Weatherford, OK – Mason Hartley of Baxter Springs, Kansas is the recipient of the Dr. John Hays Scholarship for the 2025-2026 Academic Year at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU).

Hartley is a junior at SWOSU majoring in Business. He also serves as an assistant football coach for the SWOSU Bulldogs. Hartley previously studied at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College where he played both baseball and football.

Dr. John Hays, president of SWOSU from 2001-2010 and a 1969 SWOSU accounting graduate & 2011 Distinguished Alumnus, died on October 9, 2020. The Weatherford resident worked for 30 years at SWOSU, having served as assistant business manager, comptroller, assistant to the president, vice president for administration and executive vice president for administration before being named president.

During his years as president, Hays completed the Wellness Center, started/developed the university’s athletic complex and had several major buildings renovated on the Weatherford and Sayre campuses. He also was instrumental in the development of a comprehensive marketing campaign for the university and started the President’s Leadership Class.

Hays was very active in community and economic development activities in western Oklahoma. Hays was on the ground floor of many projects such as the Business Development Center at SWOSU, Weatherford Business Incubator program and Weatherford’s hiring of a full-time economic developer. His involvement in civic activities was many, including Leadership Weatherford, YMCA, Vision 20/20, Weatherford Arts Council, Weatherford’s assisted senior citizen living center and many other projects through the Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a past president of the chamber of commerce and did much to unite the chamber of commerce, City of Weatherford and SWOSU.

Hays was a member of the inaugural class of the Higher Education Leadership Academy and was a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma.

The Dr. John Hays Scholarship Endowment is stewarded by the SWOSU Foundation, Inc. The Foundation was established in 1977 to promote philanthropy, award scholarships, and distribute funds to support the activities and programs of SWOSU. For more information about the Dr. John Hays Scholarship Endowment or any SWOSU Foundation funds, please contact 580-774-3267 or visit www.SWOSUFoundation.com.

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