(Oct. 24, 2006 - Oklahoma City) The Oklahoma Bar Association will hold a dedication ceremony for its new front entrance to the Oklahoma Bar Center this Thursday at 2 p.m.

The plaza will be named in honor of the late John E. Shipp, who passed away during his tenure as OBA executive director in 1998. Shipp, an attorney from Idabel, also served as OBA president in 1985.

A bronze bas-relief plaque recognizing Shipp will be unveiled at the ceremony.

The plaza design incorporates a water feature and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. Additionally, sliding doors with an electronic eye replaced the existing front doors.

Construction on the plaza began in June.

Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Watt and McCurtain County Associate District Judge Michael DeBerry will make brief remarks during the dedication.

Members of Shipp’s family and attorneys from southeastern Oklahoma will also attend the ceremony.

The new front entrance is part of a two-year renovation project proposed by the OBA Bar Center Facilities Committee that includes both interior and exterior redesign of the Oklahoma Bar Center.

The 15,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma's legal community.