James "Jim" Wallis

How did a poor boy from Arkansas become a successful Oklahoma City businessman? He earned a degree from The University of Tulsa. A Little Rock native, Distinguished Alumnus Jim Wallis (BS ’62, JD ’65) skipped study hall one morning during his senior year of high school to talk to TU recruiter Charles Malone. He was offered a one-year, $500 scholarship.

“I don’t know whether it was my academic ability or they felt sorry for me,” Wallis joked. “In 1956, $500 was all of the money in the world, and I could not afford to turn it down.”

In August, he and his parents packed their 1951 Buick and hit the road for Oklahoma. His first Tulsa stop was John Mabee Hall where “it was like a meeting of the United Nations."

“At that time, most of the students went home in the evening, and there was a small number of out-of-state or international students (who lived on campus),” Wallis said. “We had boys from all over, and it was quite a learning experience.”

He switched his major from geology to petroleum engineering his sophomore year and remembers taking most of his courses in Phillips Hall. Although neither of Wallis’ parents attended college, they made education a priority for him and his sister.

“It was pretty serious business,” he said. “For me, TU was work and a great deal of effort. Passing physical chemistry was a major hurdle to graduation, and somehow I managed to pass the first time. I felt that was an accomplishment.”

Wallis worked several jobs to help with college expenses including positions with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and an entry-level position at Investors Royalty Co., in downtown Tulsa. He worked there six years while earning his bachelor’s degree and attending the TU College of Law.

“My duties gradually got a little more involved in the industry, and by the time I graduated I had several years of experience, which gave me a head start,” Wallis said.

Wallis’ career stops included a position at Goff Oil, Brookwood Oil and Apache Oil where he was recruited for an area land manager role. His petroleum engineering and law degrees proved to be a beneficial combination for the industry.

“It gives you a better understanding of overall operations within a company,” he said. “You’re not intimidated by the engineering or legal side.”

Wallis later was recruited to an independent energy company in Oklahoma City where he learned valuable lessons about financial leverage and managing a business. He worked at Anson Corp. for seven years before transitioning to the establishment of his own company, EXOK Inc., in 1979. Years later, the bottom fell out of the oil market, but Wallis’ venture managed to survive the downturn. In the late 1970s, Tulsa friends invited him to participate in founding Western National Bank. He was the company’s second-largest shareholder and served as a director.

Wallis and his partners eventually sold the bank, but EXOK continues today. He’s never had to lay off any employees in a recession; and after more than four decades in the industry, Wallis has witnessed revolutionary advancements.

“The industry now is producing several million barrels a day from rock that was not considered to be reservoir quality when I was going to school,” he said.

As the geology has changed, so has his alma mater. Wallis is amazed at how the once commuter campus now attracts some of the country’s brightest students to live in first-class residence halls.

“It’s not the same school I attended,” he said. “I’ve seen an incredible transformation over the past 10-15 years.”

Wallis has been a member of the TU President’s Council and Circle Society and has served on the Board of Trustees since 2001. He also founded the James W. Wallis Scholarship in Law Endowment Fund and generously supports TU’s Keplinger Hall renovation and the establishment of a canine ambassador program. He and Patricia, his wife of 39 years, have five children and enjoy the companionship of their canine friends.

Wallis enjoys quail hunting, bird dogs and clay shooting. Pat hosts the weekly local television show Dog Talk and has written several books about the family’s special canines they rescued. Reflecting on his TU experience and fulfilling career, Wallis said his journey from Arkansas to Tulsa is one he will never forget.

“Whatever success I have enjoyed in this world has got to be attributable to The University of Tulsa,” he said. “I will forever be indebted to TU.”