As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Rogers State University Foundation will honor four individuals and an organization as “Heroes of the Hill” in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the Foundation in support of the mission of Rogers State University.
Honorees include Dr. Richard H. Mosier, Frank W. Podpechan, Stratton Taylor and Carlene Webber (Posthumously), along with the H. A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust.
The Heroes of the Hill awards will be presented at an invitation-only 50 Years of Changing Lives dinner for former Foundation trustees and donors Saturday, August 19, on the RSU campus in Claremore.
“We take great pride in honoring those who through various actions have allowed the Foundation to have a great impact on the success of Rogers State University and its predecessor institutions,” said Nick Harris, chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Our anniversary dinner is an opportunity to celebrate the Foundation’s past success and look forward to playing an even greater role in the growth of RSU.”
Marnie Taylor, president of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, will deliver the keynote address at the dinner.
Dr. Richard Mosier
Dr. Mosier was appointed president at Claremore Junior College in 1972 and one of his first initiatives was the establishment of a Foundation to support the College, which today is the RSU Foundation. It was the first foundation formed in support of an Oklahoma junior college. Mosier led CJC for 24 years, transforming it from a military school into a diverse community college. Mosier was named President Emeritus in 1997 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mr. Frank Podpechan
Podpechan graduated from Claremore High School in 1945, and following graduation from Oklahoma State University, served his country in the Korean War. In 1952, he began a lifelong successful career in the oil and gas business. In 2013, he and his wife, Roxey, established the Frank and Roxey Podpechan Endowed STEM Education Scholarship Endowment, one of three scholarship endowments at the Foundation with a value of more than $1 million.
Mr. Stratton Taylor
Taylor of Claremore was the longest-serving president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, leading the chamber from 1995 to 2003. He began his college education at Claremore Junior College and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Tulsa. He is the founding member of the law firm Taylor, Burrage, Singhal, Mallett and Downs. As a state senator, he was the single, strongest advocate for RSU to transition from a junior college into a four-year university. He led the efforts to secure state funding for construction of the student union, library and renovation of Meyer Hall. He also has supported the University’s Honors Program and internships in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Carlene Webber
For more than 20 years, Carlene Webber served in a leadership capacity at the Foundation. First elected to the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 1999, she became vice-chair in 2011 and assumed the position of chair a year later. After serving as chair, the Board selected Webber to serve as executive director, a volunteer position, until her death in November 2021. Each year, she enthusiastically informed people about the work of the Foundation. Her knowledge and standing in the Claremore community were extremely beneficial in helping the Foundation raise funds, cultivate prospective donors, and establish important donor relationships.
The H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust has played an integral role in the development of the Rogers State University campus. Through the support of trustees J. Jerry Dickman and Donne Pitman, the Trust provided a $1 million gift to construct the Chapman Dining Hall in 2013. H. Allen Chapman lived most of his life in Tulsa where he was an independent oil and gas producer. Mary worked as a nurse and later established her own charitable giving program, The Mary K. Chapman Foundation, which provided a gift of $500,000 for the expansion and renovation of Baird Hall.
For more information about the RSU Foundation, visit www.rsu.edu/development-foundation.