James Edmund Halligan (June 23,1936 –October 25,2022) was an American state senator from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University president. [1] Halligan defeated Robert "Bob" Murphy in 2008,gaining a Republican seat in the state senate and helping to deliver his party control for the first time in state history.
Halligan was born in Moorland,Iowa, [2] on June 23,1936. [3] He joined the US Air Force and served for four years as a Bulgarian translator. He then studied chemical engineering at Iowa State University,obtaining his undergraduate,master's,and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from that institution. [4] [5]
After being awarded his doctorate,Halligan was briefly employed in the petroleum industry. [6] He subsequently taught as a faculty member,and served as department chair and dean of engineering at the University of Arkansas,Texas Tech University,and New Mexico State University (NMSU). [5] He was appointed president of NMSU in 1984 [5] [7] and served in that capacity for a decade before becoming the sixteenth president of Oklahoma State University (OSU) on August 1,1994. [4] [8]
During his tenure at OSU,Halligan emphasized increasing retention and graduation rates, [8] halting a 12-year trend of decreasing student enrollments. [9] He also encouraged the development of national scholars,and investing more than $200 million in student facilities on campus,including multi-media classrooms and suite-style student accommodation. Halligan oversaw the university's first capital campaign that ultimately raised more than $260 million,which was over twice the initial goal. [10] He also contributed towards "Raise the Roof" for Gallagher-Iba Arena, [9] which was named by CBS Sportsline as the country's best college basketball venue in 2001. [11] OSU was recognized as "America's Best College Buy" and a "Truman Honor Institution" under his leadership. [4] [8]
Throughout his presidency,Halligan and his wife hosted thousands of OSU students in their home every year. They also promoted events run by students such as Orange Peel,Homecoming,Varsity Review and Into the Streets. [10] They were credited with steering the university through the aftermath of the plane crash in January 2001 that killed ten members of the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team and their flight crew. [4] [12] He announced his retirement in May 2002. [9]
Halligan ran for state senator in Oklahoma's 21st district (encompassing Stillwater) [4] and was elected. [5] He served two terms in that capacity and was a member of various committees,including appropriations,education,energy,business and commerce,finance,and rules. [10] During his time in the Oklahoma Senate,Halligan voted in favor of an independent audit of the state department of education, [13] and against the repeal of the state grocery sales tax. [14] He also authored a bill passed in February 2015 that banned the use of tobacco on campuses. [12] [15] On August 12,2015,Halligan released a statement through the Oklahoma State Senate announcing that he would not seek reelection to a third term and that the 2016 legislative session would be his last. [16]
Halligan was married to Ann until his death. Together,they had three children:Mike,Pat and Chris. [17] After retiring from Oklahoma State,he resided in Stillwater. [12]
Halligan died on the morning of October 25,2022,at Integris Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was 86 years old. [17]
Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jim Halligan | Republican Party | 17,711 | 58.15% | ||
Bob Murphy | Democratic Party | 12,749 | 41.85% | ||
Source: |
Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Payne County,Oklahoma. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of the 2020 census,the city population was 48,394. The Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22,1889,when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24,1889,and operates under a council-manager government system.
Robert E. England is an American political scientist. He is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Political Science at Oklahoma State University. He is a former graduate student of David R. Morgan. England is the Founding Editor of International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management and an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Social Change.
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater,Oklahoma. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act. Originally known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College,it is the flagship institution of the Oklahoma State University System that holds more than 35,000 students across its five campuses with an annual budget of $1.7 billion. The main campus enrollment for the fall 2019 semester was 24,071,with 20,024 undergraduates and 4,017 graduate students. OSU is classified among "R1:Doctoral Universities –Very high research activity". According to the National Science Foundation,OSU spent $198.8 million on research and development in 2021.
Donald Lee Nickles is an American politician and lobbyist who was a Republican United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1981 to 2005. He was considered both a fiscal and social conservative. After retiring from the Senate as the longest-serving senator from Oklahoma up until that point,he founded the Nickles Group,a lobbying firm.
