Mary Jane [Nelson] Bennett (Class of 1957)

Mary Jane [Nelson] Bennett (Class of 1957)
Tishomingo, OK
Age 79
May 24, 1939 – May 12, 2018

Mary Jane (Bennett) Nelson was born, May 24, 1939 at a clinic on the second floor of the old Walker Hotel in Tishomingo…to J.C. and Mary (Baker) Bennett, Jr. She is the grand-daughter of John Claude and Nolen Zenobia(Jones) Bennett, early pioneers to Johnston County, and Welcome Ledbetter and Emma (Wright) Baker settlers in Willis, OK.

Mary Jane attended Tishomingo schools all 12 years, graduating as Valedictorian in 1957. She was district officer for 4-H and Future Homemakers of America. She was Basketball Queen her Senior Year. She attended Murray College, Oklahoma State University, University of Central Oklahoma, and University of Oklahoma, earning a B.S. in Business Education in 1964, a M.B.E. in 1967, a Ph.D. in 1972 and a second masters in Psychology in 1985. She taught 25 years (1967 – 1992) in the College of Business at UCO; in 1992 she became the Chair of the MBA and Associate Dean at Dallas Baptist University, and was promoted to Dean in 1994. She retired the Dean’s position in 1996 and has taught full-time as a Graduate Management professor since that time.

Dr. Nelson has served her church as an adult bible teacher since 1968, and her community as an officer of the Alumni Association, county hospital board, Historical and Genealogical society, Tishomingo Refuge Ecological & Educational Society, Arbuckle Simpson Nature Festival, 4-H scholarship foundation, the county Democratic Party, and is a member of AAUP serving as state conference President in 1991-1992, Delta Mu Delta, Delta Pi Epsilon, Pi Omega Pi, Phi Theta Kappa, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Survivors include 3 Children: Jeffrey Ray Nelson, DDS, and wife Sheila of Kingston, Oklahoma; Ed Bennett Nelson and wife Karen of Flower Mound, TX; Mary Allyson Nelson Feerer and husband Leslie Feerer of Fargo, Oklahoma. And 11 Grandchildren: Nate Nelson and wife Jennifer of Rowlett, TX, Nicole Campbell and husband Cody Campbell of Oklahoma City, Cody and Jake Nelson of Flower Mound, TX, Heather and Ryan Harber of Fargo, OK, Bobby Holder, JC Nelson, Abi Nelson, and Amy Nelson of Kingston, OK, Rylie Feerer of Fargo, OK. And 3 Great – Grandchildren – Mollie Nelson, Emma Campbell and Kate Nelson and her sister, Phyllis Buckner of Tishomingo.