Preference given to Native Americans, specifically of Cherokee descent

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma College of Law is pleased to announce a new endowed scholarship for its students. The Frank and Lucille Pope Endowed Scholarship, established by the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Lucille Pope Jr., is more than $620,000 and will generate approximately $31,050 annually to be awarded to eligible students, with a preference given to Native Americans, specifically of Cherokee descent. 

“Frank and Lucille’s powerful gift helps OU Law remain affordable for the most talented and deserving students,” said OU Law Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their preference for the scholarship monies to be awarded to Native American students further emphasizes our College’s commitment to making a legal education accessible to all. We are grateful for their thoughtful support of OU Law and are honored to be a part of their legacy.”

Frank Pope Jr. was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1926 to Frank Pope Sr. and Johanna Chambers Pope. His mother was of Cherokee descent and Frank took great pride in his Native American heritage. Frank graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s College of Business in 1950. He later earned his law degree from the OU College of Law in 1956. Frank served in the U.S. Army during World War II and as an attorney with the U.S. Government in Washington, D.C.

Lucille Pope was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1926 to Charles Stout and Blanche Dissinger Stout. After her rural upbringing, Lucille chose to become a secretary and eventually relocated to Washington, D.C. where she served as secretary to the Chief of Chaplains for the Army and later at the Pentagon in the office of General Omar Bradley.

Frank and Lucille married in 1974 and lived in northern Virginia until they retired in 1981. They spent their retirement traveling worldwide, playing tennis and enjoying fine dining. Frank passed away in 2012 and Lucille passed away in 2015.

Founded in 1909, the OU College of Law has small sections and class sizes that encourage a strong sense of community, accomplished faculty with international expertise and a state-of-the-art facility featuring multimedia study rooms, court rooms and classrooms equipped with the latest technology. As Oklahoma’s only public law school, the OU College of Law is the academic home of more than 500 students enrolled in the juris doctor program, the John B. Turner Master of Laws Program, the master of legal studies program and various dual degree programs. For more information about OU Law, visit law.ou.edu.