Assistant OU Law Dean Selected for Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction

NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma College of Law Assistant Dean Stanley L. Evans has been selected by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for induction into its 94^th class of honorees.

“We are equally excited and unsurprised by this tremendous honor for Dean and Colonel Evans,” said OU College of Law interim dean Katheleen Guzman. “Dean Evans is a man of conviction, wisdom and warmth who has inspired countless College of Law colleagues, students, alumni and friends over the past 20 years.” 

Evans graduated from OU Law with a Juris Doctor in 2003 at the age of 57 and was immediately appointed by Dean Andrew M. Coats as the dean of students, making him the first African American to be appointed to a dean position at an Oklahoma law school.

“Being selected for induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame is the highest honor Oklahoma can confer on an Oklahoman.” stated Dean Coats. “Stan Evans is a great Oklahoman and is deserving of this most important recognition! We are all better people because we have known Stan, and worked with him.”

In his first year, incoming minority enrollment nearly doubled. During his tenure, OU Law achieved a 100% minority bar passage rate multiple times and was named one of the top 20 law schools for diversity experience by U.S. News & World Report.

“I was honored and truly surprised to find that I was to be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame,” said Evans. “I know many people who mentored and guided me who are already in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and it is a humbling feeling that I would be considered one of their peers. I only wish that my mother and dad were still alive to share this honor with me. I will share it with many others because there are so many who have contributed to all I am.”

In addition to his accomplishments at OU Law, Evans was appointed by two Oklahoma governors to the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission and served as chairman in 2008. Evans is a proud veteran who rose to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army before retiring after 32 years of service in 2000. He was a company commander in the Vietnam War and was the first African American soldier to command Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and to serve as dean of the prestigious Command and General Staff College. At Fort Leavenworth, he presented a $120 million project to Congress for the construction of a 413,000-square-foot instruction facility.

The Oklahoma Lawyers for America’s Heroes Program, of which Evans is a founder, has provided free legal services to more than 4,000 local veterans. As chief legal coordinator for Oklahoma City’s Make-A-Will Program, over 900 families have been given access to financial planning and wealth management. Evans’ efforts have earned him numerous awards, including the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Trailblazer Award, two Oklahoma Governor’s Commendations, and the military’s Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star.

The Class of 2021 honorees will be formally inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 with the purpose of honoring Oklahomans in their lifetime with the state’s highest honor and educating Oklahoma’s youth on our rich history. The Gaylord-Pickens Museum, home of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, opened in 2007 with the intent of giving the public access to the stories of these and other inspirational Oklahomans.