Denim met diamonds as approximately 200 guests gathered for the Rose State College Foundation Tower Awards to celebrate service, leadership, and community spirit.
The “Denim and Diamonds” event honored the 2026–27 Tower Award recipients: Dr. Jim Cook, President Emeritus of Rose State College, and Captain John “Irish” Keilty, USN (Ret.). Their contributions to education, service, and community gave guests plenty to celebrate.
“The Tower Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate remarkable people while bringing together the friends who make our Foundation’s work possible,” said Anita Poole-Endsley, Executive Director of Foundation and Resource Development. “Dr. Cook and Captain Keilty remind us how much one person’s dedication can mean to others. It was a joy to honor them with an evening full of fellowship, celebration, and a little sparkle.”
Cook began his Rose State career in 1996 as executive vice president and became the College’s fifth president in 2000. His leadership expanded health sciences facilities and secured funding for the current Health Sciences building and the Professional Training Center, now the Tannenbaum Aerospace and Cybersecurity facility.
With a vision for workforce development, Cook also initiated cybersecurity academic programs, developed educational partnerships with the University of Central Oklahoma, and established leadership programs for students, college employees, and Tinker Air Force Base personnel. The Foundation selected Cook for his steadfast support of the Rose State community.
Keilty served for 26 years in the United States Navy as a pilot and test pilot. For the past decade, he has brought that experience to Rose State’s Aerospace Discovery Camp, inspiring middle school students to explore aviation.
His commitment to service also includes mentoring at-risk youth and supporting local firefighters and police officers through the Mid-Del Tinker 100 Club. An accomplished educator, Keilty has received Rose State’s Golden Apple Award, the Tinker and the Primes Patriot Award, and an Excellence in Physics Teaching award from the Southwest Association of Physics Teachers.
“Dr. Cook helped lay the foundation for the opportunities our students have today, and Captain Keilty shows young people how far those opportunities can take them,” said Rose State College President Travis Hurst. “Their influence lives on in the students they have inspired and the paths they have helped create.”
The evening also celebrated the community connections that support the Foundation’s work in student scholarships and academic program enhancements. From denim to diamonds, guests brought their own style to a shared purpose: honoring two individuals who continue to make a difference.
This year’s Tower Awards dress code brought plenty of shine, but the honorees were the evening’s true gems.
