Hall of Fame Member Biographies

Zelma Patchin

Zelma Patchin was a quiet, yet forceful voice in bringing about equity and respect for women. An Oklahoma native, Patchin taught homemaking in Oklahoma public schools and at the University of Southwestern Louisiana before being named Dean of Women at Oklahoma State University in 1951. At OSU she advised the Student Association, the Association of Women Students, and a dozen other groups. She also served as Dean of Women on World Campus Afloat and led other international excursions sponsored by International Studies. Her many honors include citations from OSU, state, and national organizations. She retired from OSU in 1975. Patchin was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 1997 and died in 2001.