About Us

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage excellence through sports, academics, health and fitness; preserving our sports heritage while building pride in Oklahoma in the spirit of Jim Thorpe.

Established in 1986, originally as the Jim Thorpe Association, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame’s main goal is to promote Oklahoma, while honoring and recognizing great Oklahoman's who have represented the state positively at not only the state level, but also the national and international levels. In August of 2013, the two brands, which were literally the same  organization with the same administration, same board of directors and same values, selected the name "Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame" as the cohesive umbrella brand of the organization going forward.

Each year, we honor individuals by inducting them into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to the Hall of Fame, we are nationally recognized for the Jim Thorpe Museum and annually awarding the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award to the top defensive back in NCAA Division I college football, as well as the Aeneas Williams Award to the top defensive back in HBCU Division I college football. We are also home to the Warren Spahn Award, given annually to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Throughout the last 30 years, we have been a leading advocate for promoting healthy lifestyles in the school children of Oklahoma. We are proud to give back to the community each year through our Bright Path Youth Program, including the state's  largest drug free initiative, Red Ribbon Week.

Our Staff is a hardworking team committed to giving back to our community, sharing our passion for athletics, and in all that we accomplish, continually showing the same character that embodies the spirit of Oklahoma and the spirit of Jim Thorpe.

Our Board is a distinguished group of community minded individuals make up the Board  of Directors that governs the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. As non-compensated board members, these individuals embody the character, integrity and leadership that the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association were founded on in 1986.

Our Executive Council is made up of men and women who share the drive and passion to ensure the mission of this organization successfully moves forward. Each Executive Council member gives of their resources and time, pouring into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame’s various programs and acts as the organization’s advisory board.

"The Executive Council is the life blood...without whom we would not be achieving the level of success that we are." - Lynne Draper, Founder