Joe McGrew

At their January 2007 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Panhandle State Association of Alumni and Friends voted to honor Joe and Wynona McGrew of Guymon by inducting the couple into the Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame. The induction will take place at the association’s annual meeting and banquet on April 14th.

The McGrews are Life Members of the Panhandle State Association. In submitting their names for consideration, their nominator noted the McGrews’ long-time support of the Aggie basketball program (men’s and women’s), football, rodeo, and the music program. Joe was one of a group of Guymon men who pioneered the Belly Open Golf Tournament to support the Aggie athletic program. Wynona and Joe have often hosted OPSU students who needed a touch of “home away from home.” They continue to correspond with some of these students.

Joe was born in Beaver where he grew up and was educated in the Beaver public schools, graduating from Beaver High School. He attended Panhandle A & M College in the 1950’s, living on third floor North Hall as noted in Kathryn Sexton’s Heritage of the Panhandle.. He worked for Hitch Enterprises for 18 years. He has been a member of the Guymon Chamber of Commerce for 35 years and is a Past President. He has been a member of Victory Memorial United Methodist Church for 65 years.

Wynona was born in Hugoton, Kan., and grew up in Guymon, graduating from Guymon public schools. She also attended PAMC. Wynona lived for a time in Buffalo where she worked at Oklahoma State Bank for 13 years before moving back to Guymon. She is a Victory Memorial United Methodist Church member who has sung in the choir for 20 years and is on the Board of Trustees.

The McGrews have two children, Jane McGrew White of Aptos, Calif.; and Mark McGrew of Haigler, Neb. They also five grandchildren.

Joe and Wynona were married June 23, 1979. Joe went to work for the Bank of Oklahoma in September of 1979, traveling in the north and northwest area to do cattle inspections. Wynona traveled with him for five years. They enjoyed roaming through Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, California, Utah and Texas.

In 1986 Wynona went to work at OPSU for Dr. Thomas Palmer as secretary in the President’s office. After Dr. Palmer retired in 1987, Wynona worked for R. D. Schultz and Harry Rosengrants in the Business and Fiscal Affairs Office. She would return to the president’s office to assist Interim President Dr. Carl Westbrook and Executive Vice-President A. D. Stone, followed by presidents Dr. John Goodwin, and Dr. David Bryant. Wynona retired in 2005 after 19 years of service to OPSU.