OKCPS Foundation recognizes Wall of Fame Humanitarian Award honorees

Four Oklahoma City Public School graduates and a couple who have served in the OKCPS district since the 1970s are the newest recipients of the OKCPS Foundation Wall of Fame Humanitarian Awards.  The Foundation recognized the honorees at an event Monday held at The Skirvin Hilton. The OKCPS Foundation has inducted 105 OKCPS alumni into its Wall of Fame since its creation in 1985.  This year’s inductees included Cuong Do, a Northwest Classen High School graduate who is president and CEO of BioVie Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and refractory Ascites.  Another inductee was Capitol Hill High School graduate J. Don Harris, who has spent more than 45 years as a dentist with a focus on providing services to those who are less fortunate. Harris established D-DENT, Dentists for the Disabled and Elderly in Need of Treatment, which has provided over $22.6 million in free dental care to the elderly and mentally challenged in Oklahoma.  Also honored was Douglass High School graduate Florence Jones-Kemp, who opened Florence’s Restaurant, a staple in northeast Oklahoma City, in 1952. In 2022, her restaurant became the first in Oklahoma to receive a James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award.  Recognized posthumously was Pam Henry, a John Marshall High School graduate who became the first female news reporter for television station WKY in Oklahoma City and spent a long career working in the Oklahoma City media market.   Ray and Pat Potts received the “Unsung Hero” award. The couple moved to Oklahoma City from Missouri in 1959 and helped establish the OKCPS Foundation in 1984. Ray Potts was the foundation's first chairman of the board, and he also served eight years as a member of the state Board of Education. Pat Potts twice was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the OKCPS Board of Education.  “Our 2023 Wall of Fame honorees represent the very best of our district and our city,” said Mary Mélon-Tully, president and CEO of the OKCPS Foundation. “While each of these leaders work in different industries and have chosen unique paths to follow in their lives, the two things our honorees have in common are the incredible impact they’ve had in their professions and communities and the deep pride they feel as graduates of Oklahoma City Public Schools. When current students are able to see the success and accomplishments of those who walked the same halls and often faced similar circumstances and opportunities, it’s truly life-changing. Each year, we are grateful for this opportunity to shine a light on our district’s inspirational alumni.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKCPS Foundation honors Wall of Fame Humanitarian Award recipients