generation of readers as "The Voice of the Youth." View bio -
Then
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 -
Then
Now
Stephen D. Chesebro’
Business & Technology Rose to chairman and CEO of Tenneco Energy, and helped lead the formation of the Gas Industry Standards Board in 1994. View bio -
Then
Now
Tom Harrison
Faith & Ministry Senior pastor at Asbury United Methodist in Tulsa since 1993 and author of twelve books heard on Tulsa FM radio. View bio -
Then
Now
Walter Lipke
Business & Technology Federal software manager who created Earned Schedule, a project management method honored in the US, Europe and Australia. View bio -
Then
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 -
Then
Now
Warren G. Guntheroth
Medicine & Science First American physician to publish a paper calling for the Back to Sleep infant position, preventing thousands of SIDS deaths. View bio -
Then
Now
William L. Lewis
Arts & Culture Metropolitan Opera tenor for 35 years, singing about 50 performances a year across 140 roles in ten languages. View bio
No inductees match those filters yet.
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)
