Hall of Fame Member Biographies

Jeanine Rhea

Business women throughout Oklahoma and the Great Plains region have benefited immensely from the training given them by Professor Jeanine Rhea. Dr. Rhea earned an Ed.D. from Oklahoma State University in 1975, and the William S. Spears School of Business determined that her potential contributions were so promising that they offered her the position of assistant professor in 1976; she stayed until her retirement in 2004. She published research on the condition of women in the workforce and strategies women could employ to reach positions of authority. In recognition of her vigorous advocacy and her stellar teaching performances she received the AMOCO Outstanding Teacher Award in 1980, the American Society of Training and Development Professional Contribution Award (1989), the Small Business Association Women in Business Advocate of the Year (State of Oklahoma, 1997), the Kenneth D. and Leitner Greiner Teaching Award (2000); in 2005 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. She has served her professional associations by claiming high positions - Vice President of Programming of the American Society for Training and Development and President of the Southwest Administrative Services Association. She has lent her professional expertise to business schools seeking to establish a curriculum on women's issues in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas. In honor of her achievements, the OSU Spears School of Business is establishing the Jeanine Rhea/Oklahoma International Women's Forum Endowed Professorship. The Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame is delighted to have Professor Jeanine Rhea as a 2007 member.