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
Ronald Radford
Arts & Culture The only person ever awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in flamenco guitar, and a student of Carlos Montoya and Segovia. View bio -
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
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
David Rader
Athletics Named head coach at the University of Tulsa in 1988 at age 31, the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I football. View bio -
Then
Now
Ernest Moody
Business & Technology Bought a watchmaker's shop with $200 in savings and built Moody's into the largest family-owned jeweler in Oklahoma. View bio -
Then
Now
Gordona Moore Duca
Business & Technology Tulsa realtor who opened her own firm in 1975 and was later named Oklahoma Business Woman of the Year by The Journal Record. View bio -
Then
Now
Rodger Randle
Civic Leadership Elected to the Oklahoma House at 27, twice led the state Senate, and became Tulsa's first mayor under a new city charter. View bio -
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
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)