New Mexico State University is a public land-grant research university in Las Cruces,New Mexico. Founded in 1888,it is the state's oldest public institution of higher education and one of two flagship universities in New Mexico. NMSU has campuses in Alamogordo,Doña Ana County,and Grants,as well as research centers and programs in all 33 counties in the state.
Boone Pickens Stadium has been home to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team in rudimentary form since 1919,and as a complete stadium since 1920. Aligned in an east-west direction since 1920,the field is the oldest in the Big 12 Conference.
Eskimo Joe's is a restaurant and bar located at 501 W. Elm in Stillwater,Oklahoma.
Frank Boardman "Pistol Pete" Eaton was a scout,sheriff,and cowboy.
David Lyle Boren is a retired American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party,he served as 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and three terms in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994. A conservative Democrat,to date,he is the last in his party to have served as U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. He was the 13th and second-longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma from 1994 to 2018. He was the longest serving chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. On September 20,2017,Boren officially announced his retirement as president of the University of Oklahoma,effective June 30,2018.
David James Schmidly is an American academic administrator and zoologist who served as president of Texas Tech University,Oklahoma State University,and the University of New Mexico. On April 22,2011,Schmidly announced his decision to retire as UNM's President at the end of his five-year contract in 2012,citing health concerns and his desire to end his career working in his academic field of natural history and mammalogy.
The Edmon Low Library (ELL) is the main library of the Oklahoma State University System. It is located on the main campus of the university in Stillwater,Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy,who is in his 19th year as head coach. Oklahoma State plays its home games at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater,Oklahoma.
Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) is a public community college in Tonkawa,Oklahoma,with additional campuses located in Enid,Oklahoma and Stillwater,Oklahoma. Student enrollment is approximately 2,700. NOC bought the former Phillips University in Enid,Oklahoma,in 1999 and it became the NOC Enid campus.
Robert B. Kamm served as the 13th president of Oklahoma State University–Stillwater from July 1,1966 to January 31,1977. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1978,losing to Democratic nominee and then-Governor David Boren.
Robert William MacVicar (1918–1998) was an American chemist and academic administrator who served as the chancellor of Southern Illinois University,and the 11th president of Oregon State University from 1970 and 1984.
Pistol Pete is the athletics mascot of Oklahoma State University. The Pistol Pete mascot costume features traditional cowboy attire and a headpiece resembling Frank Eaton. Pistol Pete has been the mascot for the Oklahoma State Cowboys since 1923.
Edmon Low was the head librarian of the Oklahoma State University Library from 1940–1967. His service in this position is the longest to date. During his time at Oklahoma State,Low was strongly involved with the construction of the present Edmon Low Library building,the main library of the Oklahoma State University System,named after his contributions to the university. Low was instrumental in having the library staff elevated to faculty status at OSU. One of Low's more notable contributions to the library system was his development of the open stack approach in library service.
The Bennett Memorial Chapel is a building on the campus of Oklahoma State University located in Stillwater,Oklahoma. The interdenominational chapel serves as a memorial to honor students from Oklahoma A&M College,who were killed during World War I and World War II and to honor Henry G. Bennett,president of Oklahoma A&M College,and his wife Vera,who died in a plane crash in Iran in 1951.
The 2015 Oklahoma State University homecoming parade attack occurred on October 24,2015,in Stillwater,Oklahoma,when Adacia Avery Chambers intentionally drove her sedan into a crowd watching the homecoming parade for Oklahoma State University–Stillwater on the university's campus. Four people were killed in the crash,and 47 others were reported injured. Chambers pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and assault charges,and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The 2020 United States Senate election in Oklahoma was held on November 3,2020,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Oklahoma,concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Jim Inhofe won reelection to a fifth full term,defeating Democratic challenger Abby Broyles.
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