The Oklahoma Bar Journal May 2026

I n M emoriam

D ouglas Reese Allen of Norman died March 24. He was born June 2, 1954, in New York City. Mr. Allen graduated from Norman High School in 1972 and from OU with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1976, where he was a member of the men’s basketball team for the 1973-1974 season. Mr. Allen received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1980. He contributed his time and leadership to numerous church committees and was one of the founding members and board president of Food and Shelter for Friends, an organization estab lished in the 1980s to provide food and essential support to those in need. In 1980, Mr. Allen opened his private law practice and dedicated 45 years to serving his clients and community with integrity and compassion. He served as secretary for the Democratic Party of the Cleveland County District for four years and was a longtime member of the South Oklahoma City Rotary Club, where he served as president. Additionally, he dedicated 12 years to the Wesley Foundation board, eventually serving as its president. J ames Ervin Brandon of Tulsa died July 12, 2025. He was born June 24, 1955, in La Jolla, California. He graduated from Midwest City High School in 1973 and played bas ketball at Rose State College before transferring to OU. He graduated from OU, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1978. Mr. Brandon received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1981. He worked in private prac tice and served as a prosecutor in Oklahoma, Payne and Logan counties. He spent the majority of

involved in the Tax Executives Institute Inc. for several years, serving on various committees and as the Tulsa Chapter chair from 2013 to 2014. J ames Douglas Groves of Raleigh, North Carolina, died Sept. 13, 2025. He was born Sept. 25, 1931. Mr. Groves received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1958. I mogene H. Harris of Clayton died Oct. 10, 2025. She was born Jan. 9, 1930, in Dunbar. She grad uated from Northeastern State College in Tahlequah and received her J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1958. Ms. Harris retired in 1995 after 22 years of service as a civil servant of the city of Tulsa. She served 17 years as a city attorney, the first woman in that position, and five years as the attorney for the Tulsa International Airport Trust. She was one of the first female attorneys at Sun Oil Co. before entering her civil ser vice positions. She received the Trailblazer for Women in Law Award from the Tulsa County Bar Association and served as president of the Oklahoma Women Lawyers Association and the Tulsa County Women Lawyers Association. She received her 60-year pin from the OBA in 2009 in recognition of her years of membership and work as an Oklahoma attorney. C harles Ralph Hogshead of Tulsa died Sept. 18, 2025. He was born Aug. 13, 1949, in Morganton, North Carolina. Mr. Hogshead graduated from Morganton High School in 1967 and from Duke University in 1971 after majoring in literature.

his career at the Tulsa County dis trict attorney’s office and eventually became chief of staff in 1999. He also served as an adjunct professor at the TU College of Law. J ames Bullock of Tulsa died July 12, 2025. He was born Sept. 2, 1952, in Athens, Georgia. He grew up in Tulsa and grad uated from Bishop Kelley High School in 1970. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1982 while simultaneously working for Agrico Chemical Co. Mr. Bullock went into private practice, first in Tulsa and later in Dallas. He served as senior vice president of Worldwide Litigation for Halliburton, based in Houston. He retired in 2008 and returned to Tulsa in 2017. S tanley B. Catlett Jr. of He was born Nov. 27, 1928. Mr. Catlett received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1958. E rnest Nolan Gates of Bentonville, Arkansas, died Sept. 7, 2025. He was born May 13, 1963, in Newton, Kansas. He graduated from Catoosa High School in 1981. Mr. Gates received his CPA certificate in 1990 and his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1995, all while working full time for Philips Petroleum Co. He spent the last 22 years employed with Walmart, where he set up the company’s privileged practice for the Tax Department and coun seled and advised the department, including the company’s entry and the successful navigation of the compliance assurance process with the IRS. Mr. Gates was actively Oklahoma City died Feb. 26.

80 | MAY 2026

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL