Success means different things to different people, but having your state’s highest honor conferred upon you is a pretty universal sign that whatever you do, you’re doing it well.
Eight outstanding Oklahomans have been selected for induction into the 88th class of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, a group representing the state’s very best that, as of this month, will include Thunder star Kevin Durant, country music legend Jim Halsey, NCAA administrator Bill Hancock, renowned painter and sculptor Mike Larsen, attorney and Inasmuch Foundation chair William Ross, Victoria’s Secret CEO and noted philanthropist Sharen Jester Turney, University of Tulsa President Steadman Upham and vocational education pioneer Francis Tuttle (who will be inducted posthumously).
“Being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame is the single highest honor an individual can receive from our state,” says Shannon L. Rich, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Gaylord-Pickens Museum.
A formal induction ceremony for the honorees will be held Nov. 19 at the Renaissance Hotel in Tulsa, but here in OKC you can celebrate by viewing their portraits as they’re added to the Gaylord-Pickens Museum at 1400 Classen Drive. In addition to the other 669 members of the Hall, their biographies, photos and interesting facts will be accessible through interactive exhibits.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 with the purpose of “preserving Oklahoma’s unique history, inspiring pride in the state and honoring accomplished Oklahomans” – and whether the field is athletics, fine arts, education or the humanitarian impulse to improve lives through philanthropy, these individuals help boost the ranks of the best our state has to offer even higher.
