Alumni

Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame

click the links below to watch videos about our Hall of fame inductees.

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; 2^nd 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 1^st-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; 1^st-round NFL pick, Vikings (2 Super Bowls), Bears, Bucs