The Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials may induct one person posthumously each year. For 2002, an individual was selected not only for the changes he helped to bring about in Oklahoma but also for international leadership in his profession. Lawrence Lee (Larry) Gish is another Kansan, like Ernest, who created legacies in his adopted state. Born at home during a near-blizzard in Little River, Kansas, Larry learned early from his parents the value of autonomy, warm support, and humor as fundamental life tools. Hallmarks of his career were commitment to the needs of the weak and relatively powerless, a sense of social justice, and listening to those often ignored by others.

Not many in Oklahoma can say that their community grew nearly six-fold in population while they were in office. But if you have been on the Broken Arrow City Council since 1975, you can. However, people are not selected for this Hall of Fame only for their leadership or accomplishments in their community. In addition to numerous local achievements during the more than 27 years James Reynolds has served as a Councilman and Mayor in Broken Arrow, he also has been a vital force for municipal government in other arenas.

Tragedy, it is said, brings out the best or worst in people. And our final inductee showed the world that in Oklahoma, tragedy brings out the finest and best in the dedicated municipal employees who labor in our 580 plus communities every day. "The Oklahoma Standard" was emblazoned in the world's psyche in the moments, hours, days, and weeks following 9:02 AM on April 19, 1995. And the epitome of this Standard is a very humble and quiet man who sought only to serve his community as best he could.

While a Kansan by birth, our first inductee this evening has probably traveled Oklahoma more extensively than most natives. The travel came as he labored to mentor, tutor, motivate, and challenge for the best in local government performance and practice. As State Director of the Oklahoma Commission for Training Municipal Clerks and Treasurers, he traversed the state for 19 years to conduct training for over 1,000 clerks, treasurers, and deputies, annually. Ernest R. Dirks distinguished himself in his unfailing devotion to bringing a high degree of professionalism among these essential municipal officers.

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach", probably applies to some people, but not to David Morgan. Through his contributions as an educator, researcher, and author, he has done much to impact the way cities and towns are managed and how they operate. Dr. Morgan went out to "do" municipal government first as an Administrative Assistant to the City Manager of Norman, then as a Personnel Technician for the City of Oklahoma City, and in 1959 as the first City Manager of Yukon. After a three-year stint in the mid-'60s as a Project Director with the Peace Corps Training Programs, he began then to "do" even more for cities and towns through his work at the University of Oklahoma.