Clarence G. Oliver, Jr., Ed.D., pictured here in his office in the Oral Roberts University Department of Education, recently announced that he will resign from administration and join the faculty at the university so that he can teach administration. Oliver was superintendent of Broken Arrow Public Schools from 1974 through 1992. Community World staff photo, Derek Wilson. |
Tireless Educator
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Oliver has served as an administrator at ORU for five years. He will be serving on the faculty for a new degree at ORU, the doctorate in administration and leadership, a degree program which he was initially hired to design. The degree is for those seeking to become school administrators, primarily superintendents. The degree has three branches: one for traditional, 'K-12' schools; one for private Christian schools; and one for secondary Bible institutes.
"I've felt, for years, the need to be involved in preparing young school administrators," Oliver said. "It (the
degree) is for those individuals who aspire to a higher position."
The only three institutions at which such a degree is available in this area are the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas, Oliver said; but ORU, he said, is the only place in this part of the country which offers branches specific to Christian schools and Bible colleges.
Oliver's first course, 'Facilities - Planning and Management,' will be offered this summer. By joining the faculty, Oliver still can play a role in academic administration, as an instructor.
Oliver, a native Oklahoman who was born in Ada, arrived in Broken Arrow with his family in 1955. "I really feel that I'm a Broken Arrowan not by birth but by adoption," he said. "We've (his family) lived the majority of our life in Broken Arrow."
Though he's always been a teacher in one capacity or another, Oliver once puri;;ued a career in journalism. When he was still in high school, Oliver was asked to teach a Sunday school class and also was involved in the Boy Scouts. After fighting in the Korean War, Oliver "felt a calling" to get involved in education. "Not everyone believes in it (a 'calling')," Oliver said. "It's not unlike that which people who become ministers feel."
Oliver first became a teacher at the Broken Arrow Senior High, when it was located in a building that now is North
Intermediate. "There were only 12 people on the high school faculty and about 300 students," he said. "It was a small school."
The school system also had only six buses. This year's bond issue alone will purchase six new buses.
After teaching for awhile, Oliver worked at the Broken Arrow Ledger for about six years but again he was called. "I just felt the need to get back into education," he said. In 1974, Oliver became the superintendent of Broken Arrow Public Schools, a position he held for 18 years. His stretch as superintendent was during Broken Arrow's tremendous growth period.
"All of us who were here were so deeply involved in planning that we really didn't have time to think about the challenges that lay ahead," he said. "It is more difficult to work with a larger district because one person can't do it all himself. He needs to surround himself with very , very capable people and to listen to them."
After retiring as superintendent in 1992, Oral Roberts approached Oliver about instituting the administrative program. However, he just wanted to get back to the newspaper and became the publisher and editor of the now defunct Broken Arrow Scout for a year. "Throughout that year, off and on, President Roberts came asking me to join the university," he said. Oliver finally caved and became a part-time administrator, part-time instructor and later a full-time administrator.
For those who want to become administrators, Oliver said that they must first like people. "A person who wants to be an administrator has to like people ," he said. "It's a very visible, very public job. It also requires 24 hours of your time each day - you're always on call , around the clock." He also said listening , long-range planning, commitment and willingness to be under constant public scrutiny as being requirements.
Oliver said that the current Broken Arrow school administration is doing an excellent job and said that superintendent Dr. Jerry Hill is a "well-trained, experienced administrator" who has "carried along the vision that has been in place a long time." Of the things Oliver loves about Broken Arrow, his two favorites are its people and their religious commitment. "It's those two things together that I most appreciate," he said. "It has a great history." And with people like Oliver around, it has a great future, as well.
"I've felt, for years, the need to be involved in preparing young school administrators," Oliver said. "It (the
degree) is for those individuals who aspire to a higher position."
The only three institutions at which such a degree is available in this area are the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas, Oliver said; but ORU, he said, is the only place in this part of the country which offers branches specific to Christian schools and Bible colleges.
Oliver's first course, 'Facilities - Planning and Management,' will be offered this summer. By joining the faculty, Oliver still can play a role in academic administration, as an instructor.
Oliver, a native Oklahoman who was born in Ada, arrived in Broken Arrow with his family in 1955. "I really feel that I'm a Broken Arrowan not by birth but by adoption," he said. "We've (his family) lived the majority of our life in Broken Arrow."
Though he's always been a teacher in one capacity or another, Oliver once puri;;ued a career in journalism. When he was still in high school, Oliver was asked to teach a Sunday school class and also was involved in the Boy Scouts. After fighting in the Korean War, Oliver "felt a calling" to get involved in education. "Not everyone believes in it (a 'calling')," Oliver said. "It's not unlike that which people who become ministers feel."
Oliver first became a teacher at the Broken Arrow Senior High, when it was located in a building that now is North
Intermediate. "There were only 12 people on the high school faculty and about 300 students," he said. "It was a small school."
The school system also had only six buses. This year's bond issue alone will purchase six new buses.
After teaching for awhile, Oliver worked at the Broken Arrow Ledger for about six years but again he was called. "I just felt the need to get back into education," he said. In 1974, Oliver became the superintendent of Broken Arrow Public Schools, a position he held for 18 years. His stretch as superintendent was during Broken Arrow's tremendous growth period.
"All of us who were here were so deeply involved in planning that we really didn't have time to think about the challenges that lay ahead," he said. "It is more difficult to work with a larger district because one person can't do it all himself. He needs to surround himself with very , very capable people and to listen to them."
After retiring as superintendent in 1992, Oral Roberts approached Oliver about instituting the administrative program. However, he just wanted to get back to the newspaper and became the publisher and editor of the now defunct Broken Arrow Scout for a year. "Throughout that year, off and on, President Roberts came asking me to join the university," he said. Oliver finally caved and became a part-time administrator, part-time instructor and later a full-time administrator.
For those who want to become administrators, Oliver said that they must first like people. "A person who wants to be an administrator has to like people ," he said. "It's a very visible, very public job. It also requires 24 hours of your time each day - you're always on call , around the clock." He also said listening , long-range planning, commitment and willingness to be under constant public scrutiny as being requirements.
Oliver said that the current Broken Arrow school administration is doing an excellent job and said that superintendent Dr. Jerry Hill is a "well-trained, experienced administrator" who has "carried along the vision that has been in place a long time." Of the things Oliver loves about Broken Arrow, his two favorites are its people and their religious commitment. "It's those two things together that I most appreciate," he said. "It has a great history." And with people like Oliver around, it has a great future, as well.