MARCH 2026 | 75 THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL Through her gift, Ms. Chapman sought to support her interest in education and honor Tulsa attorney John Rogers, who served as counsel for the Chapman family interests for many years. The $2,500 Chapman-Rogers Scholarship is awarded annually to a student at each of the three state law schools. Three more scholarships were established in the 1980s and 1990s. OBF Past President A. Francis Porta honored his son, who predeceased him, with a gift to the foundation in his will. The $500 Phillips Allen Porta Award is given each year to the OU College of Law student who has the highest grade in legal ethics. The Thomas L. Hieronymus Memorial Award honors longtime Woodward attorney Thomas L. Hieronymus with a $500 scholarship to a second- or third-year student at the OU College of Law who intends to practice oil and gas or other natural energy law. Mr. Hieronymus served as the OBF president in 1975 and was recognized by the OBA for 60 years of law practice. The W.B. Clark Memorial Scholarship was created by Ponca City native Frances C. Eubanks in honor of her father, attorney W.B. Clark. This scholarship is awarded annually to students at the three law schools who are from Kay County. 2016 was the 70th anniversary of the foundation, and in celebration of its past and in looking forward to a bright future, the OBF established the Partners for Justice Scholarship, which is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to students at all three Oklahoma law schools who have demonstrated a need for financial assistance, are in good academic standing and the have proven their ability to succeed as lawyers. One of two new scholarships created in 2025 is the Emerson/ Spector Award, a $500 scholarship awarded to the student at each of the three law schools with the highest grade in family law. This award honors past OBA Director Marvin C. Emerson and OU College of Law Professor Robert G. Spector. Finally, the Judy Hamilton Morse Memorial Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship awarded to one student at each of Oklahoma’s three law schools who is in good academic standing and has demonstrated a commitment to high legal standards and involvement in pro bono activities. This award honors Ms. Morse, a former OBF president and a renowned Oklahoma lawyer. The OBF’s purpose, as stated in 1946, to improve the administration of justice and benefit Oklahoma lawyers and the public, is advanced through the OBF scholarship program as another part of the access to justice pipeline. The OBF is committed to making an impact on the lives of future lawyers, as well as those who so generously brought us to our 80th year, as we seek to bring justice home to Oklahomans. Ms. DeMoss is the executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.
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