Rogers State University has announced the establishment of the John W. Norman Endowed Chair in Business Information Technology – the third endowed faculty chair to be established in the last year and in the university’s history.
The endowed chair was approved on Monday, July 30, by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents – RSU’s governing board. The OU Board of Regents held its July meeting at RSU’s main campus in Claremore.
The announcement was made at a luncheon in honor of the endowed chair’s namesake – Norman, a well-known Oklahoma City trial attorney. The luncheon was attended by Norman’s family and friends, members of the OU Board of Regents, and faculty and staff from Rogers State University, Cameron University, and the University of Oklahoma.
“The establishment of this endowed faculty chair is an important occasion in the life of the university,” said RSU President Joe Wiley. “Excellence in education is achieved by the presence of highly qualified faculty members, the generosity of our benefactors, and of course, well-prepared, motivated students. This is a major milestone in reaching that dream.”
The endowed chair was initiated by a $166,000 anonymous gift to the RSU Foundation. Gifts and pledges were then made by friends of John Norman and Rogers State University to raise the $250,000 necessary to qualify for a matching grant from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund.
Norman has enjoyed a long career as a successful trial lawyer in Oklahoma City and has participated in several high-profile legal cases. He received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he was editor of the OU Law Review. He has served in several high-ranking positions with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and is past-president of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association.
The distinguished endowed chair in his name will be located in RSU’s School of Business and Technology.
Recently, two other endowed chairs were established at RSU, including the Sarkeys Chair in Business Information Technology and Kunz Chair in Mass Communications.
For more information on RSU’s endeavor to establish endowed faculty chairs, contact the RSU Foundation at (918) 343-7773.