University of Central Oklahoma - Bronze Book Yearbook (Edmond, OK)

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There Were Affairs of State ... of Data Processing for the State Department of Education. A graduate of Central State, he is married to the former Marcy Sharp-ton. also a CSU graduate and a teacher at Deer Creek. They have two children — Dennis and Gina Godfrey. John, the youngest son, was an eighth grader when the Godfreys moved to Edmond. He earned his BS in Business Management from OSU and is now a Captain in the Air Marines, stationed at Santa Anna Air Force Base in California. His wife, the former Susie Stuart of Shattuck, is also a graduate of OSU. Along with the hard work. President Godfrey found time for entertaining and joining in the fun of campus life, for celebrating special oc- BELOW—During his term of office as President of Central State University. Dr. Godfrey addressed thousands of graduates. BELOW—Dr. Godfrey deposits a momento to a future year in a capsule, which was pluced in the new wing of the Ad Building. 26

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The Godfreys ... Dr. Godfrey would be the first to say he could not—and did not—face the problems or accomplish his goals alone. Working beside him all the way and carrying a large share of the load has been his wife—Miss -locille Morris, when he met her in the church choir at Stillwater when they both attended what is now OSU and where he worked off and on for 25 years to complete three degrees. While she devoted her time to raising the four little Godfreys and helping him in his career, he continued teaching and working on advanced degrees. Describing himself as a barefoot boy from a farm in Arkansas where he walked three miles each way to high school in Magazine, Arkansas, and returned each day to chores— sandwiching education between chopping cotton, stripping cane and milking cows—he took his first teaching iob in a rural school when he was just 17. From there he .vent to teach at a school at Kansas, Oklahoma, then to principal and superintendent at Pryor, and on to be superintendent at Durant for seven years before he was tapped for Central State. Meeting financial and family challenges as he worked his way through the master’s and doctorate at OSU. he still found time to serve in numerous positions of leadership in professional organizations, to be an active civic and church worker, and to remain “just plain dad” at home. The Godfrey’s four children are all married now and have homes of their own. Merriam finished her BA in Music at North Texas State University and her Master’s of Music at Baylor University. Now Mrs. David Paul, she and her husband and three children—Joyce, Stephen and Laurie—live in Redlands, Calif. Anna Lee. a graduate of OSU, is now Mrs. Jim Reynolds of Orlando, Fla., and has two children, James Michael and Teri Lynn. Joe Bill Godfrey, an Rdmond High School football star after they moved here when he was in the eleventh grade, is now coordinator ?5

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casions and hosting visitors to Central State. It was rare that the Godfreys had an evening at home alone as they tried to keep up with all the invitations to parties and dinners, and other activities that go with the job. Highlighting any year was dedication of a new building, or leading the faculty procession as another crop of seniors celebrated graduation. He continued his active membership in Rotary that dates back to the chapter he helped charter in Pryor in 1944 ... his participation in the Men’s Dinner Club of Oklahoma City and the Chambers of Commerce in Edmond and Oklahoma City ... his work in Frontiers of Science on which he served as a member of the board of directors for several years . . . in the Educational Television Authority which he served for over 10 years, four of those as chairman ... in OEA where he once served as state president and NEA to which he was on the Board of Directors . . . and he has taught a men’s Sunday School class for over 40 years. His daily schedule might contain such diverse activities as breakfast meetings, administrative council sessions; meetings with architects; luncheon meetings, faculty committee meetings in the afternoons, dinner meetings, queen crownings, student dances, plays, ballgames. and other campus activities. In the President’s Dining Room in the University Center or in the Godfrey’s home on campus, they entertained Governors, Congressmen, legislators. Boards of Regents, visiting authors. North Central delegations. Alumni, businessmen, faculty and students. Vacation time for the Godfreys often included a professional meeting with a few days left over for getting-away-from-it all or a short trip to visit their married children and to spoil the grandchildren. On a long weekend, they would hide away on their farm in far northeast Oklahoma, camping out and Fishing. In later years, they grew to love Colorado for its Fishing and mountain scenery and they began to seek a spot for a retirement home. Two years ago they found the place of BKl.OW—A sculpture of the CSC Broncho is unveiled by the President in the new Max Chambers library. BKl.OW—Dr. .Joe -Jackson presents Dr. Godfrey with a Christmas card from the entire faculty, with sketches of places where the Godfrey's have lived and worked. BELOW—During his fifteen years at Central. Dr. Godfrey led over 30 commencement processions for Central State graduates.