Rose State College is proud of our students – past and present. We’re excited to introduce you to the next Raider in our “Glad I Chose Rose” series, highlighting Rose State College alumni!
Meet John Carpenter. Oscar Rose Junior College, 1972-1974.
Midwest City native John Carpenter set foot on a wrestling mat in 3rd grade and never looked back. He became a successful wrestler at Midwest City High School.
In 1970, Oscar Rose Junior College (ORJC) opened in Midwest City. This community college gave students an opportunity to further their education. The college selected Coach Milliron, a legendary local coach, to lead the team.
Carpenter remembered the Oscar Rose Junior College Wrestling team coming to the Midwest City High School wrestling room to scrimmage with the high school team. He also remembered wrestling some of the college students when he was a senior in high school.
ORJC offered Carpenter a scholarship to wrestle in 1972. He competed in the 167 and 177 weight classes. With a gleam in his eye, Carpenter remembers many of the fun adventures from his time as a collegiate wrestler.
Carpenter said there were many junior colleges in the region with whom they wrestled: Northern Jr. College, Claremore Jr. College, Colby Jr. College, and a few others in Kansas.
Carpenter spoke of a road trip to Baton Rouge, where ORJC planned to duel LSU. A historic snowstorm hit on the way, and ice and snow forced the team to pull over. He remembers sleeping in the car and taking turns switching the heater on and off to stay warm.
The next day, officials allowed them to cross the bridge, and the team made it just in time for weigh-ins. ORJC beat LSU in that dual.
He said they also went to the Sterling, Colorado, tournament each year. The team always enjoyed wrestling there because the high altitude made it a unique challenge.
Carpenter also spoke about ORJC’s trip to nationals during his second year. Most of the team qualified and traveled to Worthington, Minnesota, to compete. He said most of the wrestlers lost in the early rounds, but he still enjoyed the experience.
One of the most important things to Carpenter was the friendships he developed while at Oscar Rose Junior College. He said he still speaks with over 20 people he knew, and their friendship has spanned fifty years.
After the Spring 1974 semester, Carpenter transferred to Oklahoma State University and graduated in 1977 with a B.S. degree in Sociology.
Carpenter emphasized that the athletic scholarship at ORJC gave him the opportunity to pursue higher education while doing something he loved.