Hall of Fame Member Biographies

James D. Hess

A native of Henryetta, Oklahoma, Dr. James Hess has over 42 years of service in Oklahoma’s higher education system. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Northeastern State University, later completing his doctorate at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Hess began his career at Rogers State College in 1981, serving in a number of senior leadership positions there over the next 15 years. In 1996, the University Center at Tulsa and Rogers State were merged to form Rogers University, where Hess then served as vice president for administration. Two years later, the institutions were again separated, and he was appointed transition CEO to spin off the four campuses to create OSU-Tulsa and Rogers State University. Dr. Hess continued with OSU-Tulsa as vice president and chief operating officer from 1999-2003, doubling enrollment and creating BOB, the Big Orange Bus shuttle service between Tulsa and Stillwater.

In 2003, Dr. Hess was appointed chief operating officer and vice president of the OSU Center for Health Sciences and chief executive officer of the OSU Physicians Group. In 2006, he authored the legislation creating the OSU Medical Authority, a public trust supporting the OSU medical school and teaching hospital, and served as its first CEO from 2006-2013. His efforts led to the creation of OSU Medical Center, the only osteopathic teaching hospital in the United States. Hess currently serves as the vice provost for graduate programs at the OSU Center for Health Sciences and is also a Riata Faculty Fellow in the School of Entrepreneurship.

Academically, Dr. Hess is the Simmons Bank Endowed Professor of Healthcare Administration and continues to teach a full load of graduate coursework each semester. He has initiated a number of innovative online graduate programs, which resulted in recognition of the OSU Center for Health Sciences as the only institution in the state’s higher education system to achieve consecutive year-over-year enrollment growth over the last 10 years.

Dr. Hess resides with his amazing wife, Angela, in Owasso. They have a son, John, a daughter, Bonnie, one grandson, Johnny, and two granddaughters, Brooklyn and Billie.