Jack Murray and Randy Mecklenburg will be honored with induction into the Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame and Vivian Newton will be recognized as the Early Career Rising Star by the OSU School of Accounting.

School of Accounting will honor alums at Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame Banquet

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Media Contact: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University’s School of Accounting will honor three outstanding alumni during the 2024 Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on April 21 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.

This year’s distinguished alumni being honored with induction into the Wilton T. Anderson Hall of Fame are:

Randy Mecklenburg, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1973, is co-founder of the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, which has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga.
Jack Murray, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985, is a partner at HoganTaylor and serves as the leader for the company’s nonprofit practice.

The Early Career Rising Star honoree is:

Vivian Newton, who received both her bachelor’s (2016) and master’s (2017) degrees in accounting, along with an Honors College Degree. She is serving a two-year rotation as a manager in Grant Thornton’s SEC Regulatory Matter Group in Washington, D.C.

“The accounting profession plays a pivotal role in shaping economies and influencing the lives of everyday individuals,” said Dr. Angela Spencer, head of the School of Accounting. “We take immense pride in our alumni who have harnessed their accounting degrees to make a tangible impact on Oklahoma and beyond. Randy, Jack and Vivian are remarkable examples of how an OSU accounting education can propel professionals toward meaningful contributions.

“As we honor these outstanding individuals, we recognize that they represent a larger community of School of Accounting alumni who continue to elevate the field of accounting. Their legacy inspires our current students and recent graduates, encouraging them to embrace their roles as future change-makers.”

Mecklenburg attended OSU on a basketball scholarship and played for legendary coach Henry Iba. After graduation, he took the CPA exam in November 1973 and received honorable mention for scoring the second-highest grade in the state.

He began his career working for the Big Eight accounting firm of Haskins & Sells, now known as Deloitte. He became a senior accountant in the tax department before choosing to further his career by attending law school. He graduated from Oklahoma City University law school in the top 10% of his class in 1979.

Upon passing the bar exam, he began working as a lawyer in Kingfisher. He cofounded the law firm of Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. in 1987, which now has offices in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Watonga. Harrison & Mecklenburg, Inc. was selected to the inaugural class of the Cowboy100, which recognizes the fastest growing companies owned/operated by an OSU alum. Mecklenburg served the community of Kingfisher as municipal judge for over 38 years.

Mecklenburg has served on the board of numerous organizations spanning many different industries and he has been involved with multiple charitable and youth organizations. He and his wife of 53 years, Linda, served as youth directors for The Federated Church for nearly 20 years. He has also served multiple terms as The Federated Church board president and member.

The Mecklenburgs have three sons and five grandchildren. Each of the sons are entrepreneurs in their own right. Justin, the oldest, is also a graduate of the OSU School of Accounting and owns two different companies that have been selected for the Cowboy100. They have three grandsons that are currently enrolled at OSU, each following in their grandfather’s entrepreneurial footsteps by majoring in entrepreneurship at Spears Business.

Murray, CPA, was raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, graduating from College High School in 1977. After starting his college career at St. Cloud State University and a stint in construction, he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from OSU in 1985.

He then began his professional career at Phillips Petroleum Company. His passion for public accounting soon led him to join SF & Co. in 1987, later transitioning to HoganTaylor, where he has dedicated the entirety of his career.

Specializing in serving nonprofit organizations, Murray has been instrumental in growing HoganTaylor’s Nonprofit Industry Group since 2009, making it the largest industry group at the firm. HoganTaylor has grown from a small, local accounting firm to be the 81st largest advisory and CPA firm in the United States.

Murray has been involved in training technical accounting and auditing topics and has been in high demand for his presentation skills. He has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the OSU School of Accounting Advisory Board and the City of Owasso Audit Committee.

Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys family time with his wife Donna of 25 years, and their three children and three grandchildren. Together, they share a love for scuba diving in the Caribbean and wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park.

Newton spent her college years staying busy with various campus organizations and has fond memories of her time with both the School of Accounting and the Spears School of Business. As an OSU student, she participated in two study abroad courses — one in Dijon, France, to study international business through Spears Business and another in New York City and Washington, D.C., to learn about the various regulatory organizations in the accounting practice.

As part of her Honors College Degree, Newton worked with Drs. Brad Lawson and Angela Spencer to research, write and ultimately publish in an accounting journal, her thesis regarding the future of the critical audit matters in the audit report. These experiences helped open her mind to the vast career opportunities available with her accounting degree and sparked a career interest that led to her current role.

After six years in the audit department at Grant Thornton LLP in Oklahoma City, Newton is currently serving a two-year rotation as a manager in GT’s SEC Regulatory Matters Group in Washington, D.C. While at GT, she has served in a small group of professionals on beta-testing and implementing their new cloud-based audit program, created content and a presentation for the SEC Update session of the 2023 GT Energy Symposium, and planned several events with the Women @ GT business resource group to promote and nurture leadership for women in the firm.

Newton loves volunteering in her community and is actively involved in the Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Festival of the Arts where she has served in a variety of roles and leadership positions. She also chaired ACOKC’s Artisans Young Professionals Committee and has volunteered for the Homeless Alliance and Junior Achievement of Oklahoma.

Newton and her husband, Justin, currently reside in Washington, D.C., and plan to return to Oklahoma City in 2025 after Vivian’s rotation is complete.