Investiture of 14th RSU President
OFFICIAL WELCOME: Dr. Larry Rice was officially welcomed as the president of Rogers State University last May. He brings a lot of experience to the position.
The Investiture of Dr. Larry Rice as the 14th president of Rogers State University was a part of the Baccalaureate Commencement Ceremony Saturday, May 9.
The Investiture – a traditional academic ceremony officially commemorating the beginning of the tenure of a new president – was an integral part of the commencement ceremony and featured remarks by various individuals associated with the university.
A bronze medallion – the official symbol of the office of the president – was presented to Dr. Rice by Regent Max Weitzenhoffer, chairman of the OU Board of Regents.
Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education, provided the formal charge of office to Dr. Rice as the new president.
Dr. Rice, who became president of on July 1, 2008, was formally invested as the institution’s 14th president and provided an Investiture and Commencement address to graduates during the baccalaureate commencement ceremony.
An Oklahoma native, President Rice has 30 years of experience in higher education.
President Rice began his academic career in 1979 as a full-time faculty member at , which was then known as Claremore Junior College, where he taught classes in criminal justice, psychology and sociology.
He was Director of the Applied Science Division at from 1979 to 1986 and Associate Director of Academics for the Rogers campus in Pryor from 1986 to 1991.
He received a doctoral degree in education from Oklahoma State University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Northeastern State University.
He wrote his doctoral dissertation on “Eighty Years of University Preparatory Education on College Hill,” a history of the institution presently known as .
Before he was named as president of , he served as Executive Assistant to the President at the University of Tulsa. At TU, Rice was responsible for government relations and the Presidential Scholars Program for high-achieving students. He joined TU in 1991 as a member of the advancement staff and served as interim vice president for advancement from 1997-1998 and director of public affairs from 1991 to 2004.
He served the citizens of Oklahoma as a state representative in House District 8 from 1986 to 2004. While in the Legislature, he was actively involved in promoting increased funding for the state’s higher education system.
Dr. Rice has been dedicated to community service since 1975 when he worked as a Detective for the Pryor Police Department. He has also served on a wide variety of boards for various organizations, including service as president and founding member of the Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools Foundation. He is an ex-officio member of the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Green Country and a former member of the board for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Tulsa.
Dr. Rice was part of Leadership Oklahoma Class 13 and has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Academy since 1992. He was appointed to the Claremore Regional Hospital Board of Directors in 2009.
He has received many awards and commendations for his public service and commitment to higher education. His honors include the “Lifetime Friend Award” from the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma and being recognized as Legislator of the Year by several organizations including the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association.
Dr. Rice and his wife, Peggy, live in the President’s Residence on the campus.
More information about the university can be found at or by phoning (918) 343-6816.
Updated 05-26-2009
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