Nominations
Do you know a worthy candidate for the Hall of Fame?
You have the opportunity to nominate any graduate of Will Rogers High School, from any class, to its Hall of Fame. Here are the requirements from the website of the Will Rogers High School Community Foundation, which manages the Hall of Fame on behalf of the school:
Deadline for the next induction class is to be announced.
Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame: Rules for Nomination and Procedures for Selection
Adopted by the Executive Committee on January 10, 2013
1. In addition to honoring distinguished alumni, a primary purpose of the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame is to instill in current and future students the desire to emulate in their own careers the successes of the honorees, knowing that they can achieve to greatness regardless of their ethnic or socio-economic background.
2. The Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame is the property of Will Rogers High School (and successor names), which has delegated to the Will Rogers High School Community Foundation, Inc. responsibility for conducting the selection process and induction ceremony. The invitation to nominate an eligible person is open to everyone. The members of the Hall of Fame (previous inductees), who are significant stakeholders in the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame, will be sent copies of all nominations being considered for a particular class, all at one time, and will be invited to participate in the initial ranking of candidates. Determination of the number of candidates to be inducted in any given year (if any) and the final selection of candidates, considering the tabulated input from the Hall of Fame members and recommendations of the Hall of Fame Committee, is in the purview of the Board of Directors of the Will Rogers High School Community Foundation, Inc., with the advice and consent of the school principal, and is not to be delegated. No one is deemed selected until the Board of Directors acts on the nominations and the principal has approved them.
3. Webster defines fame as public estimation: reputation, which is further defined as overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general; and recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability. Fame is also defined as popular acclaim: renown, which is further defined as a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored. These are the standards by which candidates are selected. A person may achieve fame within his/her profession or industry, having a significant and recognized impact on that profession or industry, without becoming a household name.
4.All graduates of Will Rogers High School, living or deceased, are eligible to be selected for induction into the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame. This includes anyone who left school to enter military service and who is eligible to receive a diploma from the school district pursuant to Oklahoma Statutes, title70, section24-153 (70 O.S. 24-153), which covers veterans who served during World War II and the Korean War, or any wartime service that might be named in the future in a successor statute.
5. A nomination of an eligible person may be submitted by anyone, regardless of whether the person submitting the nomination ever attended Will Rogers High School. Self-nomination is permitted. Nominations must be timely submitted to be considered for a particular induction class. Nominations must be postmarked or delivered to the address on the nomination letter template no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 31 to be considered for the next announced induction class. Cutoff dates for nominations and the next scheduled induction ceremony date will be posted on the foundation’s website. Nominations received after the cutoff date may be held for consideration to be selected in the next induction class. All nominations must be typed.
6. Nominations of eligible persons not selected for an induction class may be considered again for the next induction class, at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. To ensure that an eligible person is considered again for the next induction class, that person should be nominated again. It should not be presumed that a nominee will be considered again automatically. There is no limit to the number of times a person may be nominated or to the number of people who may nominate someone.
7. The nominee must have made a significant contribution and must be eminently distinguished in his/her chosen profession or industry, including but not limited to: Business and Industry, Science and Medicine, Academia and Education, Entertainment and the Arts, Humanities or Literature, Sports, or Government Service and Military; or, he/she may be recognized for Philanthropy or Public Service; or a combination of several events or other factors. There is no quota for any category of achievement, as candidates will be ranked according to their individual accomplishments, achievements and contributions since high school, which may include their formal education and professional certifications and licenses. The nominee should be at least 20 years past high school graduation to be considered, but exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
8. The narrative prepared by the person submitting the nomination is the most important factor in the selection process. The narrative alone should contain all facts essential to support the nomination. The narrative should focus on the nominee’s accomplishments and recognition received since high school that distinguish the nominee and define the nominee’s “fame” as explained above. These statements may be supported by copies of additional documentation such as newspaper clippings, award certificates, citations to accompany awards or honors, professional certifications, letters from colleagues, photographs, bibliography of published articles, curriculum vitae, etc. Supporting documentation is recommended but not required. Suggested limit for supporting documents is 10 pages. Accompanying documentation will not be returned. The nomination must include complete contact information for the nominee, including mailing address, email address (if available) and telephone number. Unsigned or incomplete nominations will not be considered.
9. The nominee must be willing to travel at own expense to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to participate in the scheduled induction ceremony for that class. A close family member or other suitable recipient must be designated to be present at the induction ceremony for a candidate who is unable to travel for physical reasons (not for personal scheduling conflicts) or who is being recognized posthumously. The nominee should also be willing if invited, but not required, to speak to groups of students about his/her experiences. The inductee is also encouraged to respond to inquiries that may come later from students about the inductee’s own career and provide advice for the students for achieving their career goals.
10. No announcement of individual selections shall be made until the induction class list is released to the public by the Will Rogers High School Community Foundation. Following the initial announcement, candidates are encouraged to make individual announcements to their local media and organizations, with or without the assistance of the foundation’s Public Relations Committee. Announcements should acknowledge both the principal and the foundation as the source.
11. Once the Board of Directors and the school principal have approved the list of candidates and the nominee is informed of his/her tentative selection, a representative of the foundation may contact the nominee directly to confirm the nominee’s commitment to be present for the induction ceremony and to obtain additional, non-returnable photos, videos and other material to use in pre-induction publicity and the induction ceremony.
12. All selections are tentative pending confirmation that the candidate will be present to accept the honor or, in the event a selectee cannot travel for physical reasons or is being honored posthumously, a suitable recipient of the award commits to be present. In the event the selectee or suitable substitute for a selectee unable to travel or a posthumous selectee does not commit to attend the induction ceremony, the tentative selectee is considered as not selected. That person may be considered among all candidates for a future induction class at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, but there will be no carryovers or guarantee of selection in a future year. A future “no-show” will be considered as not inducted.
13. All decisions pertaining to the interpretation and application of these rules and procedures or to the selection of candidates for induction will be at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, with the advice and consent of the school principal.
Download the Nomination Form as a Word document:
https://willrogersfoundation.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WRHSCF-HOF-Nomination-Form-2018.doc
For further information on the Hall of Fame:
https://willrogersfoundation.net/hall-of-fame/
Deadline for the next induction class is to be announced.
