ALUMNI NEWS

MEWBOURNE COLLEGE OF EARTH & ENERGY’S ALUM IS ONE OF NINE TO BE PRESENTED THE OU REGENTS’ ALUMNI AWARD

Nine exceptional University of Oklahoma alumni and friends, including Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy’s Mr. Jon R.Withrow, received Regents’ Alumni Awards for their dedication and service to OU in a May 9 ceremony on the Norman campus. Presented by the OU Board of Regents and OU Alumni Association, the Regents’ Alumni Award is a testament to the important roles OU alumni and supporters play in the life of the university. A committee formed by the Alumni Association selects the award recipients from nominations made by alumni, friends and OU faculty and staff. The names of each year’s recipients are engraved on a permanent plaque in Oklahoma Memorial Union.

This year’s recipients are:
Lee Ann Bratten, Oklahoma City, director of internal communications at Sonic, America’s Drive In, Oklahoma City
Gary England, Seiling, director of meteorology for KWTV News 9, Oklahoma City
Alan Livingston, Houston, president of Sooner Offshore, LLC
Cindy Hefner Merrick, Oklahoma City, president and clinical education coordinator of Therapy in Motion and Wellness in Norman
Pattye L. Moore, Oklahoma City, co-owner of Instincts, LLC,

Left to Right: Board of Regents Chairman Jon R. Stuart, Jon R. Withrow, President David L. Boren Photo Courtesy of Bob Taylor
  Edmond
Amb. Edward J. Perkins, Sterlington, La., Crowe Chair Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma, Norman
Wilton W. Webster Jr., senior scientific adviser and founder of Biosense Webster Inc., Diamond Bar, Calif.
Jon R. Withrow, Seminole, owner and president of Sundance Oil Co.
Stanton L. Young, McAlester, president of the Young Cos., Oklahoma City

Withrow graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering. While at OU, he was the recipient of a scholarship from the Standard Oil Co. of Texas, was an active member of Sigma Nu fraternity, served as president and treasurer of the Student Senate and was Big Man on Campus.

After earning his master’s degree in geological engineering, he went on to become president of Sundance Oil Co., a position he has held for 40 years. His numerous professional memberships include the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists, American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Withrow believes financial hardship should not prevent students from pursuing their goals and attending college. With this in mind, he has endowed many scholarships to assist financially challenged students. He and his wife, Cathryn, recently established a new scholarship for students interested in studying autism. In addition to his financial support of the university, Withrow is a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors and is a past chairman and lifetime member of the Geology and Geophysics Alumni Advisory Council. He is the recipient of the OU College of Arts and Sciences’ Distinguished Service Award.



FIVE OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED HONORARY DEGREES AT COMMENCEMENT, INCLUDING MEWBOURNE COLLEGE OF EARTH & ENERGY ALUM

Four outstanding individuals, including Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy’s Jon Rex Jones, joined OU Commencement speaker William S. Cohen, the 20th U.S. Secretary of Defense, former U.S. senator and author of 11 books, including two books of poetry, in being awarded honorary degrees at OU’s 2008 Commencement Ceremony, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, May 9, at The Gaylord Family –- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

In addition to Cohen, the following will be awarded honorary degrees:

Jon Rex Jones of Albany, Texas, chairman of Jones Energy Ltd., an independent natural gas exploration and production company
Sandra O'Brien of Houston, education advocate and civic leader
Lee Allan Smith of Oklahoma City, vice president of Ackerman McQueen and president of Oklahoma Events
Peggy Stephenson of Tulsa, civic leader and community volunteer

JON REX JONES
Jones joined his father and brother as a partner in their Albany, Texas, petroleum firm after earning his bachelor of science degree in geology from OU in 1957. In addition to serving as chairman of Jones Energy Ltd., he is chairman of EnerVest Ltd., a Houston-based company that purchases oil and gas properties for institutional investors.

Active in the industry affairs on state and national levels, Jones, a Certified Petroleum Geologist, is a past president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America and continues to serve on its executive advisory committee. In 2007, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy to serve on the National Petroleum Council, which represents independent oil and gas producers across the United States.

Jones has kept close ties with his alma mater, serving on the Reach for Excellence Campaign and on the ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics' advisory council. He is a Sarkeys Energy Center Founder and a member of the Seed Sower Society honoring donors of $1 million or more. In 2000, Jones received a Regents' Alumni Award.

Among their support to OU, he, his wife, Ann; and their son and daughter-in-law, Jonny and Brenda Jones, all OU alumni, have made contributions to the stadium renovation project, the women's basketball program and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, where the Clash of the Titans exhibit is named in their honor.

Jon Rex Jones