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President Burns Hargis has another award to add to his trophy case, but this one has humbled him more than others.
“I looked out into the room of people thinking, ‘Why me and why now?” Hargis said. “There were 200 people in the room that were more deserving than me, but I am truly honored.”
Hargis, along with six other nominees, was inducted into the 82nd class of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum on Nov. 12. Marlin G. “Ike” Glass Jr. and Justice Steven W. Taylor are the other two OSU alumni inducted, according to the Oklahoma Heritage Association’s Web site.
Boone Pickens, who was in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame class of 2003, presented Hargis with his Hall of Fame medallion.
“He has transformed the Oklahoma Heritage Museum, the university, the state and now the planet with his Pickens Plan,” Hargis said. “So, to have him as your presenter is pretty impressive.”
Shannon Nance, president of the Oklahoma Heritage Association, which sponsors the event each year, said OSU was well-represented in 2009 with three alumni nominated.
“Induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame is the single highest honor a person can receive from the state,” Nance said. “The university should be proud because its president has done just that.”
Director of Communications Gary Shutt said he is proud of Hargis’ induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and of what it means for the university.
“It’s great for OSU,” Shutt said. “He certainly is deserving of it, and he has done a lot for the state in a lot of different areas.”
Before Hargis became the 18th President of OSU, he had successful ventures in the legal and banking fields and is a leader in civic and philanthropic causes in Oklahoma. He also made a bid for the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor in 1990, which he said led to a co-hosting job on the award-winning political show “Flashpoint.”
Nance said anyone can be nominated to the Hall of Fame but there are some criteria that have to be met first.
Nominees can be alive or dead, but they must have been born, resided or lived their formidable years in Oklahoma. They must also be known for their public service statewide as well as for outstanding service to humanity, Oklahoma and the United States, Nance said.
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