Jane Willingham

2021 Distinguished Alumni

B.A. Speech '68

Jane Willingham was actually born in Ft. Smith, Ark., but was raised on the family ranch outside Guymon, Okla.  She graduated from Guymon High School in 1964.

She is from an avid Oklahoma A&M/State family with both parents and older brother graduating from the A&M/OSU system.  She started her freshman year at OSU straight from Atlantic City, N.J., where she competed in the Miss America pageant as Miss Oklahoma.  She was a speech major and took enough education hours to qualify as a teacher.  She graduated in 1968 and was chosen Outstanding Speech Graduate of 1968.

 

 She then moved to Dallas, Texas, because she had performed at Six Flags Over Texas and saw that Dallas had the opportunities that she wanted.  She went on to perform on stage, in commercials and film both in Texas and New York state.  She has also chaired major fund raisers in the city and served on boards including the Dallas Theater Center and Dancers Unlimited Repertory Company.

She is listed in Women of ’85, Outstanding Young Women of America, and Personalities of the South.  She is married to Clark Willingham. They have two children, Meredith, married to Rick Mabus, and Barrett, married to Elizabeth.  She has six grandchildren.

 

 Jane still performs as often as she is cast!