Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Dr. Everett Piper, President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, was privileged to serve as Pastor of the Oklahoma Senate during the 4 day session beginning on March 2nd. According to Senator John Ford, “Dr. Piper is an individual whom I have admired and respected since the day I met him. I wanted to give the Senate an opportunity to meet him and to get to know him.” As chaplain, Dr. Piper began each session with prayer, was available to senate members in a pastoral capacity each day and greeted the senate with personal remarks at the beginning of Thursday?s session. The only other college president ever to serve in this capacity was Oral Roberts who served for one day.

Upon his return to campus on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Piper reflected on his week with the Senate. “Serving as pastor for the Senate was an honor. I am thankful to Senator Ford for the opportunity to share in the good work that he and his colleagues do for the citizens of Oklahoma. There truly are many good people who are sacrificing a great deal to serve. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.”

Since August of 2002, Everett Piper has served as the fifth president of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University. His credentials include a B.A. from Spring Arbor University, a M.A. from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Dr. Piper’s career includes twenty five years of administrative work within the realm of higher education. Prior to becoming the OKWU president he served in a succession of vice presidential roles in the areas of Student Development, Institutional Advancement, Enrollment Services, and Capital Projects. Other leadership roles have included the Chairman of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, member of the Arvest Bank Advisory Board, member of the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees, member of the General Board of the Wesleyan Church, Adjunct Scholar for the Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs, and a current member of the Council for National Policy. Dr. Piper also contributes regularly as a writer for the Examiner Enterprise, Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint magazine, and Crosswalk.com. He and his wife Marci have two sons, Seth (17) and Cobi (14).

Oklahoma Wesleyan University is a four-year Christian university of the liberal
arts and sciences that is accredited by the North Central Association. OKWU also obtained professional accreditation with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). It is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities as well as the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Association of Oklahoma Independent Colleges and Universities.