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Coach Bill Boucek Scholarship

About Bill B. Boucek
Coach Bill B. Boucek ’49 participated in football and track as an ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ student. In 1954, he started coaching track, women’s basketball, football, and basketball for more than 35 years and began the weight lifting program at OU. He was KCAC Coach of the Year 11 times. He was also athletic director, dean of men, and physical education department chair, retiring in 1989. He served his country in the Army during WWII and was a charter member of the Braves Athletic Hall of Fame. The Bill Boucek Scholarship is a $1,000 award.

2023-24 Recipient

• JayOnna Perry (women's track and field)

Coach Dick Peters Scholarship

About Dick Peters
Coach Dick Peters’ playing career included three letters each in football and track, as well as All-Big Six End honors at Kansas State University. He served as assistant coach for three years at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, becoming head football coach in 1956 to create a record of 129-42-3 in 22 years, including three undefeated seasons. OU won the KCAC Conference title in football seven times and took the title four times in track from 1949-1952 under Peters’ coaching. He also served as athletic director. He was elected to the NAIA Coaches Hall of Fame in 1973 and posthumously to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. He was a WWII veteran and was a charter member of the Braves Athletic Hall of Fame. The Peters Scholarship is a $1,000 award.

2023-24 Recipient

• Malik Patterson (football)

Bill Frear Scholarship

About Bill Frear
Coach Bill Frear ’50 is one of the most accomplished Braves basketball coaches in OU history. As an ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ athlete, he was part of three KCAC championship teams and was a two-year all-conference selection. As a head basketball coach from 1955 to 1978, he recorded 267 wins and five conference championships. He also served as athletic director; head baseball, tennis, and golf coach; football and track assistant; and professor. He was a WWII Marine veteran and was a charter member of the Braves Athletic Hall of Fame. The Frear Scholarship is awarded to two recipients, each receiving $500.

2023-24 Recipients

• Tiyani Rollins (women's basketball)
• Kobe Johnson (men's basketball)

Elaine "Mom" Pyle Scholarship

About Elaine Pyle
Elaine “Mom” Pyle began her career at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in 1984 in the registrar’s office, becoming University registrar in 1995 and serving until her death in 2006. She was dedicated to OU and was a devoted OU basketball fan. Known to many as “Mom,” Elaine was a difference-maker, positively impacting many lives with her compassionate, caring, honest, loyal, fair, generous, and intelligent manner. She was a strong Christian and understood that the real mission of a Christian-affiliated institution was to act with love and care, inspiring all to reach new heights. She loved all, no matter the outcome. The Pyle Scholarships of $500 are awarded in her memory.

2023-24 Recipients

• Katelyn Alatini (women's basketball)
• AJ Hof (men's basketball)

Jim Smith Awards

About Jim Smith
Awarded annually to the student-athlete who exhibits the qualities of Jim Smith, Class of 1960, as the most enthusiastic, relentlessly optimistic, positive, and upbeat athlete at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, and who has this impact on his or her team.

2023-24 Recipients

• Brock Chapman (men's wrestling)
• Macey Gross (women's wrestling)

Dudley Geise NAIA Champions of Character Scholarships

About Dudley Geise
Dudley Geise ’53 served his country in the Air Force during WWII before attending ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in 1948 and earning 10 letters in varsity football, basketball and track. Following graduation, he taught various subjects and coached for 35 years in secondary education. For 25+ of those years, he was an FCA Huddle Leader, retiring in 1988. In 1991, he was inducted into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Braves Athletic Hall of Fame. In recognition of his character, leadership, friendship, and encouragement to all, this award was created in 2008 to honor one female and one male each year who exhibit outstanding sportsmanship. Two $400 scholarships are awarded in his honor.

