Rothbaum, Julian J., 1913-2003.

Born in Hartshorne, Oklahoma, on October 3, 1913, Julian J. Rothbaum attended the University of Oklahoma from 1932-1936 and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1938. He served a four-year tour in the Army during World War II and in 1946 became the first director of the newly created Tulsa District of the Federal Housing Administration. In the early 1950s he owned and operated the Julian J. Rothbaum Mortgage Banking Company. He was chairman of the board of Francis Oil & Gas, Inc. from 1966 until his death on September 26, 2003.

Throughout his life, Mr. Rothbaum actively supported education in the state of Oklahoma. He endowed lectures, awards, and professorships at numerous institutions of higher education across Oklahoma, including the University of Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, East Central University, Carl Albert State College, and Eastern Oklahoma State College.

An active participant in the administration and development of the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Rothbaum served two terms on its Board of Regents. In honor of his record of service to OU, he received the Distinguished Service Citation in 1974 and an honorary doctorate in 1993. Also a member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Mr. Rothbaum was the Special Advisor on Higher Education to Governor David Walters. In 1986, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Mr. Rothbaum's firm commitment to the relationship between education and public service has been reflected in his own service as a regent as well as the many other activities he undertook on behalf of education in Oklahoma and elsewhere. This commitment was guided by his conviction that the success of representative institutions and the future of representative government depend upon human enlightenment in general and civic education in particular. He also believed in the importance of participation by private citizens in public affairs. The commitment to this notion has been illustrated by his service to his country, his state, and his community. In 1981, Mrs. Rothbaum and Mr. Jankowsky, Mr. Rothbaum's son, endowed the Julian J. Rothbaum Distinguished Lecture in Representative Government held on the University of Oklahoma campus biennially.