Northwestern Oklahoma State Athletics

Tom McDaniel’s leadership began early while a student-athlete at Northwestern. As a four-year letterman in both football and basketball, McDaniel served as the starting quarterback and the team captain for the Ranger basketball team. As quarterback, McDaniel led the 1957 football team, including Hall of Famers J.C. Riekenberg and Larry Friend. In one memorable game, McDaniel’s 50-yard touchdown pass to Friend took the Rangers to an epic upset win over the defending national champions from the University of Central Oklahoma. Academically, McDaniel earned four years of recognition on the honor roll and was voted best all-around student by the student body in 1959. He graduated in 1960 with a degree in Business. He later earned his law degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1963. In 2000, McDaniel returned to his alma mater as its president. He was Northwestern’s first graduate and Ranger student-athlete to serve in this role. From 2001-2011, he served as President and Chancellor of Oklahoma City University. During his career, he served on the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Council and the Jim Thorpe Sports Hall of Fame Executive Council. McDaniel has been named Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO in large non-profits (The Journal Record). He has been the recipient of several awards, including the Dean A. McGee Award from Downtown OKC, the Urban Pioneer Award, and the OKCityan of the Year Award. In 1986, Northwestern named him the Outstanding Graduate in the Business/Professional category. In 2017, McDaniel was recognized by Leadership Oklahoma with its Lifetime Achievement Award. McDaniel currently serves as President of American Fidelity Foundation. He and his wife, Brenda, live in Oklahoma City. They enjoy life with their three sons and their families.