Charles Norman
2005 J. Paschal Twyman Award Winner
It’s fitting that attorney Charles Norman is recipient of the 2005 J. Paschal Twyman award for “outstanding leadership and service far beyond the call of duty” to The University of Tulsa.
Norman and the late TU president Paschal Twyman were friends and associates for many years, beginning in 1965 when Norman first became involved with the University. At that time, Twyman was vice president, and the two men worked together to forge the future of the institution.
Norman says it’s a “special honor to receive an award named for such a good friend and great president of the University.”
When the Normans’ youngest daughter, Amy, began taking language classes at TU’s speech and hearing department, a strong relationship with TU began. It led to Norman and his wife, Barbara, working closely with Twyman, along with others, to build the clinical service into today’s Department of Communication Disorders — a university prized community service program.
Amy went on to earn a master’s degree and is a librarian at Tulsa Community College.
Norman has been a practicing attorney in Tulsa since 1953, when he was only 22. He was named assistant city attorney in 1956, then city attorney from 1959 to 1968.
From the beginning of his TU Board of Trustee service 18 years ago, Norman has played critical roles as counselor, negotiator and diplomat for property acquisitions, city negotiations, and neighborhood meetings.
Additional legacies the Normans have created include the Norman-Hicks Scholarship fund and the Charles Norman Award for Greek/Latin Composition. They have generously participated in University programs such as the Annual Fund for Excellence, Golden Hurricane Club, and McFarlin Fellows Program for Special Collections.
Legacy is a word synonymous with the 74-year-old Norman, a partner and founding member of the Norman, Wohlgemuth, Chandler and Dowdell law firm, who also enjoys fishing, bird hunting and flying gliders.
Associate Burt Holmes notes that Norman played a critical role in moving TU from a highly-regarded local institution to a nationally ranked university among the top 100 in the country.
Norman’s participation included “redefining TU’s campus boundaries with an expansion encompassing more than 30 acres and 250 properties.”
Now that’s a legacy “far beyond the call of duty.”