The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma (OU) is pleased to announce that Jerald (Jerry) Merriman, a University of Oklahoma Architecture alumnus (Class of 1971), has been honored with the 2022 OU Regents’ Alumni Award.
The Regents’ Alumni Awards recognizes alumni and friends who have made a distinctive impact on the University of Oklahoma through their exceptional achievements, service and transformational support.
Award recipients best represent a spirit of community and commitment to excellence demonstrating the University’s highest values. The Regents’ Alumni Award has been one of the University’s most prestigious honors since 1987.
The 2022 Award recipients will be recognized at the annual Regents’ Alumni Awards Ceremony during Homecoming Weekend. Award recipients’ names will be highlighted on the Regents’ Alumni Awards Wall of Distinction in the Oklahoma Memorial Union and be listed on the OU Alumni Regents’ Alumni Awards web site linked below.
Upon receiving his first professional degree in architecture from OU, “Jerry” made his way to Dallas, eventually opening Merriman Architects in 1987 together with his wife Deby. Jerry’s firm made its first donation to OU in 1993, only six years after it was founded. Since then, Jerry has supported OU and advanced its mission of excellence in a myriad of ways. He has served on the Gibbs College Board of Visitors since 2010, as chair since 2014. He has been a key advisor to Dean Hans E. Butzer in formulating the college’s ambitious 26×26 capital campaign to be launched in late 2022. Since 1993, Jerry has generously contributed in excess of $700,000 to the University of Oklahoma. Jerry and Deby have created life-changing scholarships for architecture students. In appreciation for their generous support, various spaces throughout Gould Hall are named in their honor.
Jerry’s firm has been a beacon for Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture graduates. His firm employs countless alumni. Among them, one recent graduate who has been entrusted to lead the firm Jerry helped found. In 2019, Jerry received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas Business Journal.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
