Memorial Fund established in honor of OTC Trustee Emeritus Dolores Brooks

The OTC Foundation, the fundraising arm of Ozarks Technical Community College, has received a Legacy Gift from Dolores and Alden Brooks.  Mrs. Brooks, who passed away in October 2011 at the age of 85, was a founding member of the OTC Board of Trustees; Alden passed away in December 2010.  The $50,000 gift has been used to establish the Dolores and Alden Brooks Memorial Fund.

Mrs. Brooks served as the first president of the OTC Board of Trustees, from 1990 to 1992.  She held the position again from 2002 to 2003, and was named a Trustee Emeritus upon her retirement in 2010. 

“Mrs. Brooks was a vital part of OTC from the beginning, and we are honored that she chose to continue to support the College in this way,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “This gift makes it possible for Mrs. Brooks to have an impact on the College and on our students for years to come.”

Involved in education for many years, Mrs. Brooks taught in Indiana, Colorado and Missouri, and served as assistant principal and principal at various public schools in Springfield.  She was the first woman principal of a Springfield senior high school, Parkview High School.  Mrs. Brooks was named one of the Springfield Business Journal’s Twenty Most Influential Women in 2006, and was involved with professional organizations including the Missouri Guidance Association, Springfield Education Association, and the Missouri State Teachers Association.  She also served as President of the Southwest Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals.

“Education was a significant part of Mrs. Brooks’ life,” said Cliff Davis, vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement and executive director of the OTC Foundation.  “This Legacy Gift, and Memorial Fund it has established, provides an opportunity for Mrs. Brooks to remain dedicated to education even after her passing.”

Mrs. Brooks held a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University, a Masters in Education in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Missouri, a Secondary Administration Certificate from Drury College and a Masters in Education in Secondary School Administration from Missouri State University.  Prior to her election to Ozarks Technical Community College’s Board of Trustees, Mrs. Brooks was a member of the OTC Steering Committee.