{"id":6417,"date":"2026-11-12T14:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T20:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/?p=6417"},"modified":"2026-11-12T14:55:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T20:55:02","slug":"elmer-tanner-making-connections-moving-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/elmer-tanner-making-connections-moving-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Elmer Tanner: Making Connections, Moving Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Walking through the Oklahoma Military Academy football locker room with his father, Dan Tanner remembers how many people there were to greet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players were having their ankles taped before the game. Elmer Tanner spoke to them as he passed, continuing through the locker room and down to the sidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverybody called him coach,\u201d Dan said. \u201cEverywhere he went, he was coach, coach, coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Portrait<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The name followed Tanner from his early years teaching and coaching into a career in college leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Seminole Junior College, that ease with people became part of the work of establishing a permanent home. Tanner arrived in 1969 as the community fought to preserve its college. Over the next 13 years, he helped turn an institution facing the loss of accreditation into a state-supported college with a growing campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Family in Public Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tanner grew up in Claremore, where his father, also named Elmer Tanner, was active in civic affairs and Democratic politics. The elder Tanner was elected mayor in 1943 and died in office of a heart attack in 1949.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His mother, Jane Foster Tanner, was an educated woman of Cherokee ancestry who worked quietly in tribal matters, according to Dan. He said she received a 150-acre allotment as a young adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Elmer Tanner Sr. and his wife, Jane Foster Tanner, were the parents of Seminole Junior College President Elmer Tanner.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tanner grew up during the Great Depression. According to family accounts passed down to Dan, his father did not have a bed of his own and slept wherever space was available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After serving two years in the Navy during World War II, Tanner attended Northeastern State College in Tahlequah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan recalls his father describing work as a small-boat operator in Manila, carrying cargo between shore and larger ships. A leg injury occurred when he was caught between a boat and a dock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Elmer Tanner served two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II before beginning his career in education.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After college, Tanner entered teaching and school administration. In 1951, at age 24, he was appointed Rogers County superintendent of schools. He later served as superintendent at Foyil, where he also coached basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing for Seminole<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1958, Tanner joined Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore as Dean of Student Affairs. The institution would later become Rogers State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His responsibilities included student activities, counseling and athletics. He became Academic Dean in 1962.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan remembers his father traveling frequently to recruit students from high schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe wore khakis every day and I can remember polishing his brass as a way to kind of be connected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His mother, Joan, also worked at the academy, handling accounting and student records in its business office. Dan remembers his father being away frequently and credits his mother with much of his upbringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan was 14 when the family moved to Seminole in 1969.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe took a job and we went,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Tanner, the new job meant assembling the people and resources needed to open for classes that fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working Through Relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seminole\u2019s community leaders had already rallied around the college when Tanner arrived. Voters had approved a bond issue. His assignment was to carry that commitment into the daily operation of a separate institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He brought six faculty members from Oklahoma Military Academy, turning to instructors whose teaching he knew to form the nucleus of his staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timetable was short. There were courses to organize, students to recruit, equipment to obtain and temporary classrooms to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his later account of the reorganization, Tanner explained that there had been no time for open advertising. Other hires came through recommendations from that initial group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expectations extended beyond the classroom. He looked for instructors willing to give extra time to student activities and community affairs. Hiring policies encouraged faculty members to live in Seminole and participate in local organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Sen. Bill Dawson later called Tanner a \u201ctask master\u201d at his 1983 retirement roast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe never ran out of asking when he was president,\u201d Dawson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his 1977 doctoral dissertation, Tanner described community involvement as part of a college president\u2019s responsibility: a way to build public support, raise funds and set an example for faculty members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The college moved from temporary quarters at First Presbyterian Church to its permanent campus in 1971. Accreditation, full state support and additional buildings followed during his presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"State
