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Hall of Fame Videos

 

Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame Videos

YouTube URL key as of February 28, 2021 – Left click on name to access video – Right click on name to copy URL

This is the entire list of Hall of Fame inductees through the date indicated above.

For information on the Hall of Fame, including procedures for nominations, go to

www.willrogersfoundation.net 

You will be leaving this website. Next induction will be November 5, 2021.

Beier, Nancy Jo Daulton, 1956, opera diva throughout Europe; Broadway musical genre actress/singer, toured US

Bell, Charles, 1953, internationally renowned artist, photorealism pioneer; Navy veteran; comptroller, Int’l Nickel Corp.

Bennett, Lynette (Danskin), 1955, award-winning Broadway and West End stage, film, TV actor/singer/dancer/author

Bishop, Elvin, 1960, blues musician (“Fooled Around and Fell in Love”); Paul Butterfield Blues Band; R & R Hall of Fame

Bradshaw, Linda Chambers, 1960, owner, Tulsa World of Gymnastics; board, Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Bridges, Russell (Leon Russell), 1959, R & R Hall of Fame (“This Masquerade,” “This Song’s for You”), L.A. Wrecking Crew

Bryant, Anita (Dry), 1958, singer; 2nd runner-up, Miss America; Oklahoma Hall of Fame; Orange Juice and Coca-Cola icon

Butler, Phillip N., 1956, Navy pilot, tortured as prisoner of war in Vietnam; author (“Three Lives of a Warrior”); lecturer

Bynum, David, 1958, formed Inst. for STEM Edu.; Pres. Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring

Caruthers, Preston C., 1945, known as “Mr. Arlington (Va.);” hotelier, real estate developer, philanthropist

Chandler, Donald “Babe”, 1952, kicker, NFL Giants and Packers (winners of first two Super Bowls); many honors, records

Chesebro’, Stephen D., 1959; chairman & CEO, Tenneco; COO, Pennzoil; chairman, Harvest Energy; college athlete

Counts, Richard B., MD, 1959, physician, researcher, and pioneer in comprehensive care of hemophilia; saved many lives

Davis, Paul, 1955, acclaimed artist; designed covers for Rolling Stone and TIME magazines; Broadway theatre posters

Donahue, Mikel, 1974, award winning Western artist; magazine covers; Cowboy Artists of America; “Artist of the Year”

Duca, Gordona Moore, 1958, nationally recognized Realtor; Kansas City Federal Reserve Board; multiple civic boards

Dunn, James D., 1960, chmn., Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Co.; trajectory mgr. for NASA on Gemini and Apollo programs

Evans, J. Thomas “Tommy,” 1949, collegiate and Olympic wrestling great; twice national champion coach at OU

Flanagan, Ronald D., 1957, designed Tulsa’s flood hazard mitigation program; national pioneer, model for other cities

Fleak, Art, 1965, Tulsa Co’s first juvenile public defender; wrote Okla. Juvenile Justice Code; All-Conf. football at Okla. St.

Frasier, James “Jim”, JD, 1959, attorney; chmn., Okla. Dem. Party; Dem. Nat. Cmte.; chmn., Grand River Dam Authority

Gates, David, 1958, musician (“Bread”); composer (“If,” “Baby I’m a Want You,” “Goodbye Girl,” “Guitar Man”)

Givens, Herald, 1968, inspired others while suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”)

Goodwin, Archie, 1955, comic book editor/writer/artist (“King of the Comic Books”); “Batman” and “Star Wars” books

Guntheroth, Warren G., MD, 1945, medical researcher; saved thousands from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Harrison, H. Thomas, DMin, 1972, senior pastor, Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa; international missionary

Heth, Charlotte Wilson, PhD, 1955, asst. dir., Nat. Mus. of Amer. Indian, Smithsonian; ethnomusicology, dance research

Hinkle, John William “Bill,” 1965, owner, award-winning advertising agency; student favorite adjunct professor at TU

Hinton, Susan Eloise “S.E.,” 1966, author; “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “Tex” made into movies by Francis Coppola

James, David, DO, 1958, gastroenterologist; professor, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine; 150+ research projects               

Johnston, Billy “Joe,” 1966, songwriter, author, journalist, music prod., ad. exec., entrepreneur; invented “Happy Meal”

