East Central Alumni & Community Foundation

2023 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Mike Bingham

Dr. Jeanie Webb

2022 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Kevin Easley, Class of 1978

Shalyn Lindsey, Class of 2011

2021 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Mo Hogan, Class of 1961

Mo Hogan has been a Cardinal since he started at East Central Elementary in 1949. In high school, he was the Class President and an honor roll student. He continued his education at Northeastern State University earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education. Mo’s dream was to lead student athletes to greatness and he did that for almost 20 years right here in the Tulsa Public School system. He taught English and coached football as well as track and field starting at Central High School. In 1968, he began his tenure at Nathan Hale High School leading them to a State Championship in football, as well as coaching track and swimming. In 1979, Mo returned to where his love of education and sports started. He became the head football coach at East Central and led the team back to the state playoffs.

In 1983, Mo retired from teaching and coaching and pursued a career in the insurance business. He sold his successful business in 2019 and now lives in Berryhill with his wife, Pat.

Gerald “The Hurricane” Harris, Class of 1998

Gerald Harris made a big impact at East Central in the late 90s. He was athletic, spirited, smart and kind to everyone. He was crowned Mr. East Central, entertained as the Cardinal mascot, and was an All-American wrestler ranked #6 in the country as a senior. Following high school, Gerald attended Cleveland State University on a full wrestling scholarship where he became an academic All-American and Hall of Fame Member. When he was off the mat, he was the Homecoming King, mascot and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. After college, Gerald exceled as a Professional MMA fighter with a 3-1 UFC record and was a cast member of the Ultimate Fighter TV show. He owns his own local fitness gym and continues to entertain as a professional comedian. Gerald and his wife, Nicci, live in Broken Arrow with their 8 children.

For more than 20 years, Gerald has changed the lives of students as a history teacher and wrestling coach in the Tulsa community. He is an inspiration to so many and we are so proud to welcome him into the Eat Central High School Hall of Fame.

2020 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Barbara Davis, class of 1958

Barbara Davis loved East Central and dedicated her life to serving the students, teachers, alumni and especially the sports programs. After she graduated in 1959, she relentlessly served our school in many capacities until the day she died. She showed love and care to six decades of East Central students. Her own children attended the school and she became involved as a parent. Even after they graduated, she stuck around and made a difference. She became a substitute teacher. She proctored tests as needed. She served as the President of the Booster Club for many years and tirelessly supported all the sports as Game Manager.

Barbara organized many fundraisers, including the football booster club golf tournament every June. She would lobby for vendor support and prizes for these events. She wanted to make each event fun and memorable for her EC family.

Barbara served on the East Central Alumni Foundation board when it began in 70s and when it reignited in 2015. She dedicated her life to East Central and changed the lives of many Cardinals.

Josh Diamond, class of 1991

Josh Diamond is a proud product of Tulsa Public Schools. He attended Disney Elementary, Foster Middle School and graduated from East Central High School in 1991. After graduating in 1991, Josh went to Newman University on a soccer scholarship where he received his bachelor's degree. Josh then went onto get his master's degree from Chapman University.

Josh began his teaching career in 2006 as an English teacher at East Central where he taught every grade level including pre-AP and AP classes for ten years. In 2012, Josh was named East Central's Teacher of the Year and in 2014, he became the English Department Chairman. He was awarded a Golden Apple Award in 2015 from Fox 23 News.

In 2008, Josh took over as the boys’ soccer head coach finding success with a record of 102-26 over eight years. Under his leadership, East Central won six district championships and went to the state semifinals five times. He was named the All-State coach in 2012.

In 2016, Josh became the assistant principal at Thoreau Demonstration Academy where he has continued to grow as an educator and a leader.

2019 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Cecil Pettigrew, class of 1977

Cecil Pettigrew was born in a farm house in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 24, 1958. His parents George and Juanita had a very large family, 10 children, 8 boys and 2 girls, Bernell, George Jr., Isaiah, Sandra, Cecil, Joseph, Robert, Reuben, Louise, and Chris. The Pettigrews believed in hard work and while George worked in the Asphalt business, Juanita and the kids ran the farm.

Cecil, having spent summers hauling hay with the family was very athletic as were several of his brothers. He played football at Lewis and Clark, East Central, and received a scholarship to NEO A&M in football and wrestling. Cecil was the first person in his family to graduate high school and go to college. Cecil was a sophomore when he decided to try wrestling and ended up as a senior being part of the famous 1977 State Championship wrestling team.

When the very first Tough Man Contest came to Tulsa he was talked into entering, why waste all that experience earned doing “Security” at Whiskers. After two nights of battle he was the very first Tough Man of Tulsa! And on that night he met the man that would change his life, Cortez Nelson, who ran a boxing program at O’Brien Park and invited him to come to the gym. The rest is history, the things Cortez taught him took him far and wide, all over the world. He was hired as a sparring partner, being a south paw, for many famous fighters, and shared the ring himself with many well known and ranked opponents.

