Hall of Fame Member Biographies

Sean Burrage

Sean Burrage currently serves as the 10th Chancellor of Oklahoma’s public higher education system. In this role, he leads a statewide system comprising 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, and one university center.

An educator, civic leader, and attorney, Burrage previously served as vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff at the University of Oklahoma, where he was responsible for leading and directing strategic projects involving university officials, community leaders, and government officials.

In addition, Burrage is a past president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SE) in Durant and was managing partner with the Taylor Burrage Law Firm in Claremore. He also was elected twice to the Oklahoma State Senate and served as minority floor leader from 2011-14.

Under Burrage’s leadership, SE streamlined operations, including establishing a shared vice president position with Murray State College, and significantly increased both undergraduate and graduate enrollment as well as annual giving.

During his tenure as a state senator, Burrage represented approximately 80,000 constituents in Rogers and Mayes counties, authored or co-authored more than 50 bills that were signed into law, and served on several legislative committees and task forces, including the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship in 2008. In the prior year, he was voted the Higher Education Alumni Council’s “Best Newcomer Legislator of the Year” and was named “2013 Legislator of the Year” by the Oklahoma Association for Justice.

Burrage has served on numerous boards and committees, including the State Regents’ Blueprint 2030 Strategic Planning Committee, the 2017 Task Force on the Future of Higher Education, Gov. Fallin’s Education Advisory Committee, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, and the Oklahoma Ordinance Works Authority (Mid-America Industrial Park).

Born in Durant and raised in Antlers, Burrage is a member of the Choctaw Nation and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a juris doctorate from OU. He and his wife, Julie, have four sons.