Richard Poole

March 14, 2019

---

Richard W. “Dick” Poole, 91, was born on December 4, 1927, to William and Lois (Spicer) Poole in Oklahoma City, OK, and passed away on March 14, 2019. Following his graduation from Classen High School in 1946, he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. Field Artillery at age 18. Dick served with the 1st Cavalry Division in Japan; and in 1987, he retired from the Army Reserve as a Lt. Col. Dick and Lynn Mehr were married July 1950, and he graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1952. Following graduation, he worked for OG&E and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Following the completion of the Ph.D., he began a 33-year career at Oklahoma State University, serving as a professor, dean of the College of Business, and as vice president. Dick retired from OSU in 1993 but continued to work on a variety of OSU projects until 2009. In 2004, Dick and Lynn moved to Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City. He served as a consultant to the administrator of NASA, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Government Research, the National Governors’ Conference, and the Manned Spacecraft Center. Dick was the recipient of the Henry G. Bennett Award in recognition of his service to OSU and the State of Oklahoma. Business leaders and friends endowed the “Richard W. Poole Professorship for Excellence” in the Spears School of Business. Dick was preceded in death by his wife, Lynn. He is survived by his son, Rick (Linda); daughter Laura Ross; son Mark Poole, in addition to four grandchildren, one step grandson, and six great grandchildren.