2023-24 Recipients

• Kobe Johnson (men's basketball)
• Allie Williams (women's bowling)

Kurt Barbour Memorial Scholarship

About Kurt Barbour
This scholarship has been created to honor and represent the life of Kurt Barbour. Kurt will be remembered for his love of family, friends and his sport. and his legacy will always be his passion for athletics, his faith and his family. Kurt played football with a dedication and commitment to excel. He earned All-Conference honors as a defensive back and had a never quit approach to anything he undertook. His hard work and talent allowed him to excel in all areas of his life. He serves as an example for all of us and his fight to beat his illness was without reproach.

2023-24 Recipient

• TJ Osa (football)

Albert "Butch" Lewis Memorial Scholarship

About "Butch" Lewis
Butch Lewis was an outstanding athlete at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ from 1957 to 1961 as a member of the football, basketball and track teams, receiving letters in all three sports. He held the javelin record at OU for many years and was the epitome of a great teammate. He spent his postgraduate career at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. During his tenure Buena Vista enjoyed many conference championships in no small part due to his leadership, coaching and serving as a role model for student athletes.

2023-24 Recipient

• Damian Blackburn (football)

Bettin Family BAHOF Scholarship

About Dr. Stan Bettin

This new scholarship was established by Dr. Stanley Bettin ’61, inducted to the Braves Hall of Fame in 2005. Bettin participated in football (1957-60), basketball (1958-59), and golf (1958-1961) for the Braves. As his BAHOF biography notes, he was a leader and an integral part of championship teams in all three sports. After graduating from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, Bettin received his DDS from the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) in 1965. He is member of the American Dental Association, Kansas Dental Association, American Orthodontic Society, American Endodontic Society, and a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry. He is retired from private practice in Lyons, Kansas.

Bettin has been a member of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Board of Trustees since 1990 and is a past vice chair and chair. He is currently serving as a Life Trustee. Bettin and his wife Elda have three children and five grandchildren who have all attended ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, with several earning their master’s degrees. Higher education and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ are both very important to the Bettin family.

2023-24 Recipient

• Brenna Diller (women's volleyball)

About Dr. Dick Meiers

This new scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Richard (Dick) Meiers ‘53, inducted to the Braves Hall of Fame in 1994. Meiers lettered in football (1949-52), men’s basketball (1949-53), and track (1951-53). As a member of the OU football team, Meiers helped lead the Braves to a four year record of 21-10 and to the 1950 KCAC Championship under head coach Dick Peters. On the basketball court Meiers led the Braves to a record of 68-28, to three KCAC Championships, to three Kansas NAIA Playoffs, and to one NAIA National Tournament. Meiers was part of three KCAC Track and Field Team Championships (1951, 1952, 1953). He was a three-time KCAC Champion in the shot put for the Braves. After graduating from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, Meiers went on to Kansas City University Dental College, graduating in May of 1958, and he went on to a long career in Dentistry. He was a strong supporter of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and BAHOF.
 

2023-24 Recipient

• Darby Weidl (women's wrestling)

The David C. Owen Leadership Scholarship was established by 1960 graduate, Dave Owen, and his wife Laura who both have served as trustees of the University. Owen is a former State Senator and Lt. Governor of Kansas. He is a 1960 graduate of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, where he was a standout athlete in both basketball and track. He was elected to the OU Braves Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000 and is a past president of the Hall of Fame. As President he orchestrated the establishment and endowment of the BAHOF Scholarship Program and now serves as Co-Chairman of the BAHOF Scholarship fund. He is the Chairman of the David C. Owen Leadership Institute at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and is currently a member of the OU President’s Council. Professionally, Owen has nearly 60 years of business experience in the financial industry, having served as Founder and President of two banks in the Kansas City Area, and as Regional Manager for Stephens Inc, an investment banking firm headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dave was Co-Founder and CEO of ICOP, a public company traded on the NASDAQ Exchange, and a global market leader in motion video products for First Responders. ICOP received the Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2008. He was a member of the Board of the Greater Kansas City Fellowship of Christian Athletes for many years. He studied at Ohio State University and Rutgers University in conjunction with the American Bankers Association and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. 

2023-24 Recipient

• Hailee McKay (women's flag football)

2023-24 Recipients

• James Gladden (football)
• Abby Brown (women's flag football)