James Edmund Halligan (June 23, 1936October 25, 2022) was an American state senator from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
president. Halligan defeated Robert "Bob" Murphy in 2008, gaining a Republican seat in the state senate and helping to deliver his party control for the first time in state history.
Early life
Halligan was born in Moorland, Iowa, on June 23, 1936. He joined the
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
and served for four years as a
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
translator. He then studied chemical engineering at
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
, obtaining his
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
,
master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
, and
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
degrees from that institution.
Academic career
After being awarded his doctorate, Halligan was briefly employed in the petroleum industry. He subsequently taught as a faculty member, and served as department chair and dean of engineering at the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
,
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
, and New Mexico State University (NMSU). He was appointed president of NMSU in 1984 and served in that capacity for a decade before becoming the sixteenth president of
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(OSU) on August 1, 1994.
During his tenure at OSU, Halligan emphasized increasing retention and graduation rates, halting a 12-year trend of decreasing student enrollments. He also encouraged the development of national scholars, and investing more than $200 million in student facilities on campus, including multi-media classrooms and suite-style student accommodation. Halligan oversaw the university's first capital campaign that ultimately raised more than $260 million, which was over twice the initial goal. He also contributed towards "Raise the Roof" for Gallagher-Iba Arena, which was named by CBS Sportsline as the country's best college basketball venue in 2001. OSU was recognized as "America's Best College Buy" and a "Truman Honor Institution" under his leadership.
Throughout his presidency, Halligan and his wife hosted thousands of OSU students in their home every year. They also promoted events run by students such as Orange Peel, Homecoming, Varsity Review and Into the Streets. They were credited with steering the university through the aftermath of the plane crash in January 2001 that killed ten members of the Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team and their flight crew. He announced his retirement in May 2002.
Political career
Halligan ran for
state senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
in Oklahoma's 21st district (encompassing Stillwater) and was elected. He served two terms in that capacity and was a member of various committees, including appropriations, education, energy, business and commerce, finance, and rules. During his time in the Oklahoma Senate, Halligan voted in favor of an independent audit of the state department of education, and against the repeal of the state grocery sales tax. He also authored a bill passed in February 2015 that banned the use of tobacco on campuses. On August 12, 2015, Halligan released a statement through the Oklahoma State Senate announcing that he would not seek reelection to a third term and that the 2016 legislative session would be his last.
Personal life
Halligan was married to Ann until his death. Together, they had three children: Mike, Pat and Chris. After retiring from Oklahoma State, he resided in Stillwater.
Halligan died on the morning of October 25, 2022, at Integris Hospital in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
. He was 86 years old.
Election history
See also
*
Oklahoma State Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Oklahoma Republican Party
* Politics of Oklahoma