Jim D. Cobb

Juanita L. Nofflet

Eddie Sutton

James “Jim” D. Cobb received both his bachelor’s degree (’59) and his master’s degree (’60) in Civil Engineering from OSU.  Upon graduation, Cobb began working for Cobb Engineering Company, established by his father, Fred, in 1921, and bought the family business outright in 1970.  Under his leadership, the company has enjoyed many successes including high profile projects such as the record-setting reconstruction effort of the collapsed I-40 bridge near Webbers Falls, Okla., as well as being named one of the four lead engineers on the largest construction project in the history of Oklahoma by relocating the I-40 crosstown expressway in Oklahoma City. Not only is Cobb considered one of the founders of the OSU POSSE organization, he is a National Past President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors (1981-82), a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, and a member of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame.

Juanita L. “Bobbie” Nofflet served as an elementary school teacher in Oklahoma before graduating from OSU (’48) with a degree in design, housing and merchandising. She spent much of her early career establishing life improvement programs for students in impoverished areas throughout the United States.  In the 1960s, Nofflet became an advisor with the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), helping to train more than 12,000 women leaders in Vietnam to improve their family lives and communities. She was a catalyst for the Vietnam orphan lift at the end of the war. Her work with the agency continued after the conflict as she helped plan and implement various disaster relief and social welfare programs for individuals from refugees to disaster victims. In the Philippines she worked with local government officials to improve city administration and served in Washington D.C. as a desk officer providing support for development programs in Indonesia and Thailand. She has been recognized as an OSU Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni and a College of Human Environmental Sciences Distinguished Alumni.

Eddie Sutton received his bachelor’s degree (’58) and masters degree (’59) from OSU while playing basketball and serving as an assistant coach for the legendary Henry P. “Hank” Iba. During his 36-year career, he served as the head coach at Creighton University, Arkansas, and Kentucky before returning to his alma mater in 1990 to lead the Cowboys to one of the most successful periods in the school’s history. Sutton is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to record 30 or more wins in a single season at more than one school (Arkansas, Kentucky, and OSU) and take four different teams to the NCAA Tournament. He has been named National Coach of the Year four times and is an eight-time Conference Coach of the Year. During his successful tenure at OSU, Sutton’s teams scored 13 NCAA Tournament bids and two Final Four appearances.  Prior to his retirement, the Cowboys captured three regular-season conference titles and three conference tournament championships. His career record is 798-315. Sutton is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tulsa-based SpiritBank and is leading a drive to build a $20 million addiction center at Oklahoma State.