Jones, James W., MD, PhD, 1959, 12,000+ open heart surgeries; colleague of Dr. Michael DeBakey, heart pioneer; author

Kelley, Pat, 1970, guitarist, composer, producer, teacher; recorded and toured with major artists; TV and film credits

Kimball, Charles, ThD, 1968, instrumental in 52 American hostage negotiations with Iran and Camp David peace accord

Kizziar, Janet Wright, PhD, 1957, psychologist; television talk show host; author; women’s advocate activist, counselor

Lewis, Jo Anne Meade, 1955, pres., WRHS Comm. Found.; volunteer, Price Tower and Philbrook Museum; civic leader

Lewis, William L., 1949, international opera star; Metropolitan (New York), Covent Garden (London), la Scala (Milan)

Mayberry, Lee, 1988, All-American; Univ. of Arkansas, final four; NBA 1st-round pick; Milwaukee and Vancouver, 7 yrs.

McGuire, Sherryl Mellott, 1965, professor in learning disabilities, leadership at OU and military bases; author; speaker

Mellott, Donald R., 1962, industrialist; Heater Specialist, LLC, Catoosa; philanthropist (Tulsa Dream Center); rancher

Meydag, Richard, 1958, Marine helicopter pilot; 1,000+ Vietnam combat missions; Pres. Carter’s pilot (“Marine One”)

Moody, Ernest, 1944, founded Moody’s Jewelry group; original Will Rogers class ring purveyor; early local television icon

Morgan, Gordon, 1953, All-State baseball; college (TU) and high school (Will Rogers) coach; many championships

Morsani, Carol Walsh, 1949, civic leader; philanthropist (Carol Morsani Hall, Straz Perf. Arts Center, Tampa; Okla. St.)

Morsani, Frank L., 1949, chmn., U.S. Chamber of Comm.; philanthropist (USF Morsani Coll. of Medicine, Tampa; Okla. St.)

Myers, Russell B., 1956, created “Broom-Hilda” in 1970; 1975 National Cartoonist Society’s “Best Humor Strip” award

Nunneley, J. David, 1954, figurative/military/wildlife sculptor; West Point Heisman statue; US patents for oil and gas

Pitezel, Frank, 1942, WWII Bronze Star; Okla. House of Representatives; built “Bear League” baseball field for youth; PSO

Rader, David, 1975, TU football star; NFL quarterback; TU head football coach, 12 seasons; author; Oklahoma Senate

Radford, Ronald, 1962, world-class flamenco guitarist; studied under Montoya and Segovia; Fulbright scholar; lecturer

Randle, Rodger, JD, 1962, president pro tempore, Oklahoma Senate; mayor, City of Tulsa; president, UCAT; Peace Corps

Risk, Richard “Dick”, JD, 1959, formed WRHS Comm. Found.; sr. exec., Reagan Admin.; aided Nixon historical trips; USAF

Russell, James W., PhD, 1962, civil rights and antiwar activist in ‘60s; university professor, Eastern Conn. State; author

Sanders, Fred, 1945, design engineer manager for NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, Skylab programs; worked on F-4 Phantom

Sartain, Gailard, 1963, “Hee Haw” TV show, 20 yrs.; 50 movies (“Mississippi Burning,” “Fried Green Tomatoes”); artist

Scott (Hamilton), Roberta, 1960, “Miss Tulsa;” overcame loss of leg to cancer; toured Vietnam with USO as singer

Sparks, Neil R., Jr., 1954, Navy pilot; rec’d Navy Cross (next to Medal of Honor) for daring helicopter rescue in Vietnam

Stover, Paula LeFan, 1959, executive director, Lyric Theatre, Oklahoma City; built venues; 2001 “Woman of the Year”

Stuart, Robert J., 1944, played football at West Point during late ‘40s glory days; chairman, JD Young Co., Tulsa

Thompson, Barbara Hencke, 1957, Honorary Consul of France for Oklahoma; national “Mother of the Year;” teacher

Unruh, Paula Combest, 1947, Senior executive in Reagan administration, Energy and Commerce; USO board; civic leader

Ward, John Henry, 1966, All-American wrestling & football, OSU; 1st-round NFL pick, Vikings (2 Super Bowls), Bears, Bucs

 

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