The 93rd class of Oklahomans has been selected for induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
The 2020 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Honorees are: Calvin J. Anthony, Stillwater; Gary Batton, Clayton; Martha Burger, Oklahoma City; Charles Dennis “Denny” Cresap, Afton; Terry Stuart Forst, Waurika; Stephen M. Prescott, M.D., Oklahoma City; Francis Rooney, Tulsa; and John W. Smith, Del City.
The 2020 Class will be formally inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Thursday, November 12th at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Norman Hotel and Conference Center, Norman, Oklahoma.
These accomplished Oklahomans will join the 706 current Members of the prestigious hall.
The Honorees were presented via Facebook video, with Oklahoma Hall of Fame Members Bart Conner and Bob Burke serving as hosts.
The announcement can be seen on the Oklahoma Hall of Fame website, oklahomahof.com, YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Calvin J. Anthony, pictured to the left, grew up in Carney, Oklahoma. He attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma’s College of Pharmacy. Upon graduation he purchased Stillwater ‘s Tiger Drug Company.
His service to Stillwater includes mayor and the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he chaired the joint committee tasked with solving funding issues for the OU College of Medicine and Oklahoma Memorial Hospital.
As CEO for the National Community Pharmacists Association in Washington, D.C., he represented more than 70,000 pharmacists nationwide.
Anthony’s honors include Stillwater Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year and the Calvin J. Anthony Leadership Award named in his honor by the National Community Pharmacists Association.
He currently serves on the Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents, the BancFirst Stillwater Advisory Board, and chairs the Stillwater Medical Center’s Board of Trustees.
Anthony, and his wife Linda, reside in Stillwater and have three children and seven grandchildren.
“We proudly continue our mission in honoring Oklahoma’s best and brightest with our state’s highest honor” said Shannon L. Rich, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Gaylord-Pickens Museum.
“Since the first induction ceremony in 1928 the Oklahoma Hall of Fame has celebrated the inspiring stories of our native sons and daughters who committed their lives to overcome challenges for the betterment of Oklahoma, our nation and the world. The outstanding class of 2020 is no exception and we look forward to sharing their unique stories that bring an overwhelming sense of pride to communities throughout our great state”.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 with the purpose of honoring Oklahomans in their lifetime with the state’s highest honor and educating Oklahoma’s youth on our rich history.
The Gaylord-Pickens Museum, home of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, opened in 2007 with the intent of giving the public access to the stories of these and other inspirational Oklahomans.
Along with being honored at the formal induction ceremony, the 2020 Honorees will be recognized in November with the unveiling of their portraits at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Gaylord-Pickens Museum.
In addition, their biographies, photos and videos will be accessible through interactive exhibits in the Museum.