By Jackson Conner, Gaylord College Class of 2023
Each year, Gaylord College proudly hosts the Gaylord Evening of Celebration, a banquet event for distinguished alumni, faculty, staff and scholarship recipients.
Hosted at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, the evening of celebration is just that, an event that seeks to celebrate the success of the college and the extraordinary people that make Gaylord College what it is today.
Through the years, the event has come to present itself as the perfect opportunity to honor those alumni who continue act as exemplary graduates in their given industry. This year is much the same.
“The event gives us an opportunity to salute distinguished alumni, outstanding faculty, high performing students and friends whose gifts make much of what we do possible,'' says Ed Kelley, Gaylord College’s dean. “It’s a special night in the life of the college.”
While Gaylord College has honored distinguished alumni for years, this year marks the first time that Gaylord College will recognize an entire family for their dedicated service in the industry: Kenneth, Phillip and Jeanne Anne Reid.
The Reid family has built one of Oklahoma’s largest group of family-owned newspapers and magazines, working to not only provide news for even the smallest communities in Oklahoma, but to serve as leaders in those communities, regardless of size.
Following the Reid family, Gaylord College was proud to honor David Tarpenning, or “Tarp” as his students referred to him. Over the course of 30 years, Tarpenning worked tirelessly to build his own advertising agency in Oklahoma, later using that industry experience to spend 20 years on the advertising faculty at Gaylord, advising both Lindsey + Asp and the OU Ad Club during his tenure.
Tarpening has had a first-hand impact on the lives of many here at Gaylord College, one of the many things that makes him deserving of being honored as a Distinguished Alumni.
The next honoree from this year’s evening of celebration was Nate Tarver, a journalism and mass communication graduate from the class of 1978, who went on to a more than 40-year law enforcement career, now serving as the university-wide police chief for all three campuses.
Tarver has shown how diverse a degree in journalism and mass communication can be, exemplifying how critical thinking and communication skills can be used across many different industries.
Helen Ford Wallace spent more than six decades in the journalism industry with The Oklahoman, getting her start in high school as a campus correspondent. A champion of Oklahoma City, Wallace’s Sunday column and feature stories highlighted the best the city has to offer, often writing about nonprofit organizations, service groups, schools and charities.
Gaylord is proud to honor this distinguished alumna from the class of 1962, representing all that this college and this university stands for when it comes to ethically and professionally reporting news on the personal impact of such organizations.
Distinguished Young Alumni:
Each year, Gaylord College recognizes a young alumnus who has made a mark early in his or her career.
This year’s recipient is Katie den Daas, a 2007 graduate of Gaylord’s journalism program. Since graduation, Katie has held various positions all over the United States, first in Oklahoma City and Dallas, before a stint in New York City. She then was promoted to ABC’s bureau chief in London. Katie is a prime example of what Gaylord students are capable of so early after graduation.
Teacher of the Year:
Gaylord College provides a world-class education, evident in the accolades received by alumni earlier in the evening. With that, Gaylord College has top-notch educators who provide a premier education to students across all five majors in Gaylord College.
In 2015, the JayMac Alumni Association renamed the Gaylord College Outstanding Teacher Award to the Owen Kulemeka Outstanding Teacher Award, in honor of the late Dr. Kulemeka.
This year, the recipient of the Owen Kulemeka Outstanding Teacher Award is Carla Holmes.
Holmes is a member of the public relations faculty and is honored for providing her students with an engaging and effective education inside and outside of the classroom. She teaches different undergraduate classes including Public Relations Campaigns, Media Relations and Public Relations Writing, as well as teaching in the online graduate program. Professor Holmes has displayed a passion for teaching by using real-world experience to educate the next generation of public relations professionals.
