Edna Mae Phelps 1920-2001

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Mrs. Edna Mae Phelps was the OSU Leadership Legacy recipient for the week of October 8, 1999.

It's said that politics is the art of the possible. Civic and education leader Edna Mae Phelps is politics and makes the unattainable possible. Phelps, an OSU graduate from Seminole, made her touch felt within the state and nationally. From serving as Democratic National Committeewoman to being the first woman ever named to the Oklahoma State Election Board, Edna Mae has attained a respect few have enjoyed. On a lighter note she was certified as a "Yellow Rose of Texas" and an "Honorary Kentucky Colonel" by the governors of those states. Named as one of the prominent national women of the 80s, Phelps focused on Oklahoma's educational needs in 1983 as an OSU Regent. She quickly captured the fact that the OSU Library was under-funded in comparison to other comprehensive universities. Moving into action, she founded the Friends of the OSU Library. 1999 Marked the celebration of the two-millionth volume for the library. "I can safely say that my association with OSU, as a regent and as an advocate of the library, makes me the most proud of anything I have done."

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