State Chancellor E.T. Dunlap, Gov. David Hall and Seminole Junior College President Elmer Tanner, from left, participate in the ribbon-cutting for the college\u2019s first classroom and administrative building. The building was later named Tanner Hall.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His civic work brought recognition early. In 1970, Tanner became Seminole\u2019s first Citizen of the Year. He served as President of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce in 1975 and was inducted into the Seminole Hall of Fame in 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also served in leadership roles with civic organizations and on the Board of Directors of Seminole First National Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the President’s Office<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tanner\u2019s interest in college athletics extended beyond campus. Dan remembers his father inviting basketball players to the family home to cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, he was certainly a social animal that I am not,\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan, who operates Tanner Consulting, LLC in Tulsa, describes himself as more analytical and introverted. He wanted a life outside his father\u2019s shadow, though Tanner provided an early opportunity: a summer job with the college\u2019s architectural team, Ammerman and Thomas, before Dan pursued engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also watched his father continue his own education while leading the college. Tanner completed his doctorate at the University of Oklahoma in 1977, documenting the reorganization he had helped direct. That dissertation remains a source for the college\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI considered that a really significant accomplishment,\u201d Dan said of completing the degree while working full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retirement and a Roast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tanner retired from Seminole Junior College on Jan. 1, 1983. A month later, he was offering to help the college meet another financial challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Feb. 3 letter to his successor, President Gregory Fitch, Tanner wrote that he understood the college faced budget cuts of $120,000 to $150,000 because of a shortfall in state tax collections. Employees who had helped build the institution would be asked to make sacrifices, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel, as retired President, I should also make a sacrifice to help the situation,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked the college to withhold his supplemental retirement payments for the remainder of that school term to help reduce its expenses. He closed with an offer: \u201cIf I can be of further help, please call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Feb. 15, the Seminole Chamber of Commerce honored Tanner with a retirement roast at the college\u2019s student union. The evening brought together colleagues, community leaders and state higher education officials for a mixture of teasing and thanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Former
Former Seminole Junior College President Elmer Tanner holds up an \u201cE.T. for Mayor\u201d T-shirt during his retirement roast on Feb. 15, 1983. State Rep. Enoch Kelly Haney applauds and laughs. The shirt was a gift from the college\u2019s administrative assistants.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It followed an unwelcome start to the day. Tanner\u2019s 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass had been stolen from his home overnight and was found burning west of Seminole about 5:15 that morning, according to The Seminole Producer<\/em>. The car was a total loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanner worked his recent troubles into his remarks that evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf this is retirement I\u2019m going back to work,\u201d he told the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A Feb. 15, 1983, clipping from The Seminole Producer reports that Elmer Tanner\u2019s car was stolen from his home overnight and found burning west of Seminole that morning. His retirement roast took place that evening.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Former Chancellor E.T. Dunlap recalled Tanner\u2019s constant pursuit of the next undertaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElmer always had another project,\u201d Dunlap said, joking that Tanner was \u201cthe first college president who ever conned me out of a check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basketball Coach Jim Kerwin, Tanner\u2019s next-door neighbor, joked that he was probably the only college coach in the nation whose lawn was mowed by the college president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanner credited the college\u2019s boards, local financial institutions and the Chamber of Commerce with helping make his work possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Finding a Way to Connect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tanner later returned to Claremore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1986, he ran for Oklahoma House District 9, advancing from a four-candidate Democratic primary to a Sept. 16 runoff against Claremore attorney Dwayne Steidley. Steidley won the nomination, receiving 3,245 votes to Tanner\u2019s 2,215.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elmer
Elmer Tanner talks on the phone following election results on Sept. 16, 1986. The former college president lost the Democratic runoff for Oklahoma House District 9 to Dwayne Steidley.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His involvement in community organizations continued. In a tribute published in the Tulsa World<\/em>, columnist Terrell Lester described Tanner\u2019s work with the Claremore Elks Lodge and American Legion Post 141. Longtime friend Ernie Smart remembered someone inclined to act when a job needed doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he saw something that needed to be done, he\u2019d go do it,\u201d Smart told Lester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his final months, Tanner struggled with cancer of the larynx. Dan recalls his father undergoing surgery and radiation and increasingly relying on written notes to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The voice that had greeted so many people was gone. Lester described how Tanner continued sharing jokes with his friends: He wrote them on a notepad and passed them around, still smiling and laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanner died in Claremore on Feb. 3, 1994. He was 67.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At his father\u2019s funeral, Dan turned around to view the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just remember being on the front row and when you turn around and look behind you, the place is full,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust full of people I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Walking through the Oklahoma Military Academy football locker room with his father, Dan Tanner remembers how many people there were to greet. Players were having their ankles taped before the game. Elmer Tanner spoke to them as he passed, continuing through the locker room and down to the sidelines. \u201cEverybody called him coach,\u201d Dan said. … Continue reading Elmer Tanner: Making Connections, Moving Mountains<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[210,87],"tags":[214,238],"class_list":["post-6417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-95th-anniversary","category-news","tag-95th-anniversary","tag-elmer-tanner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6417"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6425,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6417\/revisions\/6425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}