ur Rotarian of the Day today is John R. Haley, known affectionately as “Sweet Ol’ John.” John is a hail fellow well met and one of the nicest guys I know. As Southside President in 2003-2004, he is internationally famous for his Cajun jokes and fantastic sense of humor.

Born in Vincennes, Indiana, John’s family wearied of Indiana winters and migrated south to central Florida, where he graduated from DeLand High School in 1955. The goal of becoming a rich oilman brought him to the University of Tulsa where he received his B.S. degree over a half a century ago. (It is hard to imagine John receiving any degree other than B.S.!)

While at TU he met the love of his live, Diana Davis, whom he married on June 11, 1960. He also discovered that rich oilmen start out their careers as roustabouts and roughnecks in garden spots like Odessa, TX and Hobbs, NM. Since he suffers from a childhood allergy to hard work, he changed his major from Petroleum Engineering to Mathematics, because mathematicians all work inside, lifting nothing heavier that the one-volume edition of Principia Mathematica.

The Douglas Airship Foundry, located in Air Force 3 plant at the Tulsa Airport, recognized the prodigious potential of this budding young genius and paid him the princely sum of $475/month to become a trainee computer programmer. Within a year, Conoco lured John to the tree-lined brick streets of Ponca City to help them start their computer department. Ten years later, the entrepreneurial urge overtook him and he moved to Tulsa, where he helped start a computer services company named CISCO. Another ten years later, he started and ran a computer software products company before selling out in 2000.

Today John works on his golf handicap, raises beautiful roses, has fun with his four grandchildren, teaches an adult Sunday School class, delivers meals on wheels, serves as Chairman of the Board of Literacy and Evangelism International, drinks fine wine, and studies global economics and the stock market. He has successfully predicted seven of the last three recessions.

Thank you, John, for arranging today’s program!

This Week’s Program

Mitch Wilburn

oday’s speaker is Mitch Wilburn, a native Texan who has been blessed to live and work in Tulsa for the past 19 years. He is the Senior Minister of the Park Plaza Church of Christ in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mitch is also the proud husband of Shannon McKnight Wilburn and proud dad of Jake (9th grader) and Ashton (8th grader).

Mitch is blessed to be a part of a congregation of 1500 members who is wholeheartedly behind mission efforts to the tune of supporting 53 missionaries in many countries. Mitch himself has been blessed to preach the gospel in Honduras, Haiti, Africa, and the Dominican Republic.

Mitch is a graduate of Abilene Christian University and earned a Masters of Ministry from Oklahoma Christian University in December 2006. He is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, as well as Texas Longhorns fan, much to the chagrin of his OU Sooner friends and co-workers.

Mitch, thank you for visiting us today. Tulsa Southside Rotary welcomes you!

Southsider Quick Notes

Last week…
- Our ROD was David Dopp, and our speakers were Lex Anderson and Richard Boone, from St. John’s.

- We received letters from our Uganda orphans.

- Happy birthday to Jason Westemeir and David Dopp!

- Donna Petty presented Ben Gorrell with a Paul Harris plus 2. Congratulations, Ben!

- John Benjamin had a United Way update. Our 10-person committee had a $700,000 goal for the transportation department, and we met it before the deadline of 5 p.m. Nov. 12. Way to go!

- It’s time to pay your dues! Tracy has emailed statements to everybody.

- Remember to deliver your dictionaries. Fines will be starting soon, so get in touch with your schools!

- Here are the picks from the sports report last week. How’d Bob do?

• Arkansas vs. Troy
  Bob’s pick: 35-24, Arkansas. The real score: 56-20, Arkansas.
• TU vs. East Carolina
  Bob’s pick: 28-21, TU. The real score: 44-17, East Carolina.
• OU vs. Texas A&M
  Bob’s pick: 35-21, OU. The real score: 65-10, OU.
• OSU vs. Texas Tech
  Bob’s pick: 35-31, OSU. The real score: 24-17, OSU.

- Be sure to check the website for our speaker list through the end of the year. Information on it is subject to change, but we’ll do our best to keep it updated!

- Next week is Thanksgiving! Everybody have a happy holiday, and we’ll see you in two weeks!