May 10, 2003
NORMAN - Big 12 Conference Associate Commissioner Dr. Prentice Gautt received an honorary degree from his alma mater the University of Oklahoma at the school's 2003 Commencement Ceremony, Saturday, May 10, at The Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Gautt was awarded an honorary degree along with OU Commencement speaker and CIA Director George Tenet; Jan Taylor Garrett, executive director of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, Calif.; and Charles C. Stephenson of Tulsa, chairman of Vintage Petroleum Inc.
University of Oklahoma President David Boren said, "It is a great privilege for the university to honor four outstanding people who have touched our lives in such a positive way."
One of the legends in college football history, Gautt earned his undergraduate degree from OU in 1960 and later earned a doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Missouri. At OU, he, broke new ground as the first African-American football student-athlete in 1956 under Hall of Fame head coach Bud Wilkinson. He later distinguished himself with several outstanding individual games in the old Big Eight Conference and was named to the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame.
A two-time All-Big Eight Conference football selection and CoSIDA Academic All-America, Gautt played professionally for the Cleveland Browns in 1960 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961 to 1967.
He joined the Big Eight as assistant commissioner in 1979, rising through the ranks to his current position as associate commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.
One of his legacies is the origination and development of the Big 12 Conference's life skills program, which assesses and encourages services to assist current and former student-athletes adjust to the transitions of life after sports. He also is the conference's primary liaison with the Big 12 Student-Athletes Advisory Committee and regional and national Special Olympics and served as both an officer of the NCAA and a member of several of that organization's committees.
In 1999 the Dr. Prentice Gautt Study Center was dedicated at OU to honor him for his contribution to college athletics.