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DURANT, Okla. – It’s only fitting that the Southeastern Alumni Association’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to John Massey.
This special recognition will take place on Friday, Oct. 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the Visual & Performing Arts Center at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Also to be honored at the Southeastern Homecoming Awards Banquet are Distinguished Alumni Frank Fietz and Sue Wilson Stafford; Distinguished Former Faculty Dr. George Collier and Dr. Flavil George; and the Heritage Award recipient, the late Minnie Baker.
“Regent Massey’s career in public service, business and higher education is unparalleled in the state of Oklahoma,’’ said Southeastern president Sean Burrage. “This is going to be a very special occasion as we gather to express our appreciation to an individual who has devoted his life to the betterment of all Oklahomans. No one has done more for Southeastern Oklahoma State University than John Massey. No one is more deserving of the Southeastern Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award than John Massey.’’
President Burrage and Chancellor Glen D. Johnson of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and a former Southeastern president, will be presenting the award.
Massey is chairman of the board of First United Bank and Trust, headquartered in Durant. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, and s in his third nine-year term as a regent, a position appointed by the governor.
“I congratulate State Regent John Massey on receiving the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Alumni Association,” said Chancellor Johnson. “Regent Massey’s professional experience, public service and knowledge of Oklahoma’s higher education system are invaluable to our board, as is his tireless advocacy on behalf of Oklahoma students. His commitment to student success and the advancement of higher education in our state make him particularly deserving of this special honor.”
Massey earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1960 and served as Student Body President at the University. He is the only student in the history of Southeastern to receive the Outstanding Student Award for three consecutive years.
Turning to public service, Massey was elected State Representative in 1960, serving two terms. In 1964, he was elected to the State Senate, where he also served two terms.
In 1984, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southeastern; in 2005, the School of Business was renamed the John Massey School of Business.
At his alma mater, Massey has established nine endowed chairs and four professorships.
“I am so proud of this University that I can’t really put it into words,’’ Massey said. “Southeastern has made such a difference in my life and in the lives of so many people over the years. To be honored in this way by the Alumni Association is very special to me. It means a great deal.’’
Massey was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2009, he was inducted into the Oklahoma City Community College Hall of Fame, and he received the prestigious Leadership Oklahoma Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
He was presented the Outstanding Alumni Award by Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity in 2001 and was also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Durant Kiwanis Club in 2010.
Tickets for the Distinguished Awards Banquet are $30 per person or $350 for a table sponsorship (8).
For more information, go to alumni.SE.edu or call 580-745-2875.