When Cecil first decided to retire from boxing, he concentrated his efforts on teaching others just to get in shape, lose weight, stress relief, or get into competition. Through his personal training clients the Cecil Pettigrew Foundation was born. The Foundation was created to allow Cecil to work with kids in his own gym that could not afford to pay gym fees. Now, he had truly found his passion, KIDS, having grown up poor and earning his way thru hard work, blood, lots of sweat and yes, even tears; he so understood the kids that maybe had struggled thru their short lives. He can workout with a millionaire in the morning and a pauper in the evening and not change a thing. He always treats everyone as equals. Cecil also spent many years coaching middle school football along side Leroy Breashers, and Randy Kennedy. This dream team of coaches won back to back championships with the Whitney Bears.

Boxing has left its mark, bad joints, arthritis everywhere, but he still gets in his “happy” place, that corner of his boxing ring, where he can see everyone and what they are doing, or not, while training the person in front of him.

Cecil and his wife Carrie have a very small farm outside of Skiatook where they raise cattle, enjoy too many pets and hopes they can live there forever. One of his favorite sayings is, “To those whom much is given, much is expected.” He is also a fan of Teddy Roosevelt’s “Man In The Arena”.

Cecil’s professional boxing record is 41-17-2, with 32 knockouts.

Connor Whitham, class of 2009

After graduating from East Central in 2009, Connor Whitham attended Oklahoma Wesleyan University and graduated in 2013 with his Bachelors in Secondary Social Studies Education. He was valedictorian his senior year at ECHS. Connor played soccer in both high school and college. He has had the honor of being Teacher Of The Year at ECHS. Conner has coached two state runner-up teams, which have been district champs every year. Conner regularly attends church with his student athletes. He is an outstanding role model for the students of East Central High School.

2018 ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Ralph Jewel Williams, Jr.

Ralph Jewel Williams, Jr. is a retired educator.  During his time in education he had the opportunity to teach social studies in Gore, Oklahoma to students in grades 7-12 for one semester. He then relocated to Fort Smith, Arkansas where he taught sixth grade for 3 years before being appointed as an elementary school principal.  During his time as a principal, he worked at Belle Point Elementary for three years before being transferred to Fairview elementary where he served for twenty-one years as principal.  During his twenty first year he was appointed to work in the Central Office where he served as Supervisor of Student Services for a district serving 14,000 plus students.  He served in this position for 12 years before his retirement.

Ralph’s education began in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He attended kindergarten at Owens Elementary school. During grades one through six he attended Hoover Elementary school. Seventh grade found him at Whitney Junior High for the first semester.  Second semester he transferred to East Central Junior High School.  His senior high school days were spent at East Central High School.  He was very active in sports, being a three-sport letterman each year. After high school, he enrolled in Northeastern State College, Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  While there he majored in elementary education, receiving a Bachelor of Education Degree.  He attended Northeastern State on a music scholarship.  His last 2 years of his Bachelors program found him on the Dean’s and President’s Honor Roll. After graduation, he enrolled in the Master of Education program where he received his Master of Science in Education Degree with and emphasis in administration.  Again, he was selected to the Dean’s and President’s honor rolls respectively. 

 As an educator he served on various committees and was often selected as the Chairman.  Some of the committees were Treasurer, Vice President and President of the seven-state consortium South Central Association.  He was selected to serve on the Resolutions Committee of the National Association of Elementary Principals.  In 1985 he was selected as the Outstanding Principal for the State of Arkansas. He represented Arkansas in Washington, D.C. as the states National Distinguished Principal.  In 1986 he was selected as the Outstanding Young Education for Northeastern State College.

During his retirement he enjoys gardening, fishing, traveling and working with the Kansas City Barbecue Society where he serves as a contest Representation and instructor.

By his side during his education years and now retirement is the love of his life, Karen Jane Williams whom he met and married while in school at Northeastern. They just celebrated their 50thwedding anniversary. To also help occupy his time are his children, Kassandra Jane Caudle and Ryan Jason Williams and a combination of five grand children and two great grandchildren.

Robert B. Grove

Robert B. Grove is a distinguished alumnus of East Central High School. He served Union Public Schools for 35 years until his retirement in 1980. Prior to his service at Union he was a teacher for Berryhill Public Schools. In his second year at Berryhill he was promoted to high school principal. His tenure at Berryhill ended in 1942 when Uncle Sam came calling. The Sand Springs draft registration office gave him a choice of helping fill their quota or working in at the Oklahoma Ordinance Works in Pryor manufacturing gun powder for the Army. Grove chose to work in Pryor. 

In 1945, Grove joined Union as high school principal, science teacher, and coach. He continued in those roles until 1959 when he was promoted to Superintendent. In 1975, Grove stepped down as Superintendent and remained in a supportive role as Associate Superintendent of Finance until his retirement in 1980.

Robert Grove graduated from East Central High School in 1933. He graduated from Northeastern State University in 1937 with a major in Science. He married Mildred Waggoner in 1940, also a teacher. They had a daughter Madeline, in 1942 and son Bobby Jr. in 1944. Grove’s legacy and commitment to education was memorialized with the opening of the school that bears his name, Robert B. Grove Elementary.

 Prior ECHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

Jim Shoulders, class of 1946

Jim Quetone

Carroll Borthick, class of 1953

Bill Carter, class of 1957

Turk Hogan

Polly Parks

Clayton (Eddie) Dyer

William Wickett

Donna Whisenhunt Randolph, class of 1960

Frank McPeters

Bill Grove

Chuck Prigmore