You would be hard pressed to identify an organization in our community that has not benefitted in some way from the efforts of the Bowerman and Halkiades families, Bartlesville Community Foundation’s 2016 inductees to the Legacy Hall of Fame.
Charles “Charlie” & Coralea “Corky” Bowerman, both raised in Alamo, Indiana were wed on June 12, 1960. After attending Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Charlie was introduced to Phillips Petroleum Company and invited to Bartlesville to work for the company and play basketball for the Phillips 66ers. During his time playing professional basketball from 1961 to 1964, Charlie traveled the world visiting various countries in the Middle East, South America and Eastern Europe. His basketball success earned him induction in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
In 1964, Charlie started his marketing career. From 1964 to 1980 the family moved several before settling in Bartlesville, and they have resided here since then. Charlie held several marketing and managerial positions with Phillips Petroleum Company before being elected to the Board of Directors in 1988 and retiring in 1999.
Both Charlie and Corky have always been active in the Bartlesville community. Charlie served on the boards of the local Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Club and Jane Phillips Hospital, as well as being a member of the local Masonic Lodge. Corky has been instrumental to many causes throughout Bartlesville beginning with involvement in the Principal’s council and Booster Club while their three daughters attended school. She has served as president of the Service League and PEO Chapter AW. The YWCA, Little Theater, Ballet Guild and Symphony Society have all benefitted from her service. She is currently a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Bartlesville and serves on their Capital Campaign Committee with Charlie. Both Corky and Charlie are active members of First United Methodist Church and have served on several committees.
Charlie and Corky played key roles in founding the Bartlesville Community Foundation, volunteering many hours to help with everything from establishing funds to securing office furniture. They have also generously donated to the Foundation through its formative years. “I can’t imagine the Foundation would have continued to exist without Charlie and Corky’s commitment of time, talent, and treasure,” notes Executive Director Shawn Crawford. Charlie continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the Foundation.
Charlie and Corky have three daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia and Paul Dean, Cristina and Darren Lister, and Candace and Jeff Morris, as well eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Their families all reside in the Bartlesville/Tulsa area.
George Halkiades was born January 15, 1942 in Kingsport, Tennessee to Phellos and Theodora Halkiades, Turkish immigrants of Greek descent. After graduating from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport in 1959, George went on to attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on scholarship as a football equipment manager. He was involved in service from an early age as president of the Letterman’s Club, in addition to being a member of the student council and several other campus organizations. In 1963, he earned his BS in Electrical Engineering and came to work for Phillips Petroleum in Research and Development. Five years later he joined Applied Automation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phillips Petroleum.
In 1968, George married Jeannette Louise Evans. Their son, Vincent, born in 1971. currently lives in Claremore. Jeanne passed away in 2004. For forty years, George continued to work for Applied Automation and its successor companies—Hartmann & Braun, Elsag Baily, ABB and Siemens. He retired in 2003 as Plant Manager.
Serving Bartlesville in a myriad of ways, “George has lived and worked in this community for many years and is a ‘quiet person making a loud noise,’” notes Debbie Mueggenborg, Foundation board member. “He’s someone who gives of his time and expertise, and citizens of all ages in this community have enjoyed the fruits of his labors.”
George was heavily involved in American Legion Baseball from 1993 to 1999, serving in various capacities as treasurer and a tournament director. Following his retirement in 2003, George’s involvement in community service intensified. He served on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bartlesville and Oklahoma for six years each and currently is a member for their finance, program and operations committees. For over ten years, George has served as a Bartlesville Library Literary Services tutor, and he has been the Lead mentor of youth Robotics Team 2165 since 2007. For eight years he has served on the United Way Community Investment Committee including as chair for 2015 and 2016. Currently, George serves as Vice Chairman of the Tri County Tech Board of Education, Secretary/Treasurer of Bartlesville Rotary Club, President of Bartlesville Public Library Board, Vice Chairman of Lowe Family Young Scholars program, and Secretary of the Friends of the Library board. He is the current President of Friends in Deed, an organization that holds an annual Christmas Day dinner for the community.
The Bartlesville Community Foundation Legacy Hall of Fame recognizes families that have made a lasting contribution to the Bartlesville community. The Foundation will induct the Bowerman and Halkiades families into the Legacy Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 14th at the Hilton Garden Inn. The evening includes dinner, video retrospectives of the families, and the award presentation. Sponsorship and ticket information is available from the Foundation at 918.337.2287.
Tickets may be purchased here:
