Bellmon legacy to ensure OSU scholar development
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
(Stillwater, OK October 27, 2009) - The late Gov. Henry Bellmon assisted Oklahoma
State University in countless ways, and his legacy will ensure the future for outstanding
scholars.
According to Dr. Robert Graalman, director of the OSU Scholar Development and Recognition
Program, Bellmon provided the vision for that office, where outstanding scholars can
get the help they need to become recognized not only nationally but internationally.
“Mr. Bellmon approached the scholarship office nearly 20 years ago and suggested ways
to improve the performance of students in high level scholarship competitions,” Graalman
said. “His support, encouragement and advice have helped many students win scholarships,
and the university owes him a lot.”
About two years ago, Bellmon said he wanted to help endow the office and offered his
name if it would help the effort, Graalman said.
With Bellmon’s blessing, the OSU Foundation has been raising funds for the Henry Bellmon
Endowment for Scholar Development and Recognition. When fully endowed, the program
will provide support for research, travel, scholarships, internships and office management.
“This will be a successful and popular project, and when completed will be a great
tribute to him and make all of the OSU family proud,” Graalman said.
Bellmon had served on the Truman Scholar Selection Committee after leaving his U.S.
Senate seat, and noticed that he wasn’t seeing many qualified OSU students interviewed,
even though all the scholarship criteria fit perfectly with OSU’s land-grant mission.
So 15 years ago, he visited Graalman to inquire about application procedures and help
if he could.
With Bellmon’s encouragement, in 1993 Graalman contacted Louis Blair, executive secretary
of the Truman Foundation, to present a seminar at OSU about winning applications.
The next year, OSU’s Bryan Begley won a Truman Scholarship and the following year
was a state Rhodes Scholarship finalist.
Since then, OSU’s Office of Scholar Development has become a model for other universities,
producing more than 50 national and international scholars and providing enhanced
academic experiences for more than 400 top students each year through research opportunities,
mentoring and travel experiences. OSU also has been named a Truman Honor Institution
for having produced 15 winners.
OSU’s only Rhodes Scholar, former English major Blaine Greteman, and Udall and Truman
Scholar Cortney Timmons Cowley, former biosystems and agricultural engineering major
now in graduate school at Colorado State University, accompanied Graalman last spring
to Bellmon’s home outside Billings to talk about their successes, and Bellmon’s OSU
memories and dreams for outstanding students.
"Because of Scholar Development, I was able to perform undergraduate research, study
abroad at Cambridge University, receive valuable mentoring, win two prestigious national
scholarships, and fully prepare myself for graduate school and beyond,” Cowley said.
“None of this could have happened without the vision of Gov. Bellmon. He saw the potential
in OSU students as world-class scholars and leaders before anyone else, and for that
I am forever grateful."
Hydro native Greteman, now on the University of Iowa’s English faculty after a year
back at OSU, credits scholar development with not only helping him win an award, but
providing him with lifelong mentors and models for the kind of person and professional
that he wants to be, naming Edward Jones, Ed Walkiewicz and Bob Graalman as examples.
“That’s why I was so excited to get to meet Gov. Bellmon. His were and are the ultimate
big shoes to fill,” Greteman said. “He was a farm boy who became a statesman and a
powerful thinker without ever losing his roots. In fact, his roots, including his
time working himself through OSU, were obviously really important to creating the
person of integrity that we all admired. Just to meet a person like that is something
I’ll never forget and a reason to be grateful for the program he helped create.”
OSU Office of Scholar Development
Since 1993....
· More than 50 national and international scholars
· 15 Truman Scholars
· OSU named Truman Honor Institution
· Enhanced academic experiences for more than 400 top students each year; offering
research, mentoring and travel opportunities