ADA, Okla. – East Central University’s Evening of Honors and Recognition is set to recognize distinguished persons on May 1 at 6 p.m. in the ECU Foundation Hall, located inside the Chickasaw Business & Conference Center.
The 2026 Distinguished Alumni to be honored include:
- Margaret Barton (Class of 1968)
- Brad Calip (Class of 1987 & 1993)
- Mike Cantrell (Class of 1972)
- Steve Johnson (Class of 1991)
- Don Orr (Class of 1973)
The 2026 Distinguished Former Faculty Award will be presented to Dr. Nicholas J. Cheper, who began his career at ECU as a professor in the Biology Department in 1980. He became chair of the department in 1996, a position he held until his retirement in 2015.
The 2026 Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Timmy Young (1988, 2006) for his service as an educator, entrepreneur and community leader.
The 2026 Distinguished Family to be honored is the Shi-Boren Family for their long-standing history and contributions to ECU as individuals and as a family.
More information about this year’s honorees will be released in the coming weeks. To purchase tickets, visit tinyurl.com/9ckajkf7 or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@ecok.edu or call 580-559-5